OK – Here’s the Proposal for the GLA Checks
EDITOR’S NOTE:
We just updated this page on Friday afternoon with two three additional documents that came in after we posted the original Class Counsels’ Proposal. We’ve added them below the first document:
Here’s a copy of the proposal just filed with the court by the attorneys on behalf of the retired players in the Players Inc. GLA lawsuit with two options to address the issue of the missing players. Both options suggest getting checks out to all the players who have already received their first checks so hopefully that will finally happen later this month. On the upside, the list of players that still can’t be located seems to be slowly shrinking, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the attorneys and the trustees over at Garden City Group. Of the 202 missing players, 76 more have been located and added to the active list, leaving just 126 still MIA. Some of the details on the methods available to search for people make for interesting reading (if not a little scary!). We’re trying to post a list of the missing 126 in hopes of passing it through the growing network of retired players who are now online.
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Once again we’ve uploaded this document to DocStoc for easier viewing. Click on the FULL SCREEN button to enlarge it for easier navigation – hit the ESC key to close. You can also click the DOWNLOAD button to save a PDF copy for printing and reading. There’s also a Menu button in the upper left corner with even more options.)
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Players Inc. Lawsuit Proposal Aug 12 2010 - . And here’s the declaration from Garden City Group on their work to date including locating 76 more players out of the 202 missing players. Everything is transparent and their billing for work done to date is more than reasonable considering the amount of time involved with completing this part of the order.
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Garden City Group Update to Court
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Then we have a declaration from lead counsel Ron Katz also in support of the proposal along with the additional Exhibits which were attached to the original filing – NOTE: Two of the Exhibits were ordered sealed by the court: .
Ron Katz Support of Counsel Proposal to Court and Exhibits
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THIS JUST IN: And most of you aren’t going to like this but the final order just came in right now from Judge Alsup approving and ordering a third round of mailings to locate more of the remaining 126 players on the missing list before sending out any checks. It’s Option No. 2. What can we say? It’s Friday the Thirteenth!
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Judge’s Order Authorizing a Third Mailing
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Mike Davis
August 13th, 2010 at 10:41 AM #
I like option one. I think we ALL liked it 6 months ago! I wonder how the lawyers thought of this and why did it take so long to do simple logic? Hmm – a topic for another day…
With regard to the excess funds going to an “NFL Charity”???
I have a radical idea: How about sending any remaining money to a group insurance plan that can help our brothers who need it – with NO strings attached.
Mike Davis
Oakland Raiders
1977 – 1987
Dave Pear
August 13th, 2010 at 10:52 AM #
Where is the NFLPA Leadership? They always manage to know where ALL retired players reside when they’re looking for that annual $100 check to be a member of their fraudulent Union that still doesn’t represent retired players.
Oh, I forgot! The NFLPA Leadership are the very ones who swindled over 2,000 of us retired players for 14 years as they lobbied to sign us up to their marketing program, yet NEVER paid one cent to these retired player.
Lingering questions: NFLPA General Counsel Richard Berthelsen (and interim Executive Director before De Smith) wrote the GLAs (Group Licensing Agreements) that retired players signed for the Madden Football video games that were produced by EA Sports? Your resumé as posted on the Sports Lawyers Association website says that “negotiating and drafting player group licensing agreements and special events contracts” is part of your work experience. But didn’t you also say in that Federal Court Players Inc. trial when asked who wrote the GLA agreements that you “didn’t know?” Weren’t you under oath at the time of your answer?
Quite frankly, this reminds me of Roger Goodell not being sure if he was the Chairman of the Disability Board when asked by Conrad Dobler (retired disabled player) at Rogers PR stunt in Dallas last year when he claimed he was trying to find out what problems retired players were facing. Roger, you have been an employee of the NFL for 25 years! What have you been doing all this time?
As Gene Upshaw said publicly, “We can have the greatest dog food in the world but if the dogs don’t like it, we can’t sell it.”
I say: “Ruff-Ruff-Ruff!”
Let’s face it: Nobody represents retired players – NOBODY!
Dave & Heidi Pear
Samaji Akili
August 13th, 2010 at 1:45 PM #
I wasn’t even aware of the GLA Lawsuit until last year. Thanks for the information.
Retired player
Samaji Akili
San Diego Chargers & Houston Oilers
1974 – 1976
DWIGHT STONE
August 13th, 2010 at 3:43 PM #
GOD knows all…
People will always mislead others.
But everyone will face judgment day…
EVERYONE.
Dwight Stone
Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets
1987 – 2000
Burt Grossman
August 13th, 2010 at 6:56 PM #
Mike,
I agree as do all parties involved in this case. However, I can assure you this judge will pick Option 2. He has managed to delay payment thus far. Counsel for both sides also want Option 1 along with everyone else remotely associated with this case. For that reason and to cause further delay, the judge will pick Option 2 and in about a month-and-a-half, probably come up with some other inexplicable reason to delay it once again with no legal precedent.
Burt Grossman
San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles
1989 -1994
Dan Bunz
August 13th, 2010 at 7:05 PM #
I was used in a LOT of the Madden games. Where do I sign up? What can we do to have a more united front?
Dan Bunz
San Francisco 49ers & Detroit Lions
1978 – 1985
Greg Davis
August 14th, 2010 at 6:23 AM #
I agree with Burt; this will mysteriously not get paid. To really understand why it is imperative that you understand the bigger picture. I would recommend Peter Schiff, Gerald Celente. We’re in a Depression. They just don’t want you to figure it out yet. Depressions generally do not end well.
Greg Davis
Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals
Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders
1987 – 1998
Mike Davis
August 14th, 2010 at 10:05 AM #
Whoa!!!
