Forbes Sports Money: The NFLPA should be ashamed of itself.
Michael K. Ozanian is National Editor at Forbes and writes in his Sports Money blog today about the NFLPA’s ridiculous case against the NFL’s new debt plan. Thanks, Michael and Forbes. You get it. With so many people getting it, is Gene Upshaw the only guy on the planet who doesn’t?
NFL Players Association Fumbles
The NFL’s Players Association recently filed a collusion case against the league.
The union says the league’s debt plan, approved in October, which lowers the debt ceiling on teams to $120 million from $150 million and on overall league debt by $1 billion over the next three years, will negatively impact player salaries.
The charge by the union is absurd.
First, player salaries in the NFL are closely tied to revenue. Debt has little to do with salaries. Second, team owners already end-run the debt limit by having non-franchise entities, such as stadium corporations, borrow money. Finally, it borders on criminal that the union is spending time and money waging war against the owners while it continues to ignore the plight of past players crippled, both physically and mentally, by the game who cannot afford the necessary medical care because their pensions and medical insurance from the NFL is a pittance.
Union chief Gene Upshaw has said he works for current players and the guys who played before his time are not his problem. How does this man live with himself? Today’s players should get on their knees every morning and give thanks for guys like Jim Otto (leg amputated), Mike Webster (died homeless), Willie Wood (could not afford assisted living) John Mackey (dementia) and Dave Pear (injured spine), men whose bodies and lives were shattered because of the abuse they took while making football the industry it is today.
The NFLPA should be ashamed of itself.
Forbes Sports Money: The NFLPA should be ashamed of itself.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:42 am #
[...] robert created an interesting post today (Forbes Sports Money: The NFLPA should be ashamed of itself.).Read a snippet here, but follow the link for the whole thing.… owners while it continues to ignore the plight of past players crippled, both physically and mentally, by the game who cannot afford the necessary medical care because their pensions and medical insurance from the NFL is a pittance. … [...]
John Hannah
February 29th, 2008 at 3:06 pm #
If there is collusion, it’s between the league and Gene Upshaw. Being a cynical person, I believe his recent spat with the NFL is nothing more than a ruse. It is a CYA action to throw a little mud at the league so he can show he is doing his job. I don’t buy it… Do you?
Gary Huff
March 1st, 2008 at 9:47 pm #
The NFL and NFLPA have allowed a system to be created that is unfair to the retired players. That is, the enormous amount of money that is generated by the NFL is unfairly shared between the active and retired players. Salaries and benefits of active players have increased at a rate that is patently unfair when compared to the paltry increase in benefits to retired players. This inequity in the division of these salaries and benefits is either a result of criminal activity, incompetence, or a combination of the two. In particular, the disability plan is extremely upsetting to not only the deserving retired players but also offends the more fortunate retired players who see their comrads needlessly suffering both physically and financially when all this could easily be avoided by reallocating the NFL monies to provide meaningful benefits to retired players. Fortunately, this can be done if the NFL and NFLPA will stop ignoring the issue and agree to do something about it.
Bruce Reimers
March 2nd, 2008 at 6:02 pm #
Really, what has changed with Gene Upshaw? He has always been a me guy and forgot where and who he has worked for. If I was making $6,000,000.00+, I guess I might forget a lot of former friends and teammates. Great job, Gene – I’d vote myself another raise, keep up the good work.