If think you might be suffering from delayed symptoms caused by a job you had almost 20 years ago, maybe you should testify before Congress and get CBS to do a feature story on you too.
Brent Boyd, a former offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings, “slugged it out in the trenches” during the 1980s and now he feels the NFL owes him restitution – even though the league paid him for his efforts. Boyd, the subject of the CBS report, claimed he just “wanted to get his story out there while he could tell it.” But, CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers forgot to tell us Boyd had previously sued for disability benefits from NFL … and lost.
Despite Bowers claim the NFL is “putting profits ahead of player,” the league and the player’s union has recently eased the restriction for claiming disability.
Sitting on the sidelines was the issue of personal responsibility. As a lawyer for the league’s retirement plan pointed out, the players had an opportunity to include stipulations for such a disability pension, but they chose not to.
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You've got to be kidding . .
June 27, 2007 - 18:11 ET by jdhawkYou've got to be kidding . . .
That these big dummies are now asking for a handout through Congress to the NFL is the height of hutzpah! I mean, I like to watch the game now and then, but given the fact that most of these guys graduated, if they even did, from college with a degree in, "let's get drunk and break things," can barely speak the English language, and got paid ridiculous wages that they burned through faster than their years on a team, it is hard to have any sympathy for them whatsoever.
I guess my favorite notion in all this, is these players actually feel that they are "retired." Hey, I am going to be retired in ten years when I am 65, after working since I was 16 years old. These guys "retire" at 28!
Hey, I know, "retired" football player, take out a 401k like the rest of us - and don't forget to file for social security - in about 35 years. Oh, and stop whining and get a job.
Jeez, they act like after a couple of years as a football player that they will get a very lucrative pension and free medical and dental care for the rest of their lives and not have to pay social security. Oh, wait a minute - our Congressmen already have that! Maybe, that's where they got the notion . . .
Only in the NFL and the NBA
June 27, 2007 - 18:41 ET by motherbeltOnly in the NFL and the NBA do guys think they are entitled to "retire" by the time they are 30. Yeah, they might not be able to play after that, but who the hell told them they were entitled to an entire lifetime's worth of wages in 10 years, so they would never have to work again????/
I assume they got a degree in something in college, when they weren't playing football or basketball. Put it to use and go get a real job.
Who was the NBA player who whined that he was "just trying to feed my family" on 9 million a year????/ And now this guy thinks the NFL owes him disability because he got hurt playing football? Are they supposed to pay him now for the rest of his life??????
Sheesh.
Supposedly, about 50% of NFL
June 27, 2007 - 19:56 ET by Del DolemonteSupposedly, about 50% of NFL players have college degrees, which is higher than MLB baseball.
However, many of them major in "PE", which guarantees you a job teaching phys ed and nothing more. One PE major I know, who also was a Varsity letterman in all three seasons in all 4 years in high school, has ended up with a career as a middle school custodian.
Here's a good story. John "Hog" Hannah, an All-American at Arkansas under Bear Bryant, was drafted in 1973 by the New England Patriots, where he had a stellar career that ended with the Pats loss to Da Bearz in Super Bowl 20 in 1986. In 1981, Sports Illustrated called Hog "the best offensive lineman of all time".
All the while when he was playing, John was also training to be a financial consultant and stockbroker. Both of which he's continued to do for many years, along with a return to football (coaching at the Baylor School in Tennessee).
And whose fault is it if th
June 28, 2007 - 05:12 ET by motherbeltAnd whose fault is it if their degrees are in PE???? They made their choices.
My beef is with the fact that they all have visions of making a lifetime's earnings in ten years, and never working again after age 30 or so, if they stay healthy. And when that doesn't pan out, they think they are "owed" something.
Hannah was the smart one. These guys need to realize everyone isn't going to be the star with the multimillion dollar contract. They need to make other plans. No, excuse me, they need to make BETTER plans.
I don't care if these former
June 27, 2007 - 19:36 ET by GalvanicI don't care if these former NFLers sue the NFL for more health care or compensation. Let them fight it out in the courts.
What irritates me is that Congressional committees are convened to listen to these folks, as if they're going to pass laws to correct it. It reminds me of the Congressional hearings into steroid use in MLB. We've got too much serious business to tackle in this country to worry about this nonsense.
Once and for all, Congress needs to stay out of professional sports. Withdraw the anti-trust protection from MLB, and then walk away from it all.
