More Dog Food con’d
The University of Baltimore School of Law held their first Annual Sports Law Symposium today. This year’s conference was From Rookie to Retirement: The NFL Universe in the New Economy and you can read the agenda on their site HERE. Here’s a list of the speakers (the usual suspects) and their topics:
- Trace Armstrong, CAA Sports | Preparing the Rookie: Pre-Draft Prep
- Pat Moriarty, Baltimore Ravens & Tom Condon, CAA Sports | Negotiating the Contract and Salary Cap, Now and in the Future
- Richard Cass, President, Baltimore Ravens | Luncheon Keynote Speaker
- Harold Henderson, NFL Legal Counsel & Richard Berthleson, NFLPA Legal Counsel | The Future of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement
- Andrew Brandy, nationalfootballpost.com & Tony Agnone, EAS | Negotiating the Second and Third Deals
- Sarah Gaunt, NFLPA Pension Plan & Doug Ell, the Groom Law Group | NFL Player Benefits: What’s Next?
- Howard Skall, CAA Sports & Kristen Kuliga, Agent for Doug Flutie | Player Marketing in the New Economic Reality
We highlighted some of the names that should be very familiar to may people by now. And some of the relationships are very interesting. Trace Armstrong is now one of the three finalists for Executive Director of the NFLPA and is currently working for CAA Sports. So is superagent Tom Condon, who also happens to be on the Benefits Committee of the NFLPA. Harold Henderson and Richard Berthelsen – what else needs to be said? And of course, Sarah Gaunt, who is supposed to work for the NFLPA Pension Plan and its members.
We’re writing about this symposium for a couple of reasons. One is to point out that – once again – retired players had absolutely no voice to discuss the reality of retirement after life in the NFL. The other reason was to post a quote from Sarah Gaunt, Director of the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Retirement Plan: “When these guys become has-beens, they are permanently has-beens.” In all fairness, it was apparently a quote of a quote originally attributed to the departed Gene Upshaw and probably her feeble attempt at humor.
But we do have a question for her and the rest of the so-called “Benefits Dept.”: If all those retired disabled players YOU are supposed to be serving while being paid with THEIR money are called has-beens, what will they call people like you after you’re finally fired from your cushy six-figure jobs? HINT: Don’t ask Mary Moran who’s supposed to be NFLPA Director of Human Resources. She’s still trying to figure out what ethics are supposed to be. In any other organization – public or private – Gaunt’s comment would have been grounds for immediate dismissal.
Topics about Humoristic and Funny stuff » Archive » More Dog Food con’d
February 26th, 2009 at 8:47 PM #
[...] Dave Pear’s Official Blog placed an interesting blog post on More Dog Food conâ [...]
Dave Pear
February 26th, 2009 at 9:37 PM #
Dear Retired Players,
Heidi and I are endeavoring to call to people’s attention the GREED and conflicts of interest that are pervasive throughout the NFLPA Leadership!
Sincerely,
Dave & Heidi Pear
Speakyourmind
February 26th, 2009 at 10:33 PM #
Howard Skall, CAA Sports is also a former Players, Inc.(NFL Players) Manager.
Ron Porter
February 27th, 2009 at 4:54 AM #
This highlights how thoughtful, legal minds function. Perhaps the Baltimore School of Law should consider a symposium on the function of gangs in our society: From Initiation to Prison/Grave. Then they could invite only gang leaders and their council as speakers – but no retired leaders would be allowed.
Ron Porter
Ange Coniglio
February 27th, 2009 at 6:53 AM #
Has any retiree or players’ retiree group contacted the University of Baltimore School of Law? You may be able to get them to agree to include a post-conference comment from retired players in the printed record of the conference proceedings.
If nothing else: If there is to be a “Second” annual conference, you may be able to get retired players added to next year’s agenda. Of course, if you had ONE UNIFIED, ORGANIZED Retired Professional Football Players Association, you would have a stronger case for inclusion. ORGANIZE!
Ange Coniglio
Remember the AFL
Conrad Dobler
February 27th, 2009 at 7:22 AM #
This should not surprise anyone. There is way too much of this close relationship between CAA and the NFLPA.
You’re right – Sarah Gaunt showed complete disrespect for those she’s supposed to represent. How many more times do we need to be insulted by the NFLPA and their employees? This just continues to prove the attitude the NFLPA has towards the retired players. Free agency signing started today and already more money has been promised to the new signee than is put into the pension plan yearly and this is just the first day.
Conrad Dobler
Attorney
February 27th, 2009 at 9:37 AM #
The utter disrespect for their members that NFLPA shows is amazing. As a labor attorney, I can tell you that if any UAW or other large union official made a comment about retirees like this, he or she would be terminated immediately. There would be an uproar among the elected leadership and the current members. The NFLPA tells the current players as little as possible and operates with immunity for its actions.
It is disgraceful.