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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against NFL Over Painkiller Distribution

A federal court judge today dismissed a lawsuit against the NFL brought by former players alleging the league failed to oversee the distribution of prescription painkillers. Judge William Alsup ruled that the lawsuit was preempted by federal labor law, as the NFL had contended, because the players could bring claims under the CBA. It is unclear if the players could file against individual teams. Alsup gave the plaintiffs, a group that includes Jim McMahon and Richard Dent, until Dec. 30 to file a motion to amend their complaint.

“No decision in any state ... has ever held that a professional sports league owed such a duty to intervene and stop mistreatment by the league’s independent clubs,” he wrote. “There is simply no case law that has imposed upon a sports league a common law duty to police the health-and-safety treatment of players by the clubs.” Alsup also ruled that the league had been proactive in trying to protect the health of its players.

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