phere out there.And anytime you can play with a top-10 player, too, is always fun and | Forum

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the final two challenges to the estimated $1 billion settlement between the NFL and thousands of its former players who have been diagnosed with brain injuries linked to repeated concussions. Wholesale Adidas NMD Canada . Players who already have been diagnosed with Lou Gehrigs disease, Parkinsons, Alzheimers or dementia could begin receiving payments in 90 to 120 days.This is a historical moment for the retired player community who, in the face of great adversity, took on the NFL, said attorney Christopher Seeger, who represented the class of more than 20,000 former NFL players now eligible for payments for the next 65 years.Despite the difficult health situations retired players face today, and that many more will unfortunately face in the future, they can have peace of mind knowing that this settlements benefits will finally become available to them and will last for decades to come.The league has estimated that 6,000 former players -- or nearly three in 10 -- could develop Alzheimers disease or moderate dementia. Payments could be as high as $5 million for those with Lou Gehrigs disease, also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS; the average payout is expected to be closer to $190,000.Seeger said more than 11,000 have pre-registered for benefits.We will make sure that every single eligible retired player takes advantage of this settlements benefits, he told reporters in a conference call. We will be undertaking a massive education effort to ensure that all former NFL players know about the settlements benefits and understand how to file a claim.The class-action lawsuit filed in Philadelphia accused the NFL of hiding what it knew about the link between concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease that has been found in dozens of former players after their deaths. Senior U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody approved the deal last year after twice sending it back to lawyers over concerns the fund might run out.The deal was upheld by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in April.We must hesitate before rejecting that bargain based on an unsupported hope that sending the parties back to the negotiating table would lead to a better deal, Judge Thomas L. Ambro wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel that affirmed the settlement.But two separate petitions -- one from the family of late Buffalo Bills fullback Cookie Gilchrist, and the other from a group of 31 players that included including 1996 Super Bowl MVP Larry Brown and Hall of Famer Charles Haley -- asked the nations highest court to stop the settlement. Their requests for a Supreme Court hearing were rejected without comment from the justices on Monday.The NFL admitted no fault as part of the settlement, though a league official did acknowledge during congressional testimony that there is a link between football and CTE. The deal avoids the need for a trial and means the NFL may never have to disclose what it knew and when about the risks and treatment of repeated concussions.Still, Seeger said, much progress has been made.When this lawsuit was first filed, discussions over concussions and player safety in the NFL were rare, and holding the NFL accountable seemed almost impossible, Seeger said. But with the help of these players, more and more attention is placed on the issue of safety and head injuries in sports. Those who had the courage to file suit and take on this cause deserve tremendous credit for what they have achieved.In a statement, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league was pleased with the decision.We look forward to working with class counsel and Judge Brody to implement the settlement and provide the important benefits that our retired players and their families have been waiting to receive, McCarthy said.Critics complained that the settlement approved by Brody does not cover future CTE cases. The lead negotiators said they instead set aside compensation for treatment for some CTE symptoms. That does not include the depression, aggression and mood swings reported by some former players who experienced repeated concussions.Other payments are expected to be around $4 million for past CTE deaths and $3.5 million for advanced Alzheimers disease. They will not need to prove that their diagnosis is the result of NFL football to receive an award, Seeger said.Players lawyers who negotiated the deal with the NFL -- and stand to split $112 million in fees -- say the settlement will help families get needed financial awards or medical testing that might take years if the case went to trial.Ambro agreed.Compensation for players who are coping with these symptoms now is surely preferable to waiting until they die to pay their estates for a CTE diagnosis, the judge wrote.Seeger closed his comments by thanking former New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles fullback Kevin Turner, who was the lead plaintiff in the litigation. Researchers announced last month that Turner suffered from CTE to a degree that they had not seen for an athlete who died in his 40s.Its really important that people understand that without the commitment that Kevin made, it wouldnt be possible to get where we are, Seeger said. I end this on somewhat of a sad note that Kevin couldnt be here to see this.---AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Adidas Shoes Canada .  Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. Adidas Shoes Canada Outlet . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. http://www.nmdsalecanada.com/ . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Jhonattan Vegas certainly has the name and attire to mix it with Sydneys movers and shakers, but more importantly he showed he has the game to challenge for the Australian Open and add his name to a trophy that features some of golfs greatest names.Decked out in a fluoro orange shirt that would rival any bright light in Nevada, Vegas tore up Royal Sydneys front nine with five straight birdies on Friday morning before surviving a mini-meltdown to put himself firmly in contention at five-under ahead of the weekend action.The course played a lot different to this morning than it did yesterday, Vegas said after posting a six-under 66.It was playing pretty hard [yesterday], the greens firm, fast, wind blowing; it was really hard the way it was playing yesterday.So softer greens, great greens, the ball was rolling really good on the greens; it was easy to make putts. But overall I feel like I played a pretty solid round...and we had a lot of fun, that was key, too.What makes Vegas round all the more impressive is the fact he only arrived in Sydney and had just one look at the course before opening up with a one-over 73 on Thursday.The first thing I told my caddie when I got here on Wednesday was that I really liked the course, I really like the area, I like everything, he said.So that was ddefinitely a good start and, yeah, obviously there are different types of golf courses, but Im doing a good job with my caddie to get things going. Adidas NMD Canada Online. Vegas is the only other international attraction of note in Sydney this week outside American superstar Jordan Spieth, though the Venezuelan has been playing second fiddle to Australias Adam Scott.Aaron Baddeley has completed the pairing over the first two days at Royal Sydney, but there is no doubt whom the galleries have come to see with Scotts birdies pulling double the cheers of his playing partners on Friday.Not that Vegas sees it that way.Was it for Adam or was it for me? I thought it was for me, Vegas joked when asked about the swarms of people that hurried for vantage points of the former Masters winner and current world No.7.No, obviously hes a big athlete here in Australia and every time you can get a crowd like that it has a different feel, so its a good atmosphere out there.And anytime you can play with a top-10 player, too, is always fun and [Scott] is such a great guy, too, so its even better.Vegas was just two shots shy of the clubhouse lead midway through the afternoon wave on Friday. ' ' '