With Championship Games in the Background – A Reminder of the Ongoing Concussion Issue in the NFL:

With Championship Games in the Background – A Reminder of the Ongoing Concussion Issue in the NFL:

It's hard to imagine a more compelling NFL Championship weekend. In the AFC, old rivals Tom Brady and Peyton Manning square off yet again when the Broncos host the Patriots. In the NFC, the new rivalry between the Seahawks and the 49ers takes center stage. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell couldn't have asked for a much better line-up. Not all is well in the world of the NFL, though. Earlier this week, Judge Anita Brody, the federal judge overseeing a lawsuit brought by more than 4,000 former players against the NFL, rejected a settlement proposed by the parties. As Judge Brody found, the settlement may not be enough to compensate the players for the injuries they suffered in the sport. The Judge ordered the parties to provide her with more information regarding the adequacy and fairness of the proposal.

Judge Brody deserves credit for her stance. The law provides her with the authority to make sure that members of the class are protected in cases like this. That is a serious responsibility and, if she believed that she needed more information before reaching a decision, she was right to demand that information from the parties.