June 13, 2021

Dear Retired NFL Players, Families, and Friends,
 

For the first time in a very long time, I feel that momentum is FINALLY AT LONG LAST, on the side of retired players!  Recent and ongoing media exposure of the loathsome race norming that has been taking place in the Concussion Settlement has made an impact.  Public sentiment is definitely with retired players now, and especially Black players who've been victims of race norming.  In order to reach as many folks as quickly as possible, I've combined the newsletter to Retired NFL with our General Interest newsletter group, as I'd love to see both groups participating in the social media challenge you'll read about shortly.

As a result of some harsh press, the NFL, Chris Seeger, and even the courts have been trying to put out the fire and shift the momentum back to their favor.  The NFL announced (without an apology) it would discontinue race norming and is looking for another protocol to use.  Translation:  They're looking for a new way to deny players of all races since they got caught perpetuating systemic racism.  We cannot let this happen.

Chris Seeger has embarked on a PR tour billing himself as the "fix-it man," and issuing a rare apology on ABC NIteline.  I'm sure he is sorry that he got caught but I'm not buying what he is trying to sell.  He also appeared on Andrew Brandt's podcast, and somehow convinced Mike Freeman of USA Today to write a piece that reads like an infomercial.  Fortunately, most media has not been as gullible as Freeman, but we do need to continue to keep them interested and informed.

Even Judge Brody's court and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, above her, seem to be getting nervous and antsy. The first clue came when Judge Brody granted the Henry/Davenport motion to intervene in the race norming mediation she ordered after first saying she would defer ruling on it.  Her next order came a few days later when she ordered Magistrate Judge David Strawbridge, who is presiding over the mediation, to file a progress report.  Oddly, the report was due on Friday, June 11, but nothing has appeared on the docket as of yet.  

Odder yet, even the Third Circuit seems to be reacting to media attention and pressure.  I've written several stories on Amon Gordon's thrice approved and then denied without explanation claim and his subsequent appeal.  In case you missed it, this is my first article on his case, and this is the most recent one:

To bring you fully up to speed on the Gordon appeal, the Third Circuit had requested oral arguments, scheduled for June 22.  Last Thursday, without explanation, the court notified counsel for all parties that oral arguments were canceled and the appeals court would rule on the briefs.  While it's not all that unusual for an appellate court to rule on briefs without an oral argument, it IS QUITE UNUSUAL for a court to request oral arguments and then cancel them.  The most likely reason for this is that members of the media had been calling the court for credentialing to attend and cover the hearing.

Brain injury historian Stephen Casper, tweeted a long thread about race norming and how it is embedded into torts by insurance companies and, as a result, compensates black victims on a lower scale than whites. "Sweet Lord! In 2021, finally, a big picture. The American justice system promotes racial injustice in torts," he said.  He also summed up the legal quagmire at the Third Circuit.


Speaking of Twitter, it's one of the most powerful tools at our disposal.

Monday, June 14 is #Seegerlied Day on Twitter
 

Advocacy for Fairness in Sports is proud to support #NFLWivesForChange in their plan to call Chris Seeger on his deception and attempt to make #Seegerlied a trending topic that will bring additional media scrutiny.  If you're receiving this newsletter, you're invited to join in.

In order to make a topic or hashtag trend on Twitter, you need at least 5,000 tweets. That means, "all hands on deck."  If you're already a Twitter user, please help us to reach the goal.  If you're an NFL retiree or wife of one, and you feel you were lied to or deceived regarding the concussion settlement, here's your chance to sound off amid a group of many.  If you're a more passive voice you can still help by following,  monitoring, and retweeting from the following Twitter accounts:

There are obviously many more accounts well worth following, but this is a good start, especially if you're new to Twitter.  If you're not on Twitter and would like to participate, it's very easy to set up an account and you can do it under an avatar if you're not comfortable in revealing your identity.

I've sent this to our General Interest newsgroup (please accept my apology if you are on both lists and receive this twice) because we would greatly appreciate the support of people outside the NFL, just as in the petition. 

If you're a white retiree or wife of one, please don't sit this out thinking it's a "black issue."  I've seen some former players express dismay that they haven't heard much out of a lot of white retirees.   Let's change that perception now, and show your former teammates and fellow NFL brothers a little love.  You'll also be doing yourself a favor since, as I mentioned earlier, the NFL plans to implement some new race-neutral protocol, and if we don't stop them in their tracks, your benefits may be on the line next.