Retired Players are All Supposed to be Dead Now
In our last post, we covered another NFL benefit offer for retired players and we mentioned the popular myth that the NFL (and Gene Upshaw’s NFLPA by association at the time) perpetuated for decades was that most retired players had dramatically shortened lives and many of you would be dead by the time you were 55. A lot of the older players have confirmed that this was the general information being given to them over the years.
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Dave recently dug up a letter from former NFLPA PR flak, Frank Woschitz, sent out back in 1993 (!). Most of these documents speak for themselves but we’ve redlined some particularly interesting sections. (Click on thumbnails to enlarge for reading.)
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Then there’s the Life Insurance policy for each of you that went away when you turned 55 or began receiving benefits (whichever came first – kind of like Burt Grossman’s Severance Pay). We know many of you will probably not even remember anything about this benefit. Are there any widows out there who never received their benefits from this policy? Dave’s monthly disability check has over $300 taken out of it for a death benefit policy which he’s never seen (click HERE and HERE to read the details in those posts). Has anyone ever seen a copy of this policy and does anyone know of retired players’ families who have actually received this money? We also wonder if Mike Webster’s family received this death benefit as part of his settlement?
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And then it looks like the NFL even got the Dept. of Health and Human Services all worked up enough about retired players’ life expectancies that they decided to conduct a survey in 1991 (and conducted by a doctor, no less). Dave doesn’t recall ever seeing the results of this government sponsored and sanctioned survey. Do any other retired players remember anything about this survey?
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Burt Grossman
May 8th, 2010 at 12:26 pm #
Wow! from the promises in that first letter, has anyone taken an informal survey or anyone been on one of those exotic cruises? How about free orthopedic care? Or medical care? We all know how we ended up getting paid for that Group Licensing Agreement. A resort vacation? Give em a break!
I’m glad to hear they hammered out an agreement with the Benefits Dept. I can tell you firsthand about what a smooth ride it’s been trying to get my Severance Pay that they stole 18 years ago. Just as I’m sure Dave has had a similar smooth and enjoyable ride with his Disability Benefits.
Burt Grossman
San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles
1989 -1994
Dave Pear
May 8th, 2010 at 4:35 pm #
To the NFL, NFLPA, Retirement Board, League, ADP Benefit Services, WTR Consulting Group and Door Number 3:
Could someone please send us a list of names of the retired players whose families actually received claims for their life insurance policy? Or at least the number of policies that were paid out to retired players?
Were there actually any claims paid at all?
Gene Upshaw said, “the NFL has the best benefits package in ALL professional sports.” However, the problem is these benefits are not real or accessible. They’re nothing more than PR whitewash designed to dupe Congress and the public because the NFL has already duped the retired players and their families who made the game what it is today. The NFL is a cash cow for the owners and an extension of their GREED!
Is anything in the NFL on the up and up?
Regards,
Dave & Heidi Pear
Burt Grossman
May 9th, 2010 at 9:30 am #
Dave, I would venture to say no claims were paid, if fact the NFLPA was probably the beneficiary to all those policies. I imagine they were all put into a fund and eventually all added up to the $16 million that was paid to Upshaw’s wife when he passed. That’s a little tongue-in-cheek but the sad part is it wouldn’t surprise me if it was true!
Burt Grossman
San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles
1989 -1994
Dave Pear
May 9th, 2010 at 10:16 am #
Burt,
We couldn’t agree more!
We’re ALL anxiously waiting to hear that your long overdue (18 years and counting) Severance Pay check has finally arrived in your mailbox.
Regards,
Dave & Heidi Pear
George Visger
May 28th, 2010 at 9:25 pm #
Now slow down here, guys – DeMaurice Smith personally called to assure me he was going back to the owners’ meeting to fight for benefits for retired (or should I say discarded) players.
Let’s see now. That meeting was a few months ago (I think – sorry, I’m having some problems remembering as I haven’t had my doses of Arricept and Namenda yet tonight). Anyway, I will anxiously await De’s phone call to see when I can expect benefits from the NFL to help offset the problems I have functioning due to my 8 football-related brain surgeries, 3 knee operations, fractured C6, C7 & S8 vertebrae and gran mal seizures. I’m sure he wouldn’t try to blow smoke up my tail pipe; after all, he’s an honorable attorney, not some low-life ex-football player crybaby like you scumbags.
P.S.: I also had a phone call from the NFL’s Dr. Ellenbogen (WOO HOO) a few months ago (I think!). According to my notes, he was going to get back to me when I offered to sit on a head injury board for the NFL. I figured my 28 year resume of brain surgeries, gran mal seizures, 6 different seizure meds and taking 2 dementia meds currently would make me somewhat qualified to address the subject. I think he is very qualified for the position as he has already learned the Delay, Deny and Hope They Die routine. I will probably be tipping over soon and they’re both figuring with my memory, I probably wouldn’t even remember the conversation anyway. Unfortunately, gentlemen, I always have my notebooks.
Respectfully,
George “They-drilled-4-holes-in-my-skull (so far)” Visger
San Francisco 49′ers
1980 & 1981