NFL Argues Black Players Have Lower ‘Cognitive Skills’ Than Whites, Deserve Less Compensation For Brain Injuries

National File ^ | May 16, 2021 | TOM PAPPERT

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The NFL has a $1 billion compensation program for players who sustain brain injuries while competing in the league, however, the NFL also has a secret algorithm it uses to determine the level of dispensation awarded to each injured athlete, and argues in court that it is correct to take into consideration what it maintains is the lower average “cognitive skills” of black players compared to other races. While former and current NFL players who suffer from dementia or other brain injuries are entitled to compensation from the NFL if their injuries were sustained while competing in the league, the NFL also argues that it is correct to assume that black players have lower “cognitive skills” on average, and this should be taken into consideration when awarding compensation. However, former Washington running back Ken Jenkins, 61, and his wife Amy Lewis, argue in U.S. District Court that awarding less compensation to black people is an example of inequality.

Detractors say the NFL’s algorithm is an example of “race norming,” and according to Newsweek, New York University Medical Ethicist Art Caplain explains, “Norming by race is not the stance that the NFL ought to take. It continues to look as if it’s trying to exclude people rather than trying to do what’s right, which is to help people that, clinically, have obvious and severe disability.”

Meanwhile, “The NFL’s scoring algorithm asserts that black men have lower cognitive skills to begin with and has impeded the ability for former black players to attain awards from the league’s settlement as they are required to score significantly lower than their white counterparts.” The NFL generally began admitting cognitive deficiencies could be caused from professional football in the early 2010s, but now challenges claims of cognitive injury regularly. In one high profile case,...

[clashfan]

Each player should have a baseline measurement taken then, if injured, be evaluated like an individual, not a racial group. Should be easy enough.

[traderrob6]

Just goes to show you that the most ardent VOCAL proponents of CRT, BLM etc. etc. are often the most racist.

They virtue signal purely for appearance and to keep the leftist progressive Nazi’s off their back but under the cloak of wokeness they are the worst kind of stereotyping bigoted malefactor’s.

[Clarancebeaks]

Agreed. Say something that everyone already knows and get crucified for it. Just look at the facts and statistics and you will see the NFL is correct.

[Salman]

My two cents -- Black people should boycott the NFL from now on.

[Liaison]

The Babylon bee is loosing ground because reality is becoming more crazy and funny than they can dream up.

[MileHi]

Bell curve. It could explain a lot of things.

[heartwood]

Most players took the Wonderlic test. That should provide something of an individual baseline, and avoid race-norming.

[rockrr]

Oh-oh, they said the quiet part out loud again!

[oldbill]

Is this a Babylon Bee article?

[cdcdawg]

And just like that, “follow the science” became forbidden.

But wait! Maybe Shannon Sharpe used to make sense! I want to believe!

[Governor Dinwiddie]

What do Biden and the Dems say?

“In this house we believe in science!”

I approve this message …

[pnut22]

My 2 cents is that if they didn’t lower the standards many players who never had a head injury would still qualify. Am I missing something?

[Viking2002]

SHOTS FIRED!

[faithhopecharity]

the ones who Kneel for the National Anthem prove the NLF’s thesis

[Fzob]

Well Blacks do on average have less cognitive skills than the average of whites or other races for that matter, but when it comes to compensating an individual, using race norming as a factor in determining an award is blatantly racist.

[SamuraiScot]

Sounds like Southern politicians...in 1920.

I doubt the story is accurate. In the newsrooms of pinko publications like The New York Times, they had (may still have) the saying, "That fact is too good to check!"

[PghBaldy]

Why does anyone think States are ending the use of SAT in college admissions? It is to help non-Asians and non-whites.

[Alberta's Child]

Former NFL running back Merrill Hoge was one of the early players to demonstrate post-concussion effects later in his career. One of the things that made his case stand out was that he started his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and at the time he played for them they were the only team that ran their rookies through a series of tests to measure cognitive abilities, reaction timing, hand-eye coordination, etc. So later in his career the doctors were able to go back and compare his brain function to the "baseline" measurements from his rookie training camp to measure how much they had declined over time.

I'm kind of surprised the NFL doesn't have EVERY team measure cognitive abilities on an individual basis -- not by race or any other group -- to measure physical and mental changes in players over time and after their careers are over.

[Vermont Lt]

Their argument is that because they are starting from a lower place, their decline has to be more significant to match the decline of a white player.

They are not going to explain that away without some really bad looking optics.

[jeffersondem]

“They said that with their outside voice?”

I read the article and could not find where the NFL said what the headline said.

An NFL detractor (not me this time) was quoted thusly:
“Meanwhile, “The NFL's scoring algorithm asserts that black men have lower cognitive skills to begin with and has impeded the ability for former black players to attain awards from the league's settlement as they are required to score significantly lower than their white counterparts.””

This article makes me think lawyers for ex-players are attempting to publicly wrong-foot the NFL before the next shakedown - I mean, lawsuit, is heard.

My guess is the ex-players want more money.

If more money is needed, take it out of the hides of current players, or current NFL fans.