Could players sue for reckless endangerment?
Since one of the reasons for Petitti's suspension of Harbaugh is that it is unsafe for players if teams know opponent's signs . . .
And since the league has not made it illegal to steal signs . . .
And since the league has not made the simple effort to put headsets in helmets (as the NFL has done) which would require very little expense . . .
Couldn't players sue the league for endangering their health by not requiring headsets?
I'm an engineer, not a lawyer, but Corum would seem to have grounds to sue based on last season's injury. The BIG would have to respond by either admitting that they have not protected players, or would have to argue that it actually doesn't endanger player health (undermining the reasons for Harbaugh's suspension).
MGoLawyers, correct me if there's something wrong with the logic.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:43 PM ^
Your logic is better than any other logic we’ve seen the past 3 weeks.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:56 PM ^
That bar is so low, I could clear it without much of a running start.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:43 PM ^
i thought the same.. This is a pandora's box in the lack of response and responsibility that could result in player lawsuit now... If it was player safety, why not address all the injuries that Big Ten conference did not protect the players in-game with signal sharing that is happening legally or not. This is player safety as commish stated and they did nothing about it... This will go bad now..
Also, this should then force Big Ten to address the issue of the game signal exchanges between the 3 schools promptly and not slowly either case..
November 10th, 2023 at 7:43 PM ^
Maybe
November 10th, 2023 at 7:43 PM ^
No, no they cannot.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:45 PM ^
No. Please stop. This is not even remotely a safety issue. This is a fake controversy ginned up by our rivals and inexplicably run out by this dipshit of a commissioner.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:47 PM ^
I don't believe that it is a safety issue. But the commissioner has stated that it is as a basis for suspending one of the league's coacher. Petitti has made the bed. Now he should be made to lie in it (pun intended).
November 10th, 2023 at 7:49 PM ^
Exactly. It's time to make them live up to their own standards.
November 11th, 2023 at 6:51 AM ^
All players should file a class action vs the NCAA and/or Big 10. Now that the precedent of stealing signs and greater chance of injuries has been put in motion.
Argument, sign stealing is legal, however you continue to let us play “knowing” it increases our chance of injury.
I am not a lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:48 PM ^
We know that.. But by that logic, there is an implication and application.. This could open a big lawsuit for the Big Ten and the schools for not doing anything all this time... Again, I don't think it is player safety but there is a conclusion that they made with consequences.. This is one possibility...
November 10th, 2023 at 7:55 PM ^
I get what you are trying to say and that you are trying to play this out to its illiogical conclusion but lawsuits have to be filed on a good faith basis. This would be totally frivolous. Better to use this as an argument in the preliminary injunction case about the parade of horribles/ slippery slope of what the big ten is arguing.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:59 PM ^
If you can't understand what's being talked about, don't respond
November 10th, 2023 at 7:47 PM ^
Penn State will sue for having him get everyone so fired up that they get run off the field.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:49 PM ^
I don’t think we have proof that it is more dangerous.
In theory, if you knew where a play was going you would be in a better position to make a textbook tackle at a slower rate of speed/impact. Or even better, be there early and make a play on the ball as opposed to full contact. That is safer. No question.
Often significant collisions occur when a defender is catching up to a play, because they were out of position in space at full speed.
IMO this is further proof Tony doesn’t know what he is talking about.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:49 PM ^
Can I sue my wife for her cooking?
November 10th, 2023 at 7:52 PM ^
Yes, but can you win? That's a completely different question.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:56 PM ^
Just want my grocery money back Your Honor.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:57 PM ^
This is one of those cases of - even if you win, you lose.
November 10th, 2023 at 8:31 PM ^
Can I sue you for making that joke?
November 10th, 2023 at 7:50 PM ^
Seems doubtful. But I'd like to believe that in our lawsuit it will be dismissed as an obviously preposterous argument on the part of the Big Ten and that it will hurt their case for holding such contradictory beliefs (it's a health and safety issue so it's only legal if you do it this way and not the other way even though the end result is the same).
November 10th, 2023 at 8:03 PM ^
November 10th, 2023 at 7:51 PM ^
I thought more about NIL reasons: would be labeled a cheater without investigation or trial humor damage the perception of the programs and players. Plus this could cost the players wins, hurting exposure and NIL value and marketability. I’m no lawyer (but I did stay at a holiday inn express), but I’d imagine some lawyer could present a case about the oppressive NCAA and Big Ten exploiting and damaging the NIL value and profitability of the players through bush league tactics to silence opposition.
November 10th, 2023 at 7:53 PM ^
Uh, oh! Jim would be the one to pose this concerning question to the media and as written to the entire NCAA and Bigten then reiterate, as before, the need for revenue sharing for fairness and this issue for safety (link Hallers much used ironical quote for consistency).
November 10th, 2023 at 8:01 PM ^
Reckless endangerment is a crime, not a tort, so you can't really sue someone for it.
November 10th, 2023 at 8:10 PM ^
If Petittittititties keeps allowing it to happen in certain instances, is there not a single defendant that can be held responsible?
November 10th, 2023 at 8:11 PM ^
But can the players sue for something else? Say, creating an unsafe play/work environment?
November 15th, 2023 at 7:28 PM ^
I was mostly being cheeky. But to answer your question, they could potentially sue for negligence, but to win they would need to prove (among other things) that they were actually harmed, and that the B1G's actions (or inaction) caused that harm. You generally can't sue someone based on an allegation that their actions could have been harmful.
November 10th, 2023 at 8:07 PM ^
The problem with that sign stealing has been going on every since there has been signs and there is no proof whatsoever that it is dangerous. In fact, no one has ever even suggested it was dangerous until Sparty came up with that.
Obviously, no one ever believed that because the NCAA specifically says it is legal and no one has objected. In fact, if anyone had ever thought it was dangerous it could be completely eliminated by using helmet headphones. But that idea was not accepted because of the minor cost it would require.
November 10th, 2023 at 9:06 PM ^
until Sparty came up with that.
Statements like that, which were then trumpeted by the media or cited by the B1G, sure make this whole endeavor seem orchestrated.
November 10th, 2023 at 8:30 PM ^
Great point. If sign "stealing/decoding" is so damn dangerous, how is it permitted at all? Sadly, I doubt we see any CFB talking heads point this out, even "pro Michigan" ones b/c it would make too many heads explode.
November 10th, 2023 at 9:13 PM ^
Yes, I made this same point after I saw Petitti's letter. Would be nothing sweeter than to see former players bankrupt the B1G while we are heading out the door to join the ACC.
November 10th, 2023 at 10:22 PM ^
Along those lines, don't the players face a risk of monetary damages? Presumably a national championship winning player is worth more NIL than a non national championship winning player, and lack of a head coach who would be suspended without due process is a pretty meaningful risk
November 10th, 2023 at 10:23 PM ^
We could tell from your argument you are not a lawyer. Didn't need to tell us. You sure you graduated at all with that reasoning?