NFL, union to aid retired players.

[skinsguy]

I definitely feel that the older guys, the ones who played football during the time where football players were not making millions should have some type of retirement plan. For the current players who are making multi-millions, it's hard for me to feel sorry for them.

[Redskin Rich]

Originally Posted by skinsguy

I definitely feel that the older guys, the ones who played football during the time where football players were not making millions should have some type of retirement plan. For the current players who are making multi-millions, it's hard for me to feel sorry for them.

The older guys do get a pension based on the number of years they played. Please do not quote me, but someone like Herb Adderly (Old Packer from the glory days) makes somewhere around 500 a month.

You can look at that and say that isn't that much (and it's not)... you can also say how many of our jobs that we worked from when we were 22-35 (a long career in the NFL) give us a pension? To continue that arguement... It is a shame for the Willie Wood's & Mike Websters of the world that the disability is not more though.

[GusFrerotte]

This is long overdue with regards to the old, old school players that only got paid like $200-$300 a game, etc. The money being made is quite ridiculous for these guys not being cared for at all. With that being said, I think a grandfather type clause should be made for the plan though. The guys in the FA era with the average salary at over a million a season should be set for life with regards to health care. Like the above post, it is very hard for me working in an auto related venture in Detroit working 40-50 hours a week with being stuck with a relatively weak healthcare plan feeling sorry for a bunch of multimillionaires in the new age of the NFL.

[sportscurmudgeon]

Let's just take a deep breath here...

IF - and I said IF - Mike Ditka's allegations are correct and Gene Upshaw has taken illegal loans from the NFLPA, expect to see Upshaw take the proverbial "perp walk" with cameras focused on him and with him trying to shiled his face from those cameras. Federal Prexecutors love to have that happen because it gives them face time with a lot of cameras focused on them and no one else. AND if it is all provably true that he took illegal loans, expect to see Gene Upshaw copping a plea or spending time in "Club Fed".

Or maybe - just MAYBE - none of that is right...

Gene Upshaw represents the CURRENT NFLPA membership and no one else. Even guys who were in the NFL and dues-payng members in 2006 but who are now retired or no longer in the league for whatever reason are NOT the folks he represents. His obligation is to the current players; he has a moral obligation to fomer players - such as himself - but that's secondary or maybe even tertiary.

Recall that Congress and the various Administarions have had a MORAL obligation to fix the Social Security "problem" ever since it became apparent that it was going to blow up in the face of the county. That would be sometime around 1990 - 1992 as I recall. And all of those noble and moral folks have done what to resolve the problem since then? Moral obligations are like oral contracts; they aren't worth the paper their printed on.

Look for Ditka and his cohorts to keep the pressure on the NFLPA and on the league to take care of old-time players who are in need. You can even root for them to be successful in that endeavor. But don't make the mistake of blaming all of this on Gene Upshaw or the NFLPA leadership; they are no more responsible for this tradedy than they are for the poor response to the needs of folks after Hurricane Katrina...