Some Nfl Hofers Have Lost Their Minds

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Completely disagree. It's all about choices. Nobody is forcing them to play football & put their body in danger. They know the dangers especially now. They choose to play football & most likely choose to play football for the potential life style. In making that choice, which is typically 3-10 years, that life style doesn't last forever. They should be smart with their money & have a plan after football. The NFL shouldn't be responsible for paying their health insurance for the next 20-70 years of their lives. The players get far more out of the NFL during their playing days than the NFL gets out of them (I can't believe I'm taking up for the NFL). When they "retire" from football between 28-35 years old their lives aren't over. They still have 30+ years of employment ahead of them.

You can go back and forth on this issue, and I actually think there are legit points to be made on both sides, but put me on the side who thinks that the NFL and NFLPA need to work out an agreement in which all players are given lifetime access to a group health insurance pool. And there are a lot of ways that the NFL and NFLPA can work this out to make it better than just "players have health insurance, done."

A pool that includes, for instance, League and club employees to spread help defray the cost for everyone would be a really attractive benefit for the League / teams to offer employees while giving players a huge benefit. I know it's not just that easy, thanks to absurd laws that prohibit the sale of insurance medical insurance policies across state lines, but... there are ways to work that out. It can be done.

It's just one of those cases where I actually think the NFLPA deserves some of the blame. They are willing to give up a lot just to have a higher share of revenues for the salary cap. They gotta understand that if you want a revenue-funded pension or health care system, that both the League and the Players' Association are going to have to budge. I do think that De Smith, even though he got a big chunk of the pie for the players in the last CBA, has kind of done the players a disservice in the long run by focusing exclusively on that.

 

[Nappy Roots]

The NFL wouldn't exist without the players.

Exactly. People always try and compare it to regular jobs. This is not a regular job in any way shape or form. They absolutely should get lifetime heath insurance. Some players are hurt for the rest of their lives and struggle to work because of it. The whole, should of saved your money is BS. No body deserves how expensive medical bills can be, regardless of previous income, and especially when its a direct result of your previous job.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