First item is one final reminder to get your paperwork sent in to Garden City Group to claim your piece of the GLA settlement lawsuit. If your name is on the list and you don’t have your paperwork, you’ll need to call them immediately (866) 697-5552and leave a message with your number – they will get back to you quickly. Have them fax it to you so you can get that paperwork postmarked no later thanFeb. 9, 2010 to qualify for your first of two checks. Click on the GLA Settlement News link on the right side of this blog to find the information and phone numbers that you need.
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And for those who have already received your checks, Bernie Parrish can now accept credit card donations for his next litigation fund. Click HERE.
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Over Super Bowl weekend, we also quietly posted a free viewing of the documentary Blood Equity on this site as well as the Football Summit blog. 15-year NFL veteran & 3 time Super Bowl Champion, Roman Phifer produced this film about life after football as most players live it.Click HERE to get to that post so you can watch it in its entirety online! Of course, the producers couldn’t get permission to use any actual NFL footage because of the subject so you won’t see any on-the-field material anywhere in this film.
Thanks to the folks over at Hulu, the documentary Blood Equity is now available for viewing online. Read our earlier post about the video – click HERE. (You can expand the video to Full Screen by clicking on the enlarge button in the upper right corner of the screen after the first sponsor clip finishes.)
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You can also purchase your own commercial-free copy of the DVD on Amazon:
All we can say is, WOW!The New York Times just published a powerful piece by Deborah Blum yesterday that puts a final nail in the NFL’s Dr. No’s arguments about concussions. This piece says it all.
With the lead-up to Super Bowl and daily press conferences filled with posturing on both sides, some real news came out from NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith this afternoon regarding The Groom Law Group – THEY’RE FIRED! After years of being on the inside working both sides of the fence and writing one of the worst disability and pension plans in any industry, someone finally took notice and did what should have been done years ago.
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For years, Bernie Parrish has been pointing out the deep conflicts of interest where The Groom Law Group has placed itself: They worked for the NFL, they worked for the NFLPA AND they wrote the Bert bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Players Retirement Plan. We’ve written a lot about this on our blog – including several pieces from Bernie – covering my personal experiences with trying to apply for my disability benefits under Groom Law Group’s ridiculous rules. And my personal experiences are atypical of the way most retired players are treated when they apply for their rightful benefits. Groom Law Group has taken millions from all sides to the detriment of the retired players – they collected nearly $600,000 from the NFLPA alone in 2008 according to the PA’s LM-2 on file. (Look at the Related Posts below this post or just click HERE to see what a search brings up for Groom Law Group on our blog).
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I can only hope that this will be the start of real change in the way retired players are treated and looked upon by its own Union. And perhaps it may not be too much to hope that retired players will finally be given an opportunity to participate and shape their own futures.
We keep thinking about that old saying, “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” Or how about “Different day, same old $@&!”?
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We have several recent news stories that seem to revolve around the same theme: Most football players are consistently and systematically screwed from cradle-to-grave. There really isn’t a gentle way to talk about it. It becomes clearer by the day and if it doesn’t make your blood boil, we don’t know what will. When that recent CBS Sports story came out on Conrad Dobler’s blunt interview about Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees, the typical comments from uninformed fans made their way online about those old retired players whining again about their plight. If retired players truly want to advance their cause, one of our goals has to include the re-education of generations of fans who still have a misconception of retired football players living the high life after they leave the game. If we need to do it one fan at a time, so be it.
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The underlying theme that keeps surfacing in these recent stories simply reinforces something that we’ve been trying to point out to players and fans alike: EVERYONE involved in the football industry gets paid at every step of the way. Except the players themselves. Think of it this way: Do high school players get paid for playing? Nope? Do college players get paid? Nope. In fact, everyone else in college makes money from football except the players. The revenue from licensed merchandise is a megamillion dollar enterprise. Colleges get huge donations and public funding for those 50,000+ seat stadiums . They pay good coaches millions in salaries and bonuses (while most academic professors are lucky to pull down a low 6-figure salary). Heaven forbid that a college player receives a gift or money because he’ll probably get banned for life! And before you go on the usual rant we hear about “Oh but they get a college education on a scholarship” argument, the reality is that the majority of these guys wouldn’t be in college if they weren’t good at football (of course, there are always exceptions of players who actually went on to use what they learned in college). If they finally survive the injuries of college football and actually make it into the professional leagues, agents are right there with their hands in the players’ pockets to “help” them negotiate that contract with a professional team – for 3 – 5% of their contract, of course. Then most players retire with injuries from their generally short careers on the field, only to find that the disability fund that was supposed to be available to take care of them is virtually inaccessible but to a select few players because of a Byzantine – and some say illegal – (dis)qualification process set up to deny claims. Like we said: Almost everyone makes money from football.
