Commissioner Goodell: I’m STILL Waiting!
Commissioner Goodell – Once again, you testified to Congress that things were improving for retired players and everything was so much faster and more improved than ever. Here’s what you said on Wednesday morning (your comments are in the first minute of the clip).
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Mary-Anne Fleming at The Summit
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I still remember how much time and work it took to file all my paperwork last summer (I mean 2008!) with the NFL Hip Replacement Program only to finally receive a check many months later that was barely enough to pay for two seat cushions and a cheap t-shirt – all for a hip replacement operation that cost well over $60,000 (plus all my medications, a walker and physical therapy that never even got one single penny of reimbursement!). Then Mary-Anne Fleming (NFL’s Manager of Player Benefits) had me bring another folder of bills and statements to The Summit this past May so they could re-review my information to take better care of my bills. Last May! I’ve now probably spent more money on photocopies and shipping than your program has reimbursed me! And I still haven’t received another check let alone so much as a return call back from an obviously VERY busy Ms. Fleming.
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Then at the Sept 17th Meeting of the NFL Alliance and Officials from the NFL and NFLPA, Independent Retired Player Bob Grant asked Harold Henderson directly if all Retired Players who had applied have at least been reimbursed for ALL OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES for all medical procedures covered by the NFL Player Care Foundation Plans. In front of a room full of people, Mr. Henderson said that all applicants had been reimbursed. No one from either the NFL or the NFLPA objected to Mr. Henderson’s response, so Bob Grant asked a second time if he was sure and if so, did that include all OUT-OF-POCKET expenses incurred and submitted by Dave Pear. Mr. Henderson stated to all in the room that ‘Pear’s expenses had been covered.’ Bob said that he would verify that statement with Dave and offer him an opportunity to respond.
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Mr. Henderson, not being involved in the day-to-day reimbursement of funds, probably didn’t realize the error in what had likely been reported to him and Mr. Goodell. You can read about my original applications in previous posts by clicking HERE, HERE and HERE.
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I’m still waiting, Commissioner! I’d like some of that “Special Attention” you referred to in your pitch to Congress! And I’ll be sure to let Congress and the rest of the world know when I finally get my check.
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We’ve also been accused of not offering solutions to our “whining,” so how about this? First, fire all the unqualified and incompetent people you have running the programs, dump all the stupid programs your PR machine keeps churning out every few months, focus on one REAL program that actually pays benefits to the guys who need it the most (remember – it’s called a BENEFITS Program!), put together an advisory board with retired players and actual experts to tell you how it SHOULD work and – last but not least – PAY UP! How’s that for a simple solution, Commissioner Goodell? You just “handed over” your NFL Alumni to a bunch of retired players – how about handing our benefits program back to us? Retired players don’t want the bone – we want the meat! Want to bet that even being 80%+ disabled (according to your own doctors), I could still run that program better than you guys are doing now? That’s sedentary work, right? And if your benefits program is so damn good, why aren’t you guys on it? Better still: DeMaurice Smith – maybe the NFLPA should be directly involved in really assisting its retired members fight for their declined benefits. When an active player gets slapped by the NFL for their actions, you guys are right there to defend them. How about stepping up to the plate for the rest of us? I seem to recall someone saying that our rights shouldn’t be a negotiating chip in any discussions.
AAA
Dave Pear
October 31st, 2009 at 4:37 pm #
Commissioner Goodell,
Would you agree with Rep. Maxine Waters?
“When Goodell said that talks between owners and players are in the early stages, Waters said it’s time “for Congress to take a look at your antitrust exemption” and that she thinks “it should be removed.”
Sincerely,
Dave & Heidi Pear