You know it’s getting really serious when the AARP features a comprehensive article on the sorry state of benefits as it applies to the NFLPA’s seniors. As long-time advocates for the retired, the AARP represents a large and vocal bloc of seniors with votes who generally get the attention of our government representatives. The article starts with Willie Wood’s life after the NFL and includes quotes from Mike Ditka and John Hogan. You can read the entire article by clicking HERE.
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A lot of the most recent publicity around the NFL’s retirement plan and the NFLPA’s disability program (or lack thereof), came out of last year’s September 2007 Senate hearings. Mike Ditka provided some of the strongest testimony:
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“I’ve talked about some of the things we know about the Bert Bell Plan. But it’s just as important to point out what we don’t know, and what I hope this Committee can help find out through the hearing and oversight process. Right now, the Plan gives out virtually no information about the number of players receiving disability benefits, how many people get each type of benefit, even the total dollars paid out each year for disability. The information that gets handed out by the Plan– only in response to Congressional and media scrutiny – is fragmentary and unreliable. What we really need is full disclosure by the Bert Bell Plan of all the key information behind the disability benefits, so that the retired players, and the union, can negotiate for better procedures, changes in the way the Plan is administered, and more money for disabled retirees. I hope that this kind of necessary disclosure is one result of this Committee’s work, and I look forward to working with you so that the great men who built this league can lead lives of dignity after their retirement.”
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Read the rest of his testimony HERE.
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Dear Retired Players (and Current Players):
I have been trying to obtain a complete set of original plan documents for over 4 months and I have not been successful. So far (The Groom Law Group) and (Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld) have sent me the following plan documents (see attachment). The problem is they are different and none are the originals as I have requested. In fact, (The Groom Law Group) sent 2 different 1976 plans and (Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld) sent 1 1976 plan but all 3 are different!
Many of you have asked what can I do to help?
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