Jeff Nixon on Drew Brees’ Comments
Some people think they have to join in the conversation even when they have no idea what they’re talking about. (Or maybe we can chalk it up to reporters looking to stir things up on a slow day.) In today’s press coverage leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, the Saints’ Drew Brees was quoted in USA Today as saying, “There’s some guys out there that have made bad business decisions,” he said.” They took their pensions early because they never went out and got a job. They’ve had a couple divorces and they’re making payments to this place and that place. And that’s why they don’t have money. And they’re coming to us to basically say, ‘Please make up for my bad judgment.’” Read the rest of the piece in USA Today by clicking HERE.
In fact, here’s an interesting question to ponder: What would probably happen if Drew Brees got permanently disabled and had to go in front of the NFLPA Disability Board for a disability benefits review? Would his agent, Tom Condon – who also happens to sit on the Board (!) – still be on his side? Or would he find a way to disqualify him like most everyone else who’s come up in front of the Review Board? Just remember one thing: The people you step on going up the ladder of success may end up being the very people you need help from on the way back down.
It sure didn’t take long for a lot of retired players to jump on this one. Jeff Nixon sent in the best response to Brees’ idiotic comments (of course, HE’S going to be watching the Super Bowl and not playing in it) and we’ll be adding in comments that have come in pretty quickly since Jeff sent this to us in an e-mail earlier today:
Dear Alumni:
Drew Brees has been widely considered one of the best Fantasy Football signal callers during the past couple of seasons, but he is definitely in Fantasy Land when he talks about retired players.
He believes that most retired players want increases in the Pension Plan because they made bad investment and money decisions. Drew Brees learned that the hard way early in his career: In an Associated Press article, he recalled how he failed to pay a cell phone bill and it went to collections. “It took me my first couple of years in the league to learn through experience,” he said.
Wow… that must have been a real difficult period of time for Drew.
Tom Condon, his IMG Sports Agent could only get him $980,000 worth of sponsorship and endorsement deals in his first year in the NFL and the millions he made in his first contract with the Chargers apparently was not sufficient to make ends meet …how could he possibly pay his cell phone bill!
To make things even tougher on Drew, he got injured in 2005 and had to search the entire country to find a surgeon to repair a damaged rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. He found Dr. James Andrews, widely regarded as the best orthopedic surgeon in the country.
It was so much easier back in the old days. We had a surgeon that was hired by the team, so we didn’t have to go looking all over the country. We didn’t have to worry about getting second opinions because that wasn’t allowed. In fact, the League was so confident in each team’s choice of surgeons, it was against League rules to go to any other surgeon.
Fortunately for Drew, his story has a happy ending. He got healthy and Tom Condon helped him negotiate a six-year, $60 million deal with the Saints, which included a $10 million signing bonus. With that kind of money, he could make some bad investments and still live a pretty comfortable life.
When Drew leaves football he’ll also receive a hefty Severance check, a Second-Career Savings Plan account, an Annuity account, Tuition Assistance account, 5 years free health coverage, a Health Reimbursement Account AND a good Pension.
Oh… we can’t forget that for the past 8 years he has also received $10,000 annual checks from the NFLPA for his Group Licensing Authorization, but that’s peanuts compared to his other NFLPA checks for appearances and other group licensing activities.
Does anyone really think Drew Brees will need a Second Career Savings Account?
Drew Brees clearly understands what Gene Upshaw meant when he said that every time active players give retired players increased benefits it takes away from what they can give themselves.
Sincerely,
Jeff Nixon
Fourth & Goal Board Member
Buffalo Bills Alumnus
Ben Lynch
January 30th, 2009 at 1:26 pm #
It is frustrating to read these stories. I’m sure Drew Brees hasn’t ever done a background check or spoken to anyone first-hand claiming they are being denied disability benefits or that their pension is too low. He takes what NFLPA executives and their attorneys tell him about retirees at face value, but the majority of players involved in the union refuse to talk to retirees. They don’t get to hear the story from the retirees perspective. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m sure in Brees’ case that the fact Tom Condon is his agent lends to the problem.