I could not agree more with C
June 27, 2007 - 19:44 ET by bigtimerI could not agree more with Congress keeping their beak OUT of pro sports.
I have been upset they stick their nose in everywhere except where they should be... caring about the defense and protection of this country ...including the invasion of illegal immigrants....should be number one.
Hey, if it were not for the D
June 27, 2007 - 20:46 ET by Conservative in the ArtsHey, if it were not for the Dems in Congress those poor coaches would still be at the mercy of the refs (who were all hired by Dick Cheney and are paid thru Hallaburton's pay roll) But thank God for our good DemoRats for sticking up for the little guy and passing some laws that gave two coach's challenge.
I'm going to write my reps in Washington to see if I can get a ground rule double changed to a triple!
I agree! Whatever the hell
June 28, 2007 - 05:14 ET by motherbeltI agree! Whatever the hell they are doing, Congress absolutely does NOT need to be involved.
BTW, once it is before Congress, how long do you think it will be before RACE is brought into it, to justify whatever laws they want passed?
Wait a second...Don't they ha
June 27, 2007 - 19:44 ET by sarcasmoWait a second...Don't they have a UNION??? Hasn't the Union protected these people -- and if not, what's the point of having a union again besides looting the members for political payoffs??
JMR
sarc...Funny that you mention
June 27, 2007 - 20:05 ET by bigtimersarc...
Funny that you mention that about them having a Union....
Jim Bunning in the Senate was talking about being one of the first bunch to help create a union that is now huge in Sports and I thought he was talking about all sports now...I could be wrong.
The reason he was talking on the floor about it was the secret ballot to be open to union bosses to see how members vote hence they could then intimidate the ones who didn't vote the leftist way they wanted too to cut to the chase... the unions are/were trying to get through yesterday morning with their paid off Senators....of course to help create more members ect.
It failed btw.
Losing the secret ballot wo
June 28, 2007 - 05:41 ET by sarcasmoLosing the secret ballot would be a threat to the rights of the left and the right, so I hope unions don't make this mistake. My main point, though, was that this particular union -- which should, of all possible unions, have negotiated a cushy medical-care contract for all players in the midst of a few decades of escalating salaries & ticket prices -- has apparently negotiated a lukewarm deal instead. If this is what famous, high salary people get out of unions, imagine what happens to the middle class and poor (unless they're union bureaucrats, of course, in which case they have the security of being able to steal everyone else's pensions!).
JMR
Players should be taking care
June 28, 2007 - 07:49 ET by Hero SquadPlayers should be taking care of themselves. It really needs to go no further than that. Or players should try to negotiate the pension they want in their contract when they are still playing.
Just playing in the NFL should give you an advantage, simply because it fascinates people, and there are plenty of employers would love to boast that they have a former NFL player on their payroll. Provided the player has adequate skills for the position.
So rather than moan to the NFL about your situation, take a correspondence course, learn a trade that interests you, and become a productive member of society.
*****
"I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for a clown that gives a damn!" - Sticky the Clown
True, in an ideal world, bu
June 28, 2007 - 07:55 ET by sarcasmoTrue, in an ideal world, but they've chosen instead to delegate this task to a union, which is their right IMO. My only question is, why is this scandal an issue for the NFL instead of the union? The only possible answer IMO seems to be "left-wing media bias," but I'm willing to entertain alternatives...
JMR
We're all mising a major poin
June 27, 2007 - 20:05 ET by Del DolemonteWe're all mising a major point here-shouldn't CBS be considered to be part of the problem with these players?
After all, CBS entered into a financial agreement with professional football to televise their games way back in 1956. By the early 1960's they were even including themselves with the NFL with a revenue sharing plan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_NFL_on_CBS
It's a point well-taken. CB
June 28, 2007 - 08:25 ET by GalvanicIt's a point well-taken. CBS, which broadcasts NFL games, has a vested interest in the issue.
But CBS, the NFL, and the former players are commercial entities. For me, the real story is about the Congress sticking its collective nose into their food fight when there are more important things to attend to. It reminds me of the distraction brought about by the relocation and sale of the Montreal Expos baseball club, and all the Senators and Representatives who went on record insisting that MLB restore the National Pasttime to our nation's capital, threatening to revoke MLB's anti-trust exemption status if they weren't satisfied. Heck, revoke the anti-trust status (no other pro sport enjoys such status and they thrive), and get the heck out of the way!