NFL Liable?

The NFL's new concussion protocols failed in the St. Louis Rams game on Sunday, November 22nd, when the Rams quarterback, Case Keenum, was allowed to play after his head slammed into the field. Keenum then had two incompletions and lost a fumble that cost his team the game, and the Ravens won over the Rams, 16-13.

 

The NFL is now considering whether to discipline future protocol failures.  The league held a mandatory teleconference Tuesday night that included the head trainer from each team and team doctors to review the league's concussion protocols. "The team medical staffs discussed the events that led to the failure to remove St. Louis Rams quarterback Case Keenum from Sunday's game, and reviewed the proper implementation of the league's concussion protocols to ensure that players are removed from the field for a medical evaluation as required by the protocols," an NFL statement said. The league and the NFL Players Association will "make improvements as necessary to protect the health and safety of NFL players, including consideration of discipline for future violations of the protocols," the league said.The protocols are designed to assess and manage player concussions, which have led to a class-action legal controversy for the league, as thousands of players sued the NFL in 2012 for negligence for failing to tell players of the link between concussions and brain damage called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

The NFL, which once sought to dismiss the suit, and the players eventually reached a settlement that provides up to $5 million per retired player for serious medical conditions associated with repeated head trauma.

 After Sunday's game, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged the mistake, but he noted that Keenum did speak with the team head trainer after the quarterback's head was slammed to the gridiron on the Rams' final drive of the game. Keenum reportedly told the trainer he was “OK”. The ATC spotter assumed that the trainer was taking care of any potential concussion, Fisher said. "His assumption, because our trainer was on the field, was that it had been taken care of. That's why the officiating department was not notified," Fisher said.   

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2593991-rams-reportedly-wont-be-penalized-for-handling-of-case-keenums-concussion (2:30)

Fisher Pledges that players, team, and league will work better and harder to ensure this won't happen again.   

Sources:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2593991-rams-reportedly-wont-be-penalized-for-handling-of-case-keenums-concussion

Ronda Rousey's Big Defeat

Ronda Rousey's streak of being the UFC's Bantam weight champion came to a stop in Australia, Saturday night. Holly Holms viciously head kicked Rousey in the second round of UFC 193 in Melbourne Australia, knocking out Rousey, and granting Holms the title of UFC Bantam weight champion. Coming into the rink, Holms was Rousey's biggest challenger ever since Holms signed to UFC, but the odds of her winning the fight was 20-1. It is safe to say, Holly Holms shocked the world with her giant victory last night.

Throughout the first round, Holms set the pace with a swift jab and many strong kicks, hurting Rousey's lead leg. Every engagement Rousey tried to make, Holms dodged and circled away, preventing Rousey from bullying her across the rink like she had done to so many previous opponents. Although, Holms greatest weapon was her powerful and clean punches that caused former champion, Rousey to start bleeding from the nose and mouth. Rousey was able to eventually take down Holmes in a headlock, but Holmes slipped out from under Rousey, and got the fight back to their feet.

The second round approached, and Holms was very confident; this was only one of two fights that made the second round with Rhonda Rousey. Holms immediately took the former champ down, and as she scrambled to get up, Holmes blasted her with a head kick that sent Rousey crashing back to the mat. Holms then got ontop of Rousey, and gave her a few more swift blows until the referee had to chime in before Rousey could face any more damage. Rousey laid motionless on the mat.

Just 59 seconds into the second round, Holms celebrated her amazing win as the crowd began in a giant uproar of disbelief.  After the amazing victory, Holms reflected on her accomplishment with news reporters, "I have to say that everything that we worked on presented itself in the fight. Every kind of grab that she tried to get and clinch on the cage. I have not spent this much time in the gym before any fight in my life. Everything we worked on happened tonight and that actually happened to be something we worked on to try and angle the clinch. I didn't want to kick her to the body because we didn't want her to grab onto us and it just was there." 

This marks the first loss in Rousey's career, and shortly after the fight, she was rushed to the hospital. In addition, Rousey expressed her feelings towards her defeat against Holms on social media, "Fake ass cheap shotting fake respect fake humility bitch - "preacher's daughter" my ass - I see through your fake sweet act now - you're getting your ass kicked tomorrow, and I'm really going to enjoy the beating I give you #andSTILL". 

Possibilities of a re-match are extremely high, so now the real question is: Who would win? 

Sources:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/boxing/la-sp-sn-ufc-193-live-updates-ronda-rousey-vs-holly-holm-20151114-story.html

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ufc-rousey-holm-20151115-story.html