Junior Seau's Family Is Suing the NFL

The AP reports:

Seau was one of the best linebackers during his 20 seasons in the NFL. He retired in 2009. "We were saddened to learn that Junior, a loving father and teammate, suffered from CTE," the family said in a statement released to the AP. 

"While Junior always expected to have aches and pains from his playing days, none of us ever fathomed that he would suffer a debilitating brain disease that would cause him to leave us too soon. 

"We know this lawsuit will not bring back Junior. But it will send a message that the NFL needs to care for its former players, acknowledge its decades of deception on the issue of head injuries and player safety, and make the game safer for future generations."

I don't know what the legal barriers are for a case like this, or what it takes to bring a successful suit. But I don't think a successful defense by the NFL is the end of this story. The spectacle of the widow and fatherless son of one of greatest players of this generation--one who retired only four years ago--suing the NFL is a bad look defined. Again, parents see this and erosion begins.

Junior Seau isn't John Mackey--a great player who only a few big-time fans remember. He was recently billed (by the NFL, no less) as one of the toughest men to ever play the game. Now he is dead. And football killed him.