Attorney Carl Lopez graduated from Georgetown University Law School in 1975 and is a member of the Washington State Bar and President of Lopez & Fantel, a Seattle law firm. He has been named multiple times to Law and Politics Magazine’s list of Washington Super Lawyers. He’s also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates and Multimillion Dollar Advocates. Selected for “The Best Lawyers in America.” Carl is a certified Contract Advisor, with his first NFL contract negotiation in 1978; among players represented are Jack Thompson and more recently, Robbie Tobeck. . On very short notice, Carl managed to fly in just for the day from Seattle and gives an overview on the current CBA and the Union’s decertification with an emphasis on how it will affect retired players directly. Carl also reveals some fascinating anecdotes from his many years of dealing with the NFLPA and the NFL while representing many players. . (Our videos are hosted on Vimeo in HD and you can watch them full screen by clicking on the Expand button in the lower right corner of the video window.) .
This past week, we’ve probably seen even more media coverage on concussions than all past years combined. It’s been like a huge tsunami of people, events and timing all converging to drive interest in a subject that’s been hidden away by years of denial. . Terry Bradshaw had already made some side comments publicly last year while he was on the air and just as suddenly as he blurted them out – and as with all things NFL on network television – nothing more was ever brought up again until this past week. Bradshaw mentions his recent visit to the Amen Clinic in Newport Beach as part of Dr. Amen’s continuing studies on concussions and the brain. Here’s the clip from FOX Sports: . Video: Terry talks treatment .
And you can read the full article on MSN/FOX Sports – click HERE.
George Visger, 52, earned the ultimate prize in professional football: a championship with the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI in 1982. The former defensive tackle also bagged an Orange Bowl victory while playing with the University of Colorado. .
But now he’s paying the ultimate price for all those years on the gridiron. After thousands of on-field hits to his head, hydrocephalus, and multiple brain surgeries, he is struggling with memory problems. And he receives absolutely NO benefits whatsoever – pension or disability – from the NFL in spite of his Super Bowl ring because he doesn’t meet their arbitrary 3-year vesting rule! .
George is currently an environmental consultant in California. . Dan Bunz is a former American Football linebacker who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions in an eight-year career that lasted from 1978 to 1985 in the National Football League. .
As a linebacker for the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI, he made one of the most famous defensive tackles ever witnessed. On a critical 3rd-and-goal from the one-yard line, Anderson passed to Charles Alexander in the right flat, but Bunz came up fast, grabbed the receiver around the waist, and hurled him backward before he could break the plane of the goal line. “The Stop” is regarded as “The Best Thing Witnessed On TV Ever.” He was a member of the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX winning teams. .
Dan currently teaches Physical Education at Sutter Middle School in Sacramento. He also teaches people of all ages in being healthy and fit. .
Here are George and Dan telling the audience about the reality of their lives after football with an emphasis on the long-term effects of concussions and the failed disability process and system that the NFL and the NFLPA continue to impose on its retired employees. .
Since leaving our Conference in Las Vegas, our friend Jennifer Thibeaux has been diligently working away night-and-day at editing and improving the sound quality of the video material recorded at our First Conference at the South Point Resort in Las Vegas – and she didn’t disappoint us! Jennifer’s obviously put a lot of work into ensuring that our message gets out clearly. Here are the first talks from Friday morning, March 25th. We’ll have all of the videos posted up through the weekend as they’re completed. . Dave Pear was born in Vancouver, Washington and grew up in Portland, Oregon. Dave attended the University of Washington on an athletic scholarship and played defensive tackle for the UW Huskies from 1971 – 1975. He graduated with a degree in Political Science. .
He was the first Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-26) player to be selected to the Pro Bowl in 1978 and played in Super Bowl XV in 1980 for the Oakland Raiders (first wild card to ever capture the title –Oakland Raiders 27 – Philadelphia Eagles 10). . After leaving football with severe injuries following Super Bowl XV, Dave has been fighting the NFL for his earned disability and medical benefits since 1979 and since his first application was turned down in 1983 and has become a vocal advocate for retired players’ rights. .
(The videos are hosted on Vimeo in HD and you can watch them full screen by clicking on the Expand button in the lower right corner of the video window.) .
Dave opens the Conference and talks about some of his personal battles for himself and his retired brothers: .
IFV Conference – Dave Pear from Jennifer Thibeaux on Vimeo . Attorney John Hogan is a well-known speaker on Social Security disability and frequently makes presentations throughout Georgia and nationally. He serves on the board of directors of the National Organization of Social Security Representatives and is a former co-chair of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Social Security section. You’ve seen John’s posts and comments frequently on Dave’s Blog and many others as a proactive advocate for retired football players. .
John has been advocating for a total reform of the current NFL/NFLPA Disability Plan and has been successful in many of his cases representing retired NFL players in their Disability and Social Security Disability cases. .
Here’s disability attorney John Hogan discussing the NFL/NFLPA’s broken Disability Plan as well as highlights from some of his past year’s experiences: .
All of the presentations from our Conference were streamed live on Ustream and also recorded for editing. We’re currently working on editing all of the videos and enhancing the sound quality. (HINT: Headphones might help!) However, many of you have already been asking about viewing the videos so we decided to upload them in their rough versions so those of you who couldn’t attend the Conference in person can watch them. As soon as Jennifer and her team finish the editing, we’ll get the improved versions online immediately. (The videos do take some time to load up so please be patient while each frame loads up. You can also view them in Full Screen mode by clicking on the button in the lower right corner of each video frame.)