What would it hurt for player reps and executive committee members to sit down for an hour or two with a group of retirees? How would open lines of communication hurt?
The path with least resistance in solving this issue is to work with active players, but it’s hard to sit by idly waiting for these guys to talk with retirees when you read quotes like these. I certainly don’t think bad business decisions led to the death of Mike Webster.
Not too long ago I spoke with a former Saints player who has had 8 medical examinations at the request of the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Retirement Board and still doesn’t have a decision on his application for disability benefits. I’m sure Tom Condon didn’t tell Drew Brees that story.
Thanks for letting me vent,
Ben Lynch
Bob Grant
January 30th, 2009 at 1:37 pm #
To All Present and Future Retired Players,
Young Drew Brees should be ashamed of himself. Would he take the same position with his Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Aunts, Uncles or others who made the life that he lives possible? Can’t he see that we’re his upline family too?
I’m going to just go on and tell myself that he spoke without thinking and would take it all back given the opportunity. Actually, I’m going to force myself to believe that he never said those things on his own and that he was just reading from an old Gene Upshaw script that someone handed him.
Does Drew also believe that the many Americans who have lost their jobs, homes and health insurance in recent months because of the economic down turn are lazy and shiftless? Does he believe that the newly unemployed in New Orleans and other parts of our Country are that way because of bad decisions that they made?
How often has someone’s EGO and feeling of being above others held back Retired Players and Americans from all other walks of life.
My God, NFLPA, give the damn job to Drew Brees. It sounds to me as if he would do a great job of carrying on the legacy of Gene Upshaw!
Bob Grant
Player Advocate
John Hogan
January 30th, 2009 at 1:54 pm #
I hope that Brees stays healthy, has a long NFL career and that afterward, he has a very productive life.
However, it wouldn’t surprise me that 5 or 10 years from now, painful arthritis starts setting in; and as he’s experiencing the effects of his concussions, he doesn’t look back on these comments and take them back.
Certainly a number of guys make poor choices in life, but the pain and cognitive/emotional problems they suffer because they chose football often lead to the “poor choices”, divorces and disability. Your wife thinks you’re tough to live with NOW after a loss? Just pray that when you retire, you don’t become depressed and withdrawn or constantly agitated and upset. You think you’re sore on Monday after a game? Just wait another 10 or 15 years!
John Hogan
Disability Attorney
Dave Pear
January 30th, 2009 at 4:09 pm #
Tom Condon,
As an officer of the court, you are well aware that being an agent AND a member of The Retirement Board and Disability Claims Committee is a clear CONFLICT OF INTEREST!
What is wrong with you?
Your days are numbered as a member. My question to you: Just how GREEDY are you? Shame on you.
Dave & Heidi Pear
Henry Bradley
March 14th, 2009 at 9:50 pm #
Drew, you have a right to your own feelings but think before you say something. I have worked hard all my life and to have my severance pay stolen by the old Browns and the NFLPA was wrong, to inject my knee 4 or 5 times within a 6-month period was wrong,to be denied L.O.D. disability was wrong. I could tell you how I walked to practice in the snow for two years because I couldn’t afford a car. I did take a 25% early payoff because my Union would not fight for me. Because of my Union and DePaso, the old Browns were able to control my Worker Compensation case. They acted like employees of the old Browns. I have only had one wife. The NFLPA, Gene Upshaw and Tom DePaso stole over a hundred thousand dollars from me so I had no money to invest. I had to work a summer job just to make ends meet. I don’t want pity – just what I am owed.
Henry Bradley
Cleveland Browns 79 – 82
DENISE IMBRIACO
May 29th, 2009 at 11:53 am #
Hi Henry,
Hope you get this note. My daughter and I just met you in Dr. Ellis’s office. Just was interested in your career and noticed this post. So sorry for all of your problems. Hope things get better for you. Such a shame that sports can lead to these kinds of traumas in one’s life.
Good luck,
Denise Imbriaco