The ongoing saga of the NFL neglecting it's former players

gosteelers

It's an absolute shame that the NFL, the multi-kajillion industry that it is, continues to neglect the players who laid the groundwork for today's players. Here's another article about a former player getting pretty much nothing from his previous employer, the NFL. It's true that he made some questionable decisions, but it's a shame he's getting next to nothing to assist with his disabilities. What was the final tally of the last television deal for the NFL again?

Pear

SanctionII

On a certain emotional and spiritual level I can sympathize with the older players who have lots of problems today. Why should the NFL not take steps to provide for and care for them.

On another level, I find the notion that the NFL "owes" these older players to be troubling. I played basketball in highschool and college in the 1970's and as a result of playing for these public (aka "government") owned and operated institutions I sustained multiple injuries to my ankles (my right ankle looks like a balloon compared to my left ankle). As I have gotten older, the stiffness of my right ankle gets worse and I have no doubt I will have more trouble with it down the road when I am in my 70's and 80's. Does my high school and my college "owe" me? If so what am I owed by them?

On a non emotional and spiritual level, the concept that the NFL "owes" the older players smacks of socialism (don't worry about the consequences of your life choices, do whatever you want, government [the taxpayers] will take care of you and provide for you from cradle to grave). This attitude absolves persons of personal responsibilty for the consequences of their own choices and is repugnant.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Morgoth

Actually Sanction if you became disabled to the point that you could no longer work you would be entitled to benefits from the government. The big issue is that alot of these players are disabled and the NFL has not done a good job in taking care of them. They get turned down for disability and they have made it very hard to qualify for benefits. I think what alot of people are mad at is that some of these athletes helped elevate the sport to it's popularity it is in now. They have the money to be able to take care of these guys if they wanted too. The excuses that the current disability laws won't "allow" them to help is BS. If the Union tomorrow wanted to take it's huge cash reserve and use it to help these players who would stop em? If they said we are going to have a very low requirement for health and disability benefits would the US government step in? The NFL should have been a beacon of light that showed other leagues how to take care of their own, not walk on their corpses.

You wait, if the NFL doesn't step in more studies will be done on how this game is killing it's players and they might have to make changes to the game that will affect how it's played. If they took care of these guys nobody would be having to prove that getting hit head on in the NFL causes concusion and 12 of them caused debilitating headaches that make it hard to function day to day, which these players are having to do. Heck when the report on head trauma and concussions came out the doctors had to come forward and state that the NFL misinterperted their report and made it sound better than it was.

MPeter

What a joke! Why should the NFL have to take care of them now? If they didn't plan for their future, it's their own fault. Don't tell me they didn't know the long term effects of all the contact either. If you put on full body pads and a helmet before you go to work each day and don't realize the risks, you're an idiot!

Don't go begging your former employers 20 or 30 years later, because you can't walk. What do you think would happen if 30 years from now you went back to your workplace and told them they need to pay your medical bills for your fingers that don't work, because you were typing on the computer all day?