What It Costs to Go to the Super Bowl
We’re still spending some time poring over that 2007 LM-2 filing from the NFLPA and, like everything else they do – there’s always surprises tucked into every corner. The LM-2 as close as we can get to audit-type numbers as we can find right now. We spent a lot of time trying to locate and download that document from the Dept. of Labor’s website (click HERE read that earlier post) and eventually, a friend in the media pointed us in the right direction. But before we finally discovered where to find it, we actually went ahead and placed an online order for a printed copy of the document to be sent out by US mail. Of course, we had no idea the thing would be well over 800 pages long at a cost of 15¢ a page! So we were somewhat relieved (it would have cost us well over $120 for one complete copy!) but also perplexed when we got this message back yesterday from the US Dept. of Labor (click image to enlarge for reading):
Several people had already warned us that the Dept. of Labor always seemed to be uncooperative when it came to the NFLPA. This kind of cryptic answer would make any conspiracy theorist jump for joy. So are they trying to tell us that the NFLPA no longer exists or doesn’t have a presence in their system or…? Or is the stuff so intentionally buried that no one should be able to find it? If anyone can enlighten us, we’d sure appreciate it.
Anyway, with Super Bowl coming up this Sunday, we thought we’d highlight a few of the more interesting expenses listed in 2007′s LM-2, some of which were Super Bowl-related. What the NFLPA spends on the Super Bowl could support a lot of retired players for a couple of years. (We’re hoping to have the entire document available online for viewing early next week.)
- LimoLink was paid $29,589 for “Super Bowl Transportation”;
- Grand Wailea Resort in Maui was paid $1,138,884 in advance (?) for 2008 NFLPA Board Meeting;
- United Airlines was paid $273,781 for plane tickets for the 2007 NFLPA Board Meeting (do you think any of them flew economy class?);
- Continental Airlines was paid $80,459 for plane tickets for the 2007 NFLPA Board Meeting;
- The Intercontinental Hotel was paid a total of $288,486.
And the 2007 NFLPA Board Meeting March 2007 expenses:
- FedEx was paid $52,481 for shipping (?);
- Doyle Printing was paid $13,595 probably for printing the meeting materials;
- The Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui was paid $449, 620 (maybe for the Pro Bowl?).
And some salaries:
- Richard Berthelsen (General Counsel) $679, 700
- Dee Becker (Assistant Director Retired Players) $125,589
- Clark Gaines (Senior regional Director) $388,771
- Andrew Feffer (Executive VP/COO) $290,875
- James Graham (Regional Director) $237,042
- Mark Levin (Director, Salary Cap – ???) $163,952
- Mary Moran (Director Human Resources) $199,088
- Arthur McCafee (Staff Counsel) $228,913
- Carl Francis Jr (Director Communications) $142,245
- Miki Yaris Davis (Director of Retired Players) $267,000
- Tim English (Staff Counsel) $342,641
And these are 2007 salaries – there was supposed to be an increase in the NFLPA payroll in 2008 (because they were all so underpaid in 2007 or was it because Gene was making so much money?)
Keep in mind that this is what we could figure out from looking over the LM-2; some of the amounts might not necessarily be totaled or credited correctly because of the way they may have been lumpd together or categorized.
Michael - Louis Ingram
January 31st, 2009 at 8:28 am #
Dear Dave:
Hope you won’t mind if we add this little tidbit to our next article in “The BIG Payback” series…
There is one organization we will speak of that is initiating a boycott on Madden’s football video games — stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Michael-Louis Ingram
Black Athlete Sports Network
Tommy Brooker
March 9th, 2009 at 7:48 am #
It has been a treat to look at what has been going on with our Player Association over the years. Money has gone to thieves for years with no checking system to stop the bleeding of our funds. Very few of us received the $$$$$$ we deserved, and now it is squandered by our teammates????? Sorry, but this appears to be like our Government Stimulus plan: Print the money or just steal it whichever comes first. Our economy is awful, because this kind of thing is allowed, not corrected, upsetting to a few, and the masses do not know what is going on.
I can’t make the Summit but know we will do the right thing and if we can get money back …let’s do it! I will be going into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame the same weekend and would love to been able to go to Las Vegas for sure. Whatever you do, make it positive and make it hurt those that have stolen our funds.
Tommy Brooker–Dallas Texans & Kansas City Chiefs, ’62-’67