In 2021, the NFL authorities said they would end the racial norming system. It is used in tests to determine cognitive impairments that have developed in football players after repeated head injuries while playing. This system made it harder for Black retired NFL players to qualify for dementia compensation than it was for whites.
“Everyone agrees that racially-based rules should be replaced, but there is no ready-made alternative, so experts are working to resolve this long-standing problem,” the NFL said. The new norms will be developed by a group of neuropsychologists, including three Black and two female doctors. They will also apply to those players who have already tried to receive compensation. Whatever their purpose is – to spend money on treatment, start a new business, or play in the casino from the list on https://www.canadiangamblingchoice.com/, - they undoubtedly deserve equal opportunities.
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Two Life-Changing Lawsuits
The NFL has decided to end its “race-norming” system nine months after a lawsuit filed by two former footballers: Najeh Davenport and Kevin Henry.
In August 2020, they accused the league of discriminating against Black players in compensation for cognitive impairment due to head injuries.
In 2013, the NFL pledged to pay $765 million to former players found to have such violations. But the agreement then concluded was not equal for all athletes, said lawyer Cyril Smith, who represented the interests of Davenport and Henry. According to him, all players underwent the same neurocognitive tests to determine how much their mental abilities deteriorated after injuries. But their results have been interpreted in different ways. This meant that the cognitive abilities of Black players had to decline more so that they could get money from the NFL.
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Davenport and Henry personally experienced double standards in testing. They played 7 to 8 seasons in the NFL, suffered multiple concussions, and retired when they were in their 30s. Kevin Henry, in an interview with ABC, told what an eight-year career as a linebacker with the Pittsburgh Steelers cost him: injuries to both ankles and elbows, both knees and hands, fractures of all fingers, at least a dozen concussions, and 17 operations.
Later, both athletes got signs of dementia: memory impairment, depression, and aggression. They could not fully work after leaving the sport. Both passed neurocognitive tests that did not use the “race-norming” system. Both were found to have cognitive impairments severe enough to qualify for compensation. But the NFL refused to pay, demanding more tests, this time using a race-norming system. Their results prevented either Davenport or Henry from being compensated by the league.
In March 2021, the court dismissed Davenport and Henry’s claim. At the same time, Judge Anina Brody expressed concern about the system and brought to check the practice of its application. It is not known how many Black ex-players have lost compensation due to the race-norming system. Meanwhile, Black football players make up about 70% of the total current players in the US National Football League and about half of its former players.
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