How It Feels to be a Pre-’93 Player
EDITOR’S NOTE: This just came in from one of our readers:
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Just a quick note to let you know (you might already have heard of this) but some active players are finding out early what the future holds for them. The Green Bay Packers team is flying out early next week for the Super Bowl (SB) practice and game. The 16 players on the Injured Reserve (IR) were told that they would not be going out on the same plane or day as the playing team. They would be flying out next Thursday and that they would NOT be included in the (SB) team picture! A couple of the players (Barnett and Finley) tweeted this and the next thing it’s all over the radio and TV in Wisconsin.
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The fans went ballistic and the sports call-in shows’ phone lines were lit up! It came out today (Thursday the 27th) that the IR players will now be included the team picture. The Packers are going to delay the team picture until Thursday, the day the IR players are to arrive.
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The moral of the story: The current players just found out what it feels like to be a Pre-’93er. You’re a member of the team until you can no longer perform and are done. You’re discarded into that large “bone pile” that’s out in back by every NFL stadium dumpster.
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Sincerely,
A Fan
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UPDATED NEWS: Here’s the Oh-We-Didn’t-Mean-to-Do-That story: Click HERE. Thank you, Internet, Twitter and Facebook!
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DAVE’S POSTSCRIPT: My wife just reminded me that when I played in Super Bowl XV, the owner of the Raiders, Al Davis, actually put cubic zirconias (fake diamonds) into a player’s Super Bowl ring who was also on Injured Reserve. However, this ACTIVE player then threatened not to return to the team and go back to school to finish his education if Davis didn’t give him a REAL ring. So Davis then replaced those phony cubic zirconia with low-grade yellow and cracked diamonds!
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The moral of the story is also, “You are family until they split the money up.” Heidi and I would strongly recommend that after the big game, ALL you active players (and especially the IR players!) should take your Super Bowl ring to a jeweler to make sure it’s real! In other words, if this is how they treat you when you became injured while you’re still playing for your team, just imagine how the NFL is going to treat you once you become seriously injured and can no longer play football!
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Gregg Schumacher
January 27th, 2011 at 11:52 am #
In 1967, I was injured in the second-to-last game against Atlanta; the Rams won on a blocked punt to make the playoffs against Green Bay. Our last game against Green Bay we lost but I wasn’t voted a playoff share of that game.
Money Talks, Injuries Walk.
Gregg Schumacher
LA Rams
1967
Curley Johnson
January 27th, 2011 at 2:30 pm #
My only hope is that De Smith understands the absolute importance of standing up for the pre ’93 retirees who have been shafted time-after-time in ALL the negotiations with the NFL.
I would like to add that I really appreciate all the support the other retirees have given to the cause for the past several years. The letter that Bruce wrote says exactly what I myself and other retirees have felt for years. Keep up the good work!
Curley Johnson
Dallas Texans, NY Titans, NY Jets (Super Bowl III)
1960 – 1969
Gordon Wright
January 28th, 2011 at 6:16 am #
The fans of the Pre-’93 players need to make their voices heard by staging a sit-out at the stadiums. If the Fans of Football do this, the owners will treat their former players and present injured players as good as they treat their dogs in their mansions.
The difference is the Green Bay Packers are publicly owned! The Fans Make The Difference!
Gordon & Dora Wright
Philadelphia Eagles & New York Jets
1967 – 1970
Lou Piccone
January 31st, 2011 at 9:03 am #
I though that a great parody for the upcoming Superbowl week as the answer to the “Let Us Play” campaign would be showing the ‘Let Us Play’ take and right behind that, use the picture above showing the Bone Yard saying: We Did! signed The Retired Players.
The Game that we made has dumped us in that bone yard with not even as much as a VOTE. That reflects the “Lie,Deny and Hope They Die” philosophy/mentality of the leadership of OUR NFLPA.
I have heard nothing but rhetoric from the League, NFLPA and not a peep from the Legal Beagles that represent the current players regarding some type of appreciation/remedy/culpability/understanding etc. of the value that was created by the Pre-93 CBA Retired Players and those of the new era that were slighted. We need “Quality of Life” Issues resolved by an infusion of MONIES into a POT reserved only for that purpose!
The only settlements (other than non-functioning “PROGRAMS” established that are not successful”) were achieved in the COURTS. The Anti-Trust case against the NFL and those that piggy-backed ie. Marvin Powell, Reggie White etc. and recently the Bernie Parrish suit that settled for a lot less than should have been.
We must recognize all options and not forget what De Smith just said about Nothing was ever won without a fight!
I certainly agree with negotiation in good faith. However, the only negotiating going on here is the negotiation with ourselves.
Lou Piccone
NY Jets – 74-76
Buffalo Bills – 77-83
Preston Carpenter
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:24 am #
Lou, great job! You guys out there – let me know if you remember the time when Bill Howton walked into the Owners’ meeting, threw papers in front of the Owners and said, “Sign these papers or we walk!”
You players should e-mail Bill Howton and get him to tell you the whole story. I will Contact Bill and let him relate.
Preston Carpenter
Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins
1956 – 1967