Dave Pear's Blog

One of the more common questions coming in from recently retired players (the last 10 – 15 years) has been about severance pay. In our last post, both Lionel James and Burt Grossman mentioned that they weren’t even aware of any severance pay clauses. Irv Cross sent in a response through the Comments and we decided to put it up as a general post so it would be more visible to everyone. Thanks, Irv!

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What we can’t figure out is why players are so uninformed – or misinformed – about their benefits and pay? In my own inquiries about disability and pension benefits, I’ve had the phone hung up on me by people I was sent to at the NFLPA and I even ended up talking to the League’s attorney, Larry Lamade, over at Akin Gump when my own Union couldn’t provide me with a current copy of the retirement plan. And now former Bucs’ President Gay Culverhouse has set up an advocacy program, Players Outreach, to provide some missing guidance through this maze that our paid Union people should have been providing all this time.

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Burt:

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It’s another Monday, one week after Super Bowl Sunday. Some current news items of note as well as a couple of reminders on some events and dates that are coming up.

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No Raise for poor Roger!

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According to a recent piece from Dan Kaplan of Sports Business Journal, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has generously opted out of a raise in accepting a new 5-year extension to his own contract through March 15, 2015. His salary – along with other executive salaries – are being publicly disclosed in their recent 2009 IRS tax return that Sports Business Journal received in advance of filing. It’s hard to feel sorry for a guy who still managed to take home $10 million+ ($2.9 million in base pay, and $9.76 million overall including bonuses, and deferred and other compensation). They even managed to pay former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue $3.3 million in “consulting fees,” apparently for having done such a fantastic job of negotiating that last CBA (which they’ve now canceled a year before it expires). In total, the Top 8 NFL Executives earned the paltry sum of $35.86 million in 2009. Do you think any of these guys have to worry about their pensions or medical and health care? Hmm. And these are the guys asking for 20% pay cuts from the players?

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A lot of you out there probably still remember Gay Culverhouse’s passionate testimony in front of Congress last October. (You can read her testimony by clicking HERE.) During the time Gay Culverhouse was President of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, she witnessed firsthand many of the things that teams and team doctors do in treating their employees: the players. Dr. Culverhouse has been taking up the cause for retired players’ rights in their generally next-to-impossible process to apply for disability and pension benefits. After she began to realize the scope of this problem, Dr. Culverhouse recently started a new nonprofit organization – Gay Culverhouse Players’ Outreach Program – to provide assistance to any and all players who either need assistance in applying for their benefits or who have been turned down for benefits. (Click HERE to access their website.)

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If you would like additional information, they’ll be hosting a Gay Culverhouse Players’ Outreach Program meeting on Monday, February 15, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Comfort Inn Conference Center, 820 E. Busch Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612. Appetizers, soda & beer will be served. For room reservations call 1(800) 288-4011, mention Players Outreach Program, and book by Feb. 12th to receive special pricing.

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Would you trust your brain or your money with this man?

We have no idea how anyone missed this little tidbit from the Congressional hearings on brain concussions in the NFL. The media rightfully focused on stirring comments made by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ owner Gay Culverhouse regarding the complete lack of advocacy for the players when it comes to brain injuries: The team doctors are hired by the owners and are employed to protect their investment; many of the coaches and owners often play golf with the team doctors in their free time. Tampa Bay Online covered Ms. Culverhouse’s testimony closely and the last paragraph in their story says a lot about just how seriously Roger Goodell plans on looking into brain concussions.

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Culverhouse: NFL doctors aren’t advocates for players

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Jane Arnett

Don’t let anyone fool you. Some of the toughest players in the retirees’ struggle with the NFL… are the ladies. No one needs to tell football players or their families about pride, determination, intelligence, grit and the heart it takes to engage in battle. Recently in Washington DC, it became openly clear that women are fearlessly standing up for what is right, breaking through the barriers to take care of the business of football and it’s impact on the lives of our men and our families.

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