A U.S. District judge unsealed documents Friday in a lawsuit filed by former NFLers against their former teams "alleging improper administration of powerful pain medication," and the documents make public details the NFLPA "categorized as alarming," according to Rick Maese of the WASHINGTON POST. That information was "initially redacted in a court filing related to the lawsuit because the lawyers for both sides agreed to a protective order in the case." The documents "include information on prescription drugs administered by the Steelers, Colts and Jets." It also "includes an eight-page chart documenting multitudes of occasions when teams traveled with and dispensed controlled substances on the road, in violations of federal regulations" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/11). The NFLPA in a statement said it was "alarmed by the revelations in the lawsuit." The union said that reporting by the Washington Post in addition to Deadspin are "cause for our continued concern and vigilance for holding the League accountable to its obligations" (NLFPA).
BACK TO OLD RELIABLE? THE RINGER's Claire McNear noted the NFL "denied everything" in the report. McNear: "As always, when it comes to players’ health, the NFL is circling the wagons and reverting to what it does best -- defending the bottom line." McNear: "The people in charge of the NFL don’t care about player safety, and can’t even be bothered to pretend otherwise" (THERINGER.com, 3/10).
ALTERNATIVE METHODS: In Boston, Ben Volin wrote the notion that players "take an unhealthy amount of painkillers and anti-inflammatories is nothing new, though the numbers are eye-opening." This story "shines a light on the NFL’s baffling policy that bans marijuana and cannabinoids." While there is still "much to be done in terms of research, marijuana has never directly caused a fatality or overdose and is generally regarded as far safer than the highly addictive opioids" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/12). One drug in particular, Toradol, was highlighted in the report, and THE MMQB's Peter King writes with Toradol being "damaging to players’ long-term health, it’s incumbent on the league ... to be sure the league is not over-prescribing Toradol now." It is "important that stories like this be written, and the pain-management system is examined, so that a light shines on painkillers and players are more aware of the risks" (MMQB.SI.com, 3/13). A WASHINGTON POST editorial is written under the header, "NFL Doctors Are On The Wrong Team" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/12).
