Philly Judge Orders NFL, Concussed Players to Play Nice

US District Judge Anita Brody ordered the NFL and some 5,000 players to enter mediation talks to reach a settlement in the ongoing NFL concussions case. Intitially, Judge Brody, based out of Philly, expected to make a ruling on dismissing the case on July 22, but with mediation now a distinct course in the negotiations, a decision will not be reached until September 3 at the very least—when mediator US District Judge Layn Phillips reports back about the talks. Should the players and the NFL not play nice, the case could be thrown out, moved to arbitration, or force the NFL to open its science files regarding the longterm effects of concussions. The power of good sportsmanship, after all, can only do so much—especially in the presence of brain damage. [NFL]