Digging through the Drawers
Most of our readers know by now that Dave’s been in this fight for over 25 years with his Union, the NFLPA, to get justice for himself and his retired brothers. There’s just so much material to go through that the sheer volume can sometimes get overwhelming. The worst part is that it seems almost everything you look at is just another bad chapter in a never-ending novel on the abuse that’s been heaped on the majority of retired players for decades. (We wrote about this in earlier posts – click HERE and HERE and HERE.) After a while, it’s easy to get numb and to start overlooking stuff that’s been right under your nose all along.
In researching material for an upcoming post, Dave dug up this old letter from ADP Benefit Services dated 1997 that outlines an insurance program supposedly offered to all retired players under the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan. Since receiving this form letter, Dave hasn’t received any additional information or policies detailing his insurance plan benefits. What’s even worse, because he’s been officially designated as a retired disabled football player, he’s been automatically disqualified and completely ineligible for any kind of life insurance now. It seems these guys were offered an “insurance benefit” that they never got to see, while also guaranteeing it would leave them completely uninsurable with any other insurance company. (Click on the letter to enlarge for reading.)
Who else remembers anything about these – and other – programs over the years? And has anyone even received anything from one of these “policies”?
Dave Pear
August 5th, 2009 at 8:34 am #
They promise something and you never hear from them again!
NO follow-up and NO policy.
We are not going to base our trust on credulity. All you have to do is look at their track record.
Regards,
Dave Pear
ABNER HAYNES SR
August 6th, 2009 at 3:55 am #
Dave,
Your info should be in the form for Facebook.
Abner Haynes
George Visger
August 6th, 2009 at 11:31 am #
Dave,
You are a true warrior and I applaud you and Heidi both for fighting the fight for as long as you have. I am ALL IN with you, brother, and offer my services in anyway I can help.
It absolutely sickens me to see the wait-’em-out-and-stall tactic the NFLPA has used over the years with retired players, and particularly you. We all know their mindset is, “If we make this as complicated as possible, sooner or later that malcontent big-mouth, Dave Pear, will either have surgery on his hands where he won’t be able to write, or hopefully will kick the bucket before we need to pony up.” I was never a name when I played, but I do know this: When someone took a cheap shot at a teammate, there was hell to pay. It’s time we ALL start kicking asses and cracking skulls, as Dave’s 25-year fight is proof that diplomacy and going through the channels is all bullshit. Like it or not, we are ALL bonded by a fraternal brotherhood that very few humans will ever be a part of. Though small, we need to pool our strengths and depend on one another to win this battle. Dave and other warriors have carried us for too long.
I learned a long time ago, that you have to be your own advocate, because when you depend on Doctors or attorneys (or anyone besides family or teammates for that matter), for your own well being, you will be treated like the 30 other clients they are dealing with that day.
I suffered a brain injury my last year with the 49ers (’81 during the first Super Bowl run) and had an emergency brain surgery during the season (inserted a VP shunt in my brain after the yes-men team doctors diagnosed me as having high blood pressure and put me on blood pressure meds for 3 weeks while my brain hemorrhaged). I was a 22-year old professional athlete, so HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE was an excellent professional diagnosis, don’t you think.
I am now on my 9th brain surgery, have had multiple grand mal seizures, MAJOR short term memory problems and anger management issues, and several more knee surgeries repairing what the same freaking yes-man team doctor botched up when he operated on my knee in ’81 just weeks before my first brain surgery.
I had brain surgeries #2 & #3 May ’82, just 4 months after our first Super Bowl victory, and was given last rites during #3. I was also given the hospital bills for brain surgery #2 & #3 and had creditors on me for FIVE years until I finally successfully sued the 49ers for WORKER COMP!!! Not malpractice, but WC, and was thankful I got that.
All I asked when I settled was to have past and future medical coverage on my existing injuries and to finish my biology degree and I would take care of myself. I finished my Bio degree at the age of 32. It took me FIVE MORE YEARS to finish, as I had 4 more brain surgeries and 2 grand mal seizures in one 10-month period while taking 4 semesters of Chemistry, a year of Physics, Calculus AND running my own General Contracting business, AND working two 28-hour shifts/week as a live in counselor at at Crisis Intervention Group home for run away youths in Sacramento, just to feed myself. Thank God I was single till almost 40, as I would never have been able to care for a family.
I am now pushing 51, on my 4th seizure meds in the last 25 years (Dilantin, Depacote, Phenobarbital, now Kepra) as they all cause major short-term memory problems. Was recommended by my General Practictioner to see Dr Amen (same Amen clinic that does free brain scans and evals for retired NFL players) at his clinic in Newport Beach CA to help me with my memory and anger problems (my wife and kids are afraid to travel even an hour with me as I explode constantly now). The 49′ers Work Comp (The Travelers) is waffling about paying $3,750 for 3-day clinic to get my life back in order. Dr Amen agreed to see me personally and condense 4 days (the NFL clinic and 3 day clinic) into two 12-14 hr days of CAT scans, PET scans, SPECT scans and evaluations for me, as I told him I would be a great guinea pig to study, with the hope we can use my info to prevent even one family from going through the hell my family has faced the last 28 years.
With Workers Comp bitching about the cost ($3,750) I asked my claims adjuster to send what the Travelers has spent on me since 1981. She sent a total of $78,000 paid (over 28 years!!!!) in disability payments I have received for times I was out of work for my now 12 surgeries and counting.
I politely asked the total for all NINE FREAKING brain surgeries, 3 knee operations including an experimental Gore Tex ACL transplant which they don’t do anymore, ambulance rides to the hospital during grand mal seizures (had one that lasted 55 minutes – which causes additional brain damage), neurologist exams, seizure meds, CAT scans etc.
That total came to several hundred thousand. I then took those totals and forwarded to our Senators here in CA (both of whom addressed the Legislature with me in Feb on environmental and outdoor issues at a COHA – CA Outdoor Heritage Alliance dinner).
Contra Costa Times newspaper caught wind of me and posted an article on me on Monday 8/3/09. I was contacted by the director of the Hydrocephalus Association in Philly, who read the story and asked if I would come back to speak at their annual Global meeting this year and to address Congress as their spokesmen which I agreed to both. As my short-term memory continues to deteriorate every year, I have always been in the habit of writing everything down. If I don’t write it down, what I did yesterday morning does not exist. I had a 2-page list of head injuries I titled Football/Education/Injury history George Visger, which I take with me to Doctor appointments as I can no longer keep track of how many concussions, surgeries, seizures I have had. My first major concussion was in my 3rd year of football at the age of 13 when I knocked myself unconscious in a Bull-In-the-Ring tackling drill while playing Pop Warner.
I have also since been asked to meet with the directors of California Brain Injury Association for 2 days in a couple weeks, and was asked to speak to the Senate on Bill 533 Head Injuries in sports which is on the floor now. I will be speaking to the Senate in Sept.
I have also coordinated with The Sports Legacy Institute and am conducting Coaches Concussion Clinics, with our first at Mount Tamalpais High in Mill City on 8/16.
Sorry for the length of my comment.
I am here for all our brothers. Lets kick their asses and take our lives back.
George Visger
SF 80 & 81
Grass Valley, CA
george.visger@gmail.com