Changes That Need to Be Made Now
Aaron Hewitt: Dave at Home
Yesterday, I was reading a recent article on Bleacher Report titled Dear NFL: Eight Changes That Need to Be Made Now (click HERE to read their eight changes). It got me thinking again about the real changes that need to be made for retired players:
.
Dear NFL, NFLPA, NFL Retirement board,
.
When will you make real changes for retired players? All active players are just one play away from being a retired player.
.
Three ways that will bring change in the NFL:
.
- Transparency: The media exposing who is the “REAL NFL.” The enmity and peril the NFL has demonstrated by their actions towards the retired players and their families is detestable! The NFL is ALL about image so let’s show the public who you really are.
- Congress: Introducing legislation to correct the current ILLEGAL injustices perpetrated against retired players by the league. Rep. Maxine Waters said it best: “Remove the anti-trust exemption.”
- Court of Law: How many Class Action lawsuits are necessary for the League to refrain from these atrocities? (5? 10? 15? 20?)
.
NOTE : My wife and I will continue to support any and ALL Class Action Lawsuits against the NFL for crimes that have been committed against retired NFL players and their families.
.
Retired players DO NOT want charity. We have been forced to become debt collectors to a GREEDY $40,000,000,000 industry that is growing. This shady and GREEDY business destroys retired players and their families. We want what you promised us and so far all we’ve received are broken promises. We just want you to pay your bills.
.
“I am embarrassed to even admit I played football in the NFL.”
.
The real issues for retired players continue to be:
.
1) Pension/disability reform: (pensions that match Major League Baseball (MLB) and a disability plan that is uniquely tailored to the industry of professional football in the NFL. Football is a collision sport and you WILL get hurt! Football cause physical injuries such as: (broken necks, backs, hips shoulders knees, etc. and all other body parts). Furthermore, HEAD INJURIES and CONCUSSIONS have always been part of the job!
.
“It is fundamentally IMPOSSIBLE to take the violence and injury factor out of football.” If anybody tries to tell you differently, they are employed by the NFL. Remember NFL quack Dr. “NO” Ira Casson? He is the only Doctor I have heard make the assertion that there is no scientific evidence that football causes head injuries which lead to early onset dementia. What about strokes? Dr. “NO” should lose his medical license for violating his Hippocratic oath and for medical malpractice as a doctor!!
.
The only real solution is to make ALL of these (earned and promised) benefits truly accessible. (The disability debacle created by the GROOM LAW GROUP is a perfect example of an ILLEGAL disability plan). However, we have recently been told that the GROOM LAW GROUP has been fired. Why were they fired? Do they still work for the NFL? We need a real answer.
.
2) Medical after football: We ask ALL retired players to fast forward 5… 15… 25… 35 years after playing football! You will have serious medical issues and you will not be insurable. (If you like, my wife and I can certainly share this nightmare with you.) The current Retirement Board will hang up the phone when you call them, just as they did to me while the Washington Post spent almost four days at my house writing a story on Super Bowl Sunday on February 3, 2008. Read for yourself how Gene Upshaw stood behind a “federal law” for over 25 years that did not even exist! (Click on the thumbnail to read the clip from the Washington Post.)
.
This is your union and the same “NFLPA Leadership” along with their smiling faces are still there with the exception of Upshaw who has been replaced.
.
You can read about Upshaw as he unwittingly says, “it’s the law.” No, Gene! It may be your law but common law and civil law disagree! If you lie, you’d better have a good memory! Repeated head injuries cause memory impairment. Ask any licensed PhD who is not employed by the NFL.
.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Upshaw also violated Federal Privacy laws by openly disclosing and discussing details of Dave’s case and his personal financial information as disclosed to and then reported by Michael Leahy of the Washington Post – click HERE for the full article.)
.
The NFLPA Leadership just named their own building “UPSHAW PLACE” and renamed the dire need fund, The GENE UPSHAW Dire Need Fund. And then they gave his family’s estate another $16,000,000.
..
So who says crime doesn’t pay? (Many of us still wonder just how much more money Upshaw might have had stashed away offshore in Switzerland)?
.
Retired players can no longer accept lame excuses along with cunning schemes to cheat and swindle us!
.
The time for justice for retired players is NOW!
.
Regards,
Dave & Heidi Pear
.
Reggie Rucker
March 17th, 2010 at 7:00 PM #
All I can say is Wow! Right smack dab on the money! I’ll tell you something else and don’t let anyone tell you differently. The wall is crumbling, the chickens are coming home to roost. On the other side of a breakthrough is victory. If you are an NFL retiree and you haven’t gotten on board, please, we forgive you. But better late than never.
Don’t miss this – it’s going to be better than Ali-Frazier. My continued compliments to you, Dave, for the enormous job you’ve done. You have carried this battle intellectually and personally for those unable to do so for themselves. You have suffered more than anyone of us knows but there are many more out there just like you, either too embarrassed or even too afraid to act.
Hey, they can’t hurt you now. They’ve already done all they can do; it’s now time to fight back. I’m speaking offense now – continue to attack, don’t let up the pressure… pressure can cook you!
Reggie Rucker
Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns
1970 – 1981
Rod
March 18th, 2010 at 8:31 AM #
I had never given serious thought to the subjects of your Blog, Mr. Pear, until I read the piece in the New Yorker equating Football with dog fighting. (Click HERE.)
Not watching football anymore; can’t support an industry that threatens their workers – the ones that make the game and thus generate the profits – like trash.
Good Luck with your struggle.
Rod
Mike Schottey
March 18th, 2010 at 1:00 PM #
Mr. and Mrs. Pear,
It is truly an honor to have your comment on my story! Give my best to Mr. Lee who contacted me after my last story about you.
P.S. – I would be awfully honored and grateful if part of this article or a link could find its way onto your blog. (Click HERE)
Michael Schottey
Bleacher Report
Dave Pear
March 18th, 2010 at 1:27 PM #
Dear Mike -
Thank you for your story! Robert is amazing and he understands the power and far-reaching value of the Internet.
He’s our own technology whiz and the NFL’s worst nightmare. However, he’s a loyal and true friend to ALL of us NFL retired players.
He’s been our quiet champion for justice and relentless in his pursuit.
Thank you, RobertinSeattle!
Regards,
Dave & Heidi Pear
Scott R. Hutchinson
March 18th, 2010 at 2:10 PM #
Dave,
I’ve spent many months and years of watching this whole charade transpire about how “good” we’ve had it and how we trusted Gene to do the right thing. Instead, we were mislead while sitting back and taking it. What you and many others are finally doing is going to happen. I know that all of us in the game persevered when we wanted to quit and just kept going. That same attitude is what we should all have as we move forward.
Scott Hutchinson
Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1978 – 1983