Page 24 - Florida Sentinel 10-29-21

Sports
Russell Wilson Will Have
NFL, Players Agree To End 'Race-Norming' In $1B Settlement
The NFL and lawyers for thousands of retired NFL play- ers have reached an agreement to end race-based adjustments in dementia testing in the $1 billion settlement of concus- sion claims, according to a pro- posed deal filed Wednesday in federal court.
The revised testing plan fol- lows public outrage over the use of "race-norming," a prac- tice that came to light only after two former NFL players filed a civil rights lawsuit over it last year. The adjustments, critics say, may have prevented hundreds of Black players suf- fering from dementia to win awards that average $500,000 or more.
The Black retirees will now have the chance to have their tests rescored or, in some cases, seek a new round of cog- nitive testing, according to the settlement, details of which were first reported in The New York Times on Wednesday.
"We look forward to the court's prompt approval of the agreement, which provides for a race-neutral evaluation process that will ensure diag- nostic accuracy and fairness in the concussion settlement," NFL lawyer Brad Karp said in a statement.
The proposal, which must still be approved by a judge, follows months of closed-door negotiations between the NFL, class counsel for the retired players, and lawyers for the Black players who filed suit, Najeh Davenport and Kevin Henry.
The vast majority of the league's players — 70% of ac- tive players and more than 60% of living retirees — are Black. So the changes are ex- pected to be significant, and potentially costly for the NFL.
BEAUTY UNLIMITED
ARIEL
This week’s Beauty Unlimited feature, Ariel is dynamic in her presentation, and confident she will be the next big name. Ariel has goals and aspirations far above the understanding of those who tend to stand still, and she keeps herself in the best condition, and has dedicated her life to being the best of the best. Congratu- lations to Ariel as this week’s Beauty Unlimited feature.
Pin Removed From Finger,
Accelerating Return
There continues to be good news for Russell Wilson and his injury recovery.
After fracturing his finger in Week 5 against the Rams, Russell Wilson is now just over two weeks removed from surgery. After the Seahawks QB was put on IR last week, it became clear that his earliest possible return date would be in Week 10 against Green Bay, and the speed of Wilson’s re- covery continued to be clear after Saturday’s news.
The pin currently inserted to stabilize Russell Wil-
RUSSELL WILSON
son’s finger will likely be re- moved within the next week, signaling that Pete Carroll’s characterization of Wilson as a “great healer” wasn’t far from the truth.
Sharks Forward Evander Kane Suspended 21 Games By NHL
San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane has been suspended for 21 games with- out pay by the NHL on Mon- day for an "established violation" of the NHL/NHLPA COVID-19 protocol.
Sources confirmed earlier this month that Kane was being investigated over allega- tions that he submitted a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to the NHL and the Sharks. While the NHL and the NHLPA do not have a vaccine mandate for the 2021-22 sea- son, vaccinated players have far fewer restrictions on them than do unvaccinated players -- including the ability to play games in Canada without a
EVANDER KANE
mandatory quarantine. According to the NHL,
Kane was suspended for "an established violation of, and lack of compliance with, the NHL/NHLPA COVID-19 Pro- tocol." The money he'll forfeit goes to the Players' Emer- gency Assistance Fund, per the terms of the collective bar- gaining agreement.
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