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We’ve been asked many times over the past few weeks about the status of the Independent Summit for NFL Retired Players. It can now be announced that it will take place in Las Vegas on May 28 – 31. Those involved in helping to organize this effort to get all of us together as an Independent Group of NFL Retired Players include me, Tony Davis, Joe DeLamielleure, Dave Pear, Disability Attorney John Hogan, Jeff Nixon, Ben Lynch, Marvin Cobb, Bob Grant, Abner Haynes and Bruce Laird. There are a lot more NFL Retired Players who have assisted in multiple ways with this effort and too many to mention in this announcement. Many of these men have helped by consulting with us. We communicate almost daily and are working to make sure that this event will provide a new direction for NFL Retired Players. What also must be mentioned is that others have been asked to be a part of the organizational process but have chosen not to participate.
Fellow Retired Players,
I received some news from an NFLPA “insider” yesterday and he told me that the Active Players and the Bosses at the PA – OUR Players’ Association – will now be fighting against any increase in pensions and benefits for us after the next CBA is negotiated because they are PO’ed that the we are “costing” the Union – OUR UNION – $28 million along with all of those legal expenses.
I had to laugh because I’ve never before heard of a robber and a thief wanting to punish the people that they stole from because the victims reclaimed their stolen funds in an actual Court of Law. These guys are really too much. I’m trying to “fight fair” but I don’t believe that any of these bandits – and that includes any active players who have gone along with them every step of the way – ever intend to do the “right thing” by Retired Players. Those young guys who trotted onto the fields last year, so proudly wearing that “GU” Gene Upshaw patch on their jerseys are still worshiping at his shrine. Their excuse for not standing up for what is right both morally and legally, as proven in a Federal Court already while claiming that it’s up to the Player Reps, won’t be accepted on either side of Heaven or Hell.
Some people think they have to join in the conversation even when they have no idea what they’re talking about. (Or maybe we can chalk it up to reporters looking to stir things up on a slow day.) In today’s press coverage leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, the Saints’ Drew Brees was quoted in USA Today as saying, “There’s some guys out there that have made bad business decisions,” he said.” They took their pensions early because they never went out and got a job. They’ve had a couple divorces and they’re making payments to this place and that place. And that’s why they don’t have money. And they’re coming to us to basically say, ‘Please make up for my bad judgment.’” Read the rest of the piece in USA Today by clicking HERE.
In fact, here’s an interesting question to ponder: What would probably happen if Drew Brees got permanently disabled and had to go in front of the NFLPA Disability Board for a disability benefits review? Would his agent, Tom Condon – who also happens to sit on the Board (!) – still be on his side? Or would he find a way to disqualify him like most everyone else who’s come up in front of the Review Board? Just remember one thing: The people you step on going up the ladder of success may end up being the very people you need help from on the way back down.