The Congressional Judiciary Committee Forum on Head Injuries and Other Sports Injuries in Youth, High School, College and Professional Football. More details on speakers and schedules in an earlier post – click HERE.
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1:00 p.m. (CST) at Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing Auditorium
After a crazy 2009 (like the rest of us), Conrad Dobler has still managed to hit the media trail and come out swinging before Super Bowl. After 32 surgeries, Conrad nearly lost his leg late last year to a massive MRSA infection. (You can read that earlier post – click HERE.) But Conrad’s back and he’s been lighting into the NFL and the NFLPA in a couple of recent interviews. Conrad comes from old school football when characters were actually welcome. And he played the part well. Ask any older fan and most of them will still speak of Conrad fondly, regardless of whether they loved or hated him on the field. In today’s world of football, The Commissioner is now all too happy to act like the nasty teacher with the ruler trying to keep the students in line for his headmaster owners. All you have to do is look at Chad Ochocinco’s escalating fines to match his on-field antics to bring some levity to the game. Those owners don’t really want the fans to identify with any players on the field (other than those multimillionaire quarterback stars that they completely control) because it would give them faces off the field and into retirement. Consider this a salute to Conrad Dobler for still being who he is!
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Conrad’s still got his wry sense of humor and even manages to get his licks in on Saints’ quarterback, Drew Brees, in his interview with CBS Sports’ Mike Freeman:
This just came in over the wire regarding the new class action lawsuit with the NFL and NFL Films. The courts in Minnesota have upheld the suit and is allowing it to proceed. Here’s the press release along with a copy of the Order Denying the NFL’s Motion to stop the lawsuit posted on Scribd for easier access and viewing. (Click on the FULL SCREEN button to enlarge it for easier navigation – hit the ESC key to close. You can also click the DOWNLOAD button to save a PDF copy for printing and reading. )
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Retired NFL Players Record First Victory Against National Football League
NOTE: See if your name is on the list at the end of this post!
Recently, some of the retired players received an announcement from the NFLPA’s offices about another very old settlement fund finally closing on Feb. 18, 2010. Dee Becker from the NFLPA sent out an announcement about this lawsuit that dates back to 1993 – Reggie White et al vs. NFL et al.
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The lawsuit was significant in that it came in the days before free agency and the 1993 CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). Several players were negotiating to move to different teams when their respective owners intervened behind the scenes in an effort to keep them from negotiating with other team owners. Imagine something like that happening today: Brett Favre wants to leave the Green Bay Packers and his agent starts discussions with the Minnesota Vikings. So the owner of the Packers just picks up the phone and calls the owner of the Vikings to dissuade him from doing so. The Packers get to keep Favre’s contract and then make Favre a low-ball offer or simply kick him to the curb with no place to go. And that’s the antitrust game in a nutshell. Unrestricted Free Agency and the CBA have become an integral part of players’ contracts today as a result of battles like Reggie White’s lawsuit. Unfortunately, it also allowed former NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw to pervert the process by negotiating the CBA for the full benefit of the active players while completely neglecting – and stealing from – the retired players. It was all about the money. Of course, it also meant that Superagents like Tom Condon (who just happened to have been sitting on the Disability Board for years and long rumored to have been the real power behind Upshaw’s throne) would get increasingly bigger pieces of those ridiculously sky-high salaries and bonuses that they’ve been negotiating for untested new rookies coming in every year since.
Wow! Is it just us or did January whiz right by and now we’re already heading into February and the Superbowl? Here’s a roundup of some items to close off the month.