Holy cow! You’d think we never went into the off-season already. Or maybe we just had to wait until Super Bowl was over to get more media attention. But the coverage on concussions has become a loud theme everywhere, especially following the suicide of Dave Duerson last week. Duerson had left instructions with his family to ensure that his brain was donated to the Sports Legacy Institute to look for the presence and extent of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), the marker for dementia and other brain problems. We had published a critical post on the NFLPA’s three representatives on the 6-member Board for the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Retired NFL Players Retirement Plan, of which Duerson was a long-standing member. (You can read that May 2010 post by clicking HERE.) .
The New York Times‘ Alan Schwarz had two recent articles focusing on Duerson’s death and CTE:
Here are more of the latest stories on concussions. While the sports media has led much of the charge on the short- and long-term damage from concussions, we’ve been noticing more of the geek media like WIRED Magazine have recently been providing fresh coverage from a coldly scientific angle – and in plain English. .
Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith practically dance in lockstep around all the important issues when it comes to paying retired players’ benefits. They may as well be on Dancing with the Stars! (Thanks for this, John.)
After several serious hitsviewed by millions during many games last week, the League is now preparing to make an announcement about suspensions for illegal hits (but of course, they also continue to allude to an 18-game season out of the other side of their mouths). The issue of concussions does not appear to be going away any time soon. That said, the only thing mentioned so far for the older retired players is that the League is now discussing expansion of its Plan 88 coverage with the Union. While it may be a good gesture, we want to point out that Plan 88 is primarily focused on the needs of those players who have already progressed into more advanced – and more obvious stages – of dementia or related brain damage. In other words, you and your families will have to suffer through denials of disability benefits and the devastating costs on your own until you’re finally in a position to “prove” that you’ve been damaged over the years from football.
Up here in Seattle, we still remember when the King Dome was imploded (March 26, 2000) to make way for the new SafeCo Stadium that is now home to the Seattle Mariners baseball team. Earlier this morning, the old Texas Stadium was finally imploded now that Jerry Jones’ new Coliseum has finally been finished. So here’s a news clip of the Texas Stadium implosion. And with all the serious stuff about Dr. Amen’s brain scan study and concussions, we’re also including a little bit of humor from Mark Gungor on the difference between men‘s and women’s brains. Have a great Sunday!
There were few people who didn’t like Merlin Olsen. He passed away early today in Salt Lake City at the age of 69 after a long battle with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lungs.
Thanks to the folks over at Hulu, the documentary Blood Equity is now available for viewing online. Read our earlier post about the video – click HERE. (You can expand the video to Full Screen by clicking on the enlarge button in the upper right corner of the screen after the first sponsor clip finishes.)
We finally have Bernie Parrish’s testimony before the Congressional Judiciary Committee on concussions which was recently held at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit on January 4, 2010. Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and his staff did an incredible job of organizing this hearing on such short notice just after the new year. You can still watch the entire 5 hr :22 min hearing in an earlier post by clicking HERE.
This blog has only been up for almost two years. But Dave’s been personally at his battle for over 25 years. And guys like Bernie Parrish have been at it for well over 40 years – long before most of today’s players were even born (well, maybe not Brett Favre…). There’s no doubt that this past year has been an interesting one. It’s been full of a lot of ups-and-downs with a lot of side trips that can get a little distracting at times. With the economy tanking and people losing their jobs all over the country, it’s hard not to get frustrated occasionally. Tempers can flare and passions will rise. But there’s no doubt that the issues which have always been most important to the retired players are gaining more visibility than ever because of everyone’s collective efforts.
Attorney Carl Lopez graduated from Georgetown University Law School in 1975 and is a member of the Washington State Bar and President of Lopez & Fantel, a Seattle law firm. He has been named multiple times to Law and Politics Magazine’s list of Washington Super Lawyers. He’s also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates and Multimillion Dollar Advocates. Selected for “The Best Lawyers in America.” Carl is a certified Contract Advisor, with his first NFL contract negotiation in 1978; among players represented are Jack Thompson and more recently, Robbie Tobeck.
George Visger, 52, earned the ultimate prize in professional football: a championship with the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI in 1982. The former defensive tackle also bagged an Orange Bowl victory while playing with the University of Colorado.
Dan Bunz is a former American Football linebacker who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions in an eight-year career that lasted from 1978 to 1985 in the National Football League.
Dave Pear was born in Vancouver, Washington and grew up in Portland, Oregon. Dave attended the University of Washington on an athletic scholarship and played defensive tackle for the 
Attorney John Hogan is a well-known speaker on Social Security disability and frequently makes presentations throughout Georgia and nationally. He serves on the board of directors of the National Organization of Social Security Representatives and is a former co-chair of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Social Security section. You’ve seen John’s posts and comments frequently on Dave’s Blog and many others as a proactive advocate for retired football players.
Holy cow! You’d think we never went into the off-season already. Or maybe we just had to wait until Super Bowl was over to get more media attention. But the coverage on concussions has become a loud theme everywhere, especially following the suicide of Dave Duerson last week. Duerson had left instructions with his family to ensure that his brain was donated to the Sports Legacy Institute to look for the presence and extent of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), the marker for dementia and other brain problems. We had published a critical post on the NFLPA’s three representatives on the 6-member Board for the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle Retired NFL Players Retirement Plan, of which Duerson was a long-standing member. 
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After several serious hits
There were few people who didn’t like Merlin Olsen. He passed away early today in Salt Lake City at the age of 69 after a long battle with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lungs.