National Football League

NFLPA calls lawsuit 'fatally flawed'

Published Feb. 15, 2012 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Attorneys for the NFL Players Association are arguing a lawsuit by a group of retirees alleging unfairly reduced benefit payments is ''fatally flawed'' because the complaint lacks legal backing.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson heard the NFLPA's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. She did not rule Wednesday.

Retiree attorney Michael Hausfeld said his clients lost a collective half-billion dollars over the 10-year collective bargaining agreement between owners and players last summer.

Under intense questioning from Nelson about the claim's merit, Hausfeld argued current players illegally predetermined the retiree share of new CBA revenue without their consent because their union rights were relinquished at the time.

NFLPA attorney Jeffrey Kessler said the union had no legal fiduciary duty to the retirees and that they should have sued the NFL instead.