Come join Kevin Turner, Ricky Watters and other Eagles Alumni at MVCC raising awareness and funding for a cure for ALS and the connection to brain trauma in athletes.

THE FIRST SHOTS in the concussion litigation between the NFL and more than 4,200 former players were fired Tuesday in federal court in Philadelphia.

Depending on how swayed U.S. District Court Judge Anita Brody was by the league's motion-to-dismiss argument, this could be a very, very long court battle, or a very, very short one.

The players are arguing that the league has known for years about the long-term damage caused by repeated head trauma and hid it from the players.

The league contends that player safety is included in the collective bargaining agreement with the players, and the proper forum for this dispute is arbitration, not a courtroom.

Brody heard arguments from both sides Tuesday. She will issue a ruling sometime in the next couple of months.

By KEN BELSON and JON HURDLE - New York Times

PHILADELPHIA — The two legal teams, the one for the N.F.L. and the one for the retired players suing the league for negligence and fraud, were stacked with top talent, including litigators who have argued in front of the Supreme Court.

But in a twist, the N.F.L., the $9.5 billion league that often gets its way, appeared to have a tougher time of it on Tuesday.

In Federal District Court here, the league had five lawyers who argued that the case should be dismissed because the players agreed to a collective bargaining agreement and therefore an arbitrator, not a judge, should hear their cases.