NFL: Judge dismisses lawsuit
A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit accusing the NFL players’ union of inadequately representing 3,500 retired players, ruling the complaint’s fraud and antitrust allegations had little merit.
One of the many reasons U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup in San Francisco said he dismissed the lawsuit was because none of the three retired players who sued the NFL Players Association earlier this year could show he signed any formal marketing agreements with the union in the last four years, the length of the statute of limitations.
Alsup did give the retired players who sued a glimmer of hope by saying they could revise their lawsuit to address some of the many defects he identified in his 24-page decision issued Thursday.
For instance, lawyers said they recently found licensing agreements retired Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb Adderley signed with the union in 2003 that they said could satisfy the statute of limitation concerns.
“We think that the judge has given us good guidelines,” said lawyer Ronald Katz, who represents Adderley, and the two other players – Bernie Parrish and Walter Roberts.
The three former players sued the union and its marketing arm, Players Inc., and sought class action status on behalf of some 3,500 retired NFL players. The lawsuit claimed that only 358 retired players received marketing royalties in 2005.
Rucker will miss opener
Cincinnati defensive end Frostee Rucker won’t have to serve a one-game suspension from the NFL, but he will miss the season opener anyway because of a lingering hamstring injury.
The league proposed a one-game suspension after Rucker settled a domestic violence case in April.
Around the league
Receiver Terry Glenn will miss Dallas’ opener Sunday against the New York Giants after injuring the knee that was operated on in the preseason. … Former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Rod Coleman had arthroscopic knee surgery and might not return until Atlanta’s Week 5 game at Tennessee. … An Indianapolis man died after falling nine stories from a deck of a hotel overlooking Monument Circle, near where thousands gathered for the NFL’s season-opening festivities Thursday.