This is a recent letter that Mark Koncar (Green Bay Packers, Houston Oilers 1976 – 1983) wrote to David Weir at the University of Michigan regarding their recent study conducted for the NFL. Mark was actually one of the participants the University contacted. The study generated a lot of controversy and discussion about the long-term effects of playing professional football in general and energized the debate about concussions in particular. (We posted about the media coverage on the Michigan Study last October – clickHERE to read that post.)
We finally have Bernie Parrish’s testimony before the Congressional Judiciary Committee on concussions which was recently held at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit on January 4, 2010. Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and his staff did an incredible job of organizing this hearing on such short notice just after the new year. You can still watch the entire 5 hr :22 min hearing in an earlier post by clicking HERE.
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This is a large video file (over 100 Mb!) and we’ve hosted it at online video host eSnips – we’re clipping it here on our blog. You can also download the entire video to your computer for viewing later.
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Bernie makes a strong case for more investigations into the League and the Union’s ongoing efforts against retired players. Be sure to watch the first 5 seconds where the New NEW NFL Alumni Executive Director George Martin gets up and leaves the hearing room before Bernie speaks - and Bernie was gracious enough to sit through his earlier speech.
Dear Retired/Former Players, Active Players, and Fans:
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Recently, over 2,000 of you retired players received checks from the litigation Bernie Parrish brought about for you against the NFL Players Association and Players Inc. In an unusual introduction to his ruling Judge William H. Alsup, the federal judge in the case, expressed his opinion in his order that the attorneys – led by Ron Katz – for the players did not do a good job. In spite of our attorney’s poor performance, the court approved the jury’s finding in our favor for $28.1 million. Subsequently, Katz approved a dubious settlement of $26.25 million to a select group who had signed GLAs over the past four years that the Players Inc. attorneys chose to produce. Others of you signed GLA’s but did not keep photocopies as proof while even more of you were never even given the opportunity to sign a GLA. The fact is the Judge indicated that there should have been a much higher award for the plaintiffs, the 2062 GLA signers produced by the NFLPA attorney’s Richard Berthelsen and Jeffery Kessler. Walt Roberts and Bernie are both disappointed with the award in Bernard Parrish et al v. National Football League Players, Inc. et al – Case No. 07-0943 WHA.
… As Judge Alsup indicated, the award should have been for millions of dollars more and we know there are at least 1000 of you who signed GLA’s, who are in Players Inc. records, who should have been included by the NFLPA attorneys in the lawsuit, under penalty of perjury.
Oral arguments have just closed in the American Needle vs. NFL case. Lawyers from both sides spoke to reporters and answered questions about their presentation and the case in a news conference on the courthouse steps outside the Supreme Court in Washington DC.
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. And we just uploaded the transcript of the oral arguments to DocStoc for those of you who want to read the details as presented by the two sides.(Click on the FULL SCREEN button to enlarge it for easier navigation – hit the ESC key to close. You can also click the DOWNLOAD button to save a PDF copy for printing and reading. There’s also a Menu button in the upper left corner with even more options.)
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First item is one final reminder to get your paperwork sent in to Garden City Group to claim your piece of the GLA settlement lawsuit. If your name is on the list and you don’t have your paperwork, you’ll need to call them immediately (866) 697-5552 and leave a message with your number – they will get back to you quickly. Have them fax it to you so you can get that paperwork postmarked no later than Feb. 9, 2010 to qualify for your first of two checks. Click on the GLA Settlement News link on the right side of this blog to find the information and phone numbers that you need.
With the lead-up to Super Bowl and daily press conferences filled with posturing on both sides, some real news came out from NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith this afternoon regarding The Groom Law Group – 
Wow! Is it just us or did January whiz right by and now we’re already heading into February and the Superbowl? Here’s a roundup of some items to close off the month.
This is a recent letter that Mark Koncar (Green Bay Packers, Houston Oilers 1976 – 1983) wrote to David Weir at the University of Michigan regarding their recent study conducted for the NFL. Mark was actually one of the participants the University contacted. The study generated a lot of controversy and discussion about the long-term effects of playing professional football in general and energized the debate about concussions in particular. 