Where’s Cousin Vinny when you need him?
Mike Davis
Oakland Raiders
1977 – 1987
James Burgess
August 14th, 2010 at 2:22 PM #
Why haven’t I been added to the list yet? Could someone please let me know what I have to do?
James Burgess
San Diego Chargers
1997 – 1998
Dave Pear
August 14th, 2010 at 3:29 PM #
James -
Your name had to be included in the original lawsuit to qualify for this settlement. Unfortunately, a lot of guys were excluded from the list with little explanation.
For those of you still not sure, please check the list on one of our recent posts – click HERE.
Dave & Heidi Pear
Burt Grossman
August 15th, 2010 at 10:24 AM #
On a positive note, this is the Judge’s final order so we should be getting our second checks in September at last. He isn’t asking for counsel to update him again or have him render another decision in four weeks; he’ s ordering the second round sent out after the four weeks expire.
It appears we’re finally coming towards closure in this circus.
Burt Grossman
Eric Hipple
August 16th, 2010 at 6:04 AM #
I believe I should be on the list but have not seen a sign up form …please include me or give me direction on how to be included.
Thank you.
Eric Hipple
Detroit Lions
1980 – 1989
Rick Terry
August 17th, 2010 at 9:32 AM #
I’m grateful for the money that is coming but how do you hold up all these checks for a few people when all the checks will be for the same amount anyway? If the missing players don’t claim their checks, give that money to a nonprofit group that actually helps us.
Rick Terry
New York Jets & Carolina Panthers
1997 – 1999
Reggie Harrison
August 19th, 2010 at 7:49 PM #
I was contacted from the office with details on the GLA checks and was told that the Judge did in fact elect option 2. Now we won’t likely see our checks until mid-October. I hope for the sake of some of the players who really need this money that mid-October is the real payout.
Reggie Harrison
Pittsburgh Steelers
1974 – 1977
Lionel James
August 21st, 2010 at 4:35 AM #
Another smoke screen that goes with the anti-trust laws. When will we stand up and go toe-to-toe? They have the money but we were always the product. As a player playing today, you will soon become one of us and then need to get your blood pressure up to fight for your rights. Time flies but we all want to live forever. In the 3, 5 or hopefully even 10 years that you play, there will eventually be issues that you’ll have to deal with. It won’t be Botox you’ll be worried about – it will be your bones. If you’ re playing today, get on board NOW to help us right the wrongs because you WILL face them later if you live long enough!
Lionel James
San Diego Chargers
1984 – 1988
Cedric W. Brown
September 1st, 2010 at 9:31 AM #
A lot of attention has been given to the GLA issue and rightfully so. However, I would like to know when more attention will be given to the pension program currently in effect for the players who played in my era (1977-1985) who are now old enough to file for their benefits. Of the big three major sports in this country, the NFL still has the worst benefit program. This is out-of-whack because professional football is by far the most hazardous of the three.
Amazing.
Cedric W. Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1976 – 1984
Lionel James
September 2nd, 2010 at 10:26 AM #
Great response by Burt concerning the Judge’s ruling. He stated, “The Judge did not ask legal counsel to get back with him,” which I also see as a go for the checks to go out. What I would like to know is for someone to explain to me the Antitrust laws, the 501(c)3 tax proposal and how does that relate to the CBA? I think that there is a lot more to be learned for everyone when it comes to profits and how the owners run their business? If I were the UAW in Detroit and Jimmy Hoffa wasn’t buried under the stadium, I would say that we would get to the bottom of it by any means necessary!
As laymen to the laws which govern this country, what little we know amounts to a traffic stop and if we have a more serious problem, we’ll be read our rights! With that said, what we’ve always gotten is the fine print which means that it’s written so small that no one reads it. It’s like the GEICO commercial where the guy is tricking the kids and giving what the first kid should have gotten and the kid says I am new and the man says, “No not new, but newer!” At the end of the commercial, GEICO says even kids know when they’re not being treated fairly.
Linda Sanchez is right on the money when she gets tough and fed up with the nonsense; we should hire her as legal counsel. I think she will be accountable well above greatness.
Lionel James
San Diego Chargers
1984 – 1988
Burt Grossman
September 12th, 2010 at 2:45 PM #
Hey – the 4 weeks or 28 days since the judge’s last order on the GLA checks is now up. Anyone wanna guess what the next hold up or excuse will be?
Burt Grossman
San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles
1989 -1994
Pat Shea
September 13th, 2010 at 1:57 PM #
First late July, then August, September – now October …maybe?
We’re like fish on the GLA Hook.
Pat Shea
San Diego Chargers
1962 – 1966
RobertinSeattle
September 13th, 2010 at 2:31 PM #
Gents -
As I understand it from the folks at Garden City Group, the 28th day after those 76 packages of paperwork went out will be Sept. 20th. With an extra few days tacked on to wait for last stragglers to finally arrive, they’ve assure me that they will do their absolute best to get those checks out as quickly as possible right after that. (Why anyone would wait until the last minute to send in paperwork for free money is beyond most of us but…)
Which still means that realistically those checks will likely go out in early October, barring any other unforeseen circumstances. That’s the absolute latest news we have as of two hours ago.
Gerald Alphin
September 22nd, 2010 at 10:07 AM #
I just really want this completed with no more delays. This has dragged on way too long.
Gerald Alphin
New Orleans Saints
1990 – 1992
Rick Terry
October 4th, 2010 at 7:11 AM #
Any recent news on those GLA checks?
Rick Terry
New York Jets & Carolina Panthers
1997 – 1999