The family of Junior Seau has sued the NFL, claiming the former linebacker's suicide was the result of brain disease caused by violent hits he sustained while playing football. The wrongful death lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court in San Diego, blames the NFL for its 'acts or omissions' that hid the dangers of repetitive blows to the head. It says Seau developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from those hits, and accuses the NFL of deliberately ignoring and concealing evidence of the risks associated with traumatic brain injuries. Seau died at age 43 of a self-inflicted gunshot in May. He was diagnosed with CTE, based on posthumous tests, earlier this month. The lawsuit accuses the league of glorifying the violence in pro football, and creating the impression that delivering big hits 'is a badge of courage which does not seriously threaten one's health'. It singles out NFL Films and some of its videos for promoting the brutality of the game.

National Football League, Inc. reached a tentative deal with referees to end the labor dispute and get them back on the field. The labor dispute reached fever pitch when the Green Bay Packers had a game stolen from them on a missed call and then a terrible call by replacement referees. The errors grabbed national headlines, and frustrated fans and others began to take a real interest in the underlying dispute. At the heart of the disagreement is a desire by the league to move away from the current defined benefit program and replace it with a 401 (k) style defined contribution plan. The referees wanted to keep the current plan. While the National Football League was able to work out an agreement with its referees to move to a defined contribution system in 2016, here in Kentucky a special task force on pension reform is wrapping up its work in Frankfort to make recommendations for the future of Kentucky's public pension systems. The task force has heard testimony from a number of groups, including representatives of local governments, groups representing taxpayers' interests, representatives of business, as well as employee unions and retirees. For the first time in a long time, all the groups seemed to agree that there is a true crisis in Kentucky when it comes to funding of public pensions. However, this crisis has real consequences for Kentucky families and hasn't grabbed the public's attention in the way the recent game has.

National Football League, Inc. officials ended their labour dispute with the league by approving a new eight-year contract with a 112-5 vote. By late September 26, the sides had a contract calling for refs' salaries to increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019. The current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until the official earns 20 years' service. The defined benefit plan will then be frozen. Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution. Beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option to hire a number of officials to work year-round. The NFL also can retain additional officials for training and development and assign those officials to work games. The number of additional officials will be determined by the league.