EDITOR’S NOTE:George Visger caught up with me on the phone this morning just before arriving at a job site. George is back at work trying hard to help his family recover from losing their home after suffering another near-fatal brain shunt failure last October. George is one of the most remarkably intelligent and resilient guys I’ve ever met and his tenacity comes through in everything he does. I often talk to him about what might have happened with his life had he never played professional football and sustained his life-altering brain damage. He starts off with an answer to John Hogan’s earlier post (click HERE to read John Hogan’s comment). .
From TheUnion.com: George Visger, a Grass Valley resident, shows his 1981 San Francisco 49ers team photo and Super Bowl ring. Visger has undergone nine brain surgeries since he stepped off the football field for the final time.
. Your wonderful Union at work. I received this short update from the Seattle Chapter’s Sam McCullum earlier this morning with a memo attached from Dee Becker in The Washington office. Basically, it’s more nothing. McCullum says that it’s basically all the NFL’s fault because their Alumni and George Martin are still trying to interject themselves as representatives of retired players while Becker is saying, “Gee, we already know what’s best for retired players and we’ve already decided on how to distribute this Legacy Fund money. So you might as well just shut up and take what you get!” . So I guess the thousands of retired players who have actually spoken up for their own voice and their own vote are chopped liver (or dog food as Gene Upshaw used to say)? Meanwhile, why is it that Disability Attorney John Hogan continues to dig up details just by reading the published CBA? (Click HERE to read John’s post.) .
And for your weekend entertainment, we also added a video of James Brown‘s old classic, Talking Loud and Saying Nothing to the end of this post. . .continue reading »
Thanks again to the good folks at Gridiron Greats for providing a new air conditioning system for Glendora and Gordon Wright who were facing another incredibly hot Summer and Fall in Orlando Florida! .
. Left to Right: Danny, Kaleel, Darryl, Kaleb, Grandpa,Deleon, Kareem, Amaya, Luis & Khari! .
We are also in the process of taking all the donations that have come in to our nonprofit, Independent Football Veterans, on behalf of the Wrights and expect to pass along your generosity to the Wrights later this week! But this is just one more reminder of why retired football players need to stick together and fight for a voice to gain control and access to your earned disability and pension benefits. As a pre-’93 player, Gordon doesn’t qualify for any disability or pension benefits since he didn’t play for four seasons. With early onset dementia, Gordon also doesn’t qualify for the NFL’s 88 Plan either. . If you haven’t already added your name to the growing list of teammates who are demanding a voice of your own, please do it now! And be sure to remind every retired player you know. Thanks! .
Once again, retired players got all excited a couple of months ago when we received a new offer for long-term care insurance from the League through the New NFL Alumni – no strings attached! .
So I spent well over an hour filling out all of their paperwork in great detail, including my medical history, medications, surgeries and everything else they could think to ask for in their questionnaire/application. . And here’s the reminder card I got from TransAmerica with the expiration date highlighted (click on the image to enlarge): . .
After over a month-and-a-half of waiting, this is what I got back in the mail (we’ve posted a copy of the correspondence to Scribd for viewing and to make it downloadable. You can also click the Fullscreen button in the left corner to enlarge it for easier navigation (hit the ESC key to close): . Dave Pear TransAmerica NFL LTC Rejection Letter .
We started getting calls and e-mails from a lot of other players who had also been rejected. Steve Baack – who lives and works down in Oregon now – sent this in: . “I just thought it completely laughable what I just went through to get the League’s LTC insurance for myself. I actually completely bought the line that the League was finally going to do something on our behalf by paying for a LTC benefit for us. I figured it would be some limited benefit but at least it was something… . “Well, after jumping through all the hoops to submit the application I just received a notice in the mail from Transamerica that my application had been rejected due to my medical history. I’m wondering if anyone else had this occur, I’m assuming it’s a likely probability. And to think I could have spent the 45 minutes answering questions about my health doing something productive instead.” .
Steve Baack
Detroit Lions
1984-1989 . Steve Baack TransAmerica NFL LTC Rejection Letter .
We’ve heard from a lot of other guys who have identical rejection slips and, of course, the offer is now expired. We’ve also heard from some disability experts with suggestions: . “In the law, we might call this an “illusory” benefit – i.e., an illusion that there is an actual benefit there. And I think that has been the game plan for years – create a program here, and a program there, and it looks like we are really doing something for retired players! However, the reality is that without a livable pension – accessible and meaningful health care – and a disability system that meets the needs of those engaged in a collision business for the amusement of the masses and the profit of billionaires, programs like this fall well short of meeting the sustenance needs of retired NFL players. . “When you get your written denial, please share with us. We might then want to also share it with the Insurance Commissioner for the State of Washington. . “I know that TransAmerica did NOT have permission to issue such policies in some of the states as of a couple of months ago. It may be because some states think that such policies are a scam!” .
And some remarks from a few other retirees who have also gotten denied: . “I agree with your assessment of the Long Term Care Insurance offering and its application process. I was suspicious of the offering because of its timing, coming as it did just as the new CBA was being negotiated. To me it felt like a potential PR gimmick from management saying ‘Yes we care about our retired guys and as proof, we are offering this program to them.’ . “Out of curiosity, I arranged for an interview. Because of the nature of our group, I was told, pre-existing conditions were fair game. And then came the withering questions and the actual cognitive tests aimed at ascertaining the slightest mental difficulties. Afterwards, I felt that they were attempting to identify those players least likely to require LTC, if any existed, and then offer the program to them. At the same time, I wondered if the League wouldn’t end up with the data yielded by these tests. What better way to get a handle on the collective underlying condition of retired players and thereby devise new ways of skirting the real costs of playing this game.” .
Pat Toomay
Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders
1970 – 1979 . Dave: . “Thanks for your input. Programs like this are an insult to our intelligence. Do retired NFL Players – who are the foundation of this business – get so little respect that we are expected to accept “phantom” disability plans?” . As of right now, it appears that this program will likely be withdrawn (if it hasn’t been already) for lack of participation or qualifying applications – several insurance experts have told us that in order to launch, programs like these need to have at least 75% participation of the group. We doubt that 75% of the qualifying retirees applied let alone qualified. .
And for those of us with shorter attention spans, the highlights are now up on YouTube from our June 20th 2011 Retired Football Players Press Conference. We’ve uploaded it to YouTube in HD – you can enlarge it to full screen for easier viewing using the enlarge button in the lower right corner of the video window. .
And once again, thanks to Jennifer Thibeaux and her crew. We’re working on shorter individual clips to also be posted daily on YouTube over the following weeks to keep this issue front and center with the fans and general public. Retired Players are NOT going away! .
And for those of us with shorter attention spans, the highlights are now up on YouTube from our June 20th 2011 Retired Football Players Press Conference. We’ve uploaded it to YouTube in HD – you can enlarge it to full screen for easier viewing using the enlarge button in the lower right corner of the video window. .
And once again, thanks to Jennifer Thibeaux and her crew. We’re working on shorter individual clips to also be posted daily on YouTube over the following weeks to keep this issue front and center with the fans and general public. Retired Players are NOT going away! .
. And a little something extra: Hall-of-Famer Gale Sayers is mad too! .
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Our good friend and videographer Jennifer Thibeaux finally made it back to Dallas after a 28-hour drive from our press conference in Washington DC on Monday. Here’s her recap on the retired players’ lawsuit and battle to get access to their earned benefits and pensions: .
All these new expensive commercials from the NFLPA about Let Us Play and Let It Air. All retired players want is to finally get paid what they’re long overdue: Fair pensions and access to their earned disability benefits. .
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Thanks to all who participated in creating this great commercial! The ad features Steve Smith, Conrad Dobler, Wayne Hawkins (thanks, Sharon), Brent and Gina Boyd and Dave Pear among many. .
It’s been nearly 3 years since Dave and I first ventured into blogging about professional football and what actually happens behind the scenes in the lives of those men who have played the game once they leave that field for the last time. Dave’s been at this for over 30 years since being sidelined after Superbowl XV in 1980 with a broken neck and subsequently denied his disability benefits several times – even in spite of the NFL’s own doctor declaring him to be 80%+ disabled in 1995.
We understand that this past Wednesday evening, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was given an Impact Award at the Sports Legacy Institute‘s Third Annual Impact Awards held in Boston MA.SLI has been involved with Boston University in the forensic study of the long-term effects of concussions on athletes’ brains. Many players have already pledged their brains to the Institute for study after they die. The award was to “recognize the NFL’s new advocacy and educational programs on youth sports concussions.” Of course, a year earlier, the NFL had donated $1 million to the Sports Legacy InstituteBoston University School of Medicine’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.
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.
Reality vs. PR Fantasy: Now we know why those fantasy football games and Electronic Arts Madden Football are so profitable: They exist in a fantasy world where the players never get old and they never really get injured. You can make up new rules as you go and the best part of all? You never have to really pay the players. No salaries, no disability benefits, no pensions! And like in the fantasy games – if not for the GLA Class Action lawsuit – most of the real players featured in those fantasy games would never have received any compensation when their fantasy versions and stats were used. The NFL AND the NFLPA both seem to believe that the real world runs in much the same way: Retired players leave the game and they no longer exist. Out of sight, out of mind.
OK – so now we have a new back-and-forth PR spin game with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell trying to tell everyone how committed he is to taking care of retired players and then the NFLPA calls his remarks ‘ disengenuous’ from their annual meeting …in Hawaii. (Read the Associated Press article – click HERE.)
“I just thought it completely laughable what I just went through to get the League’s LTC insurance for myself. I actually completely bought the line that the League was finally going to do something on our behalf by paying for a LTC benefit for us. I figured it would be some limited benefit but at least it was something…
“I agree with your assessment of the Long Term Care Insurance offering and its application process. I was suspicious of the offering because of its timing, coming as it did just as the new CBA was being negotiated. To me it felt like a potential PR gimmick from management saying ‘Yes we care about our retired guys and as proof, we are offering this program to them.’
As of right now, it appears that this program will likely be withdrawn (if it hasn’t been already) for lack of participation or qualifying applications – several insurance experts have told us that in order to launch, programs like these need to have at least 75% participation of the group. We doubt that 75% of the qualifying retirees applied let alone qualified.
After several serious hits