SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal jury has ordered the NFL Players Association to pay $28.1 million to retired players after finding the union failed to properly market their images.
The figure includes $21 million in punitive damages awarded to the former players Monday afternoon. It's just short of the $21.9 million award that the players' lawyer had asked of the jury, or roughly 10 percent of the union's net worth at the start of the year.
A union lawyer urged the jury to award a far lesser amount so as not to damage the union's ability to represent its members.
The class action lawsuit represents 2,056 retirees who contend the union cut them out of lucrative licensing deals.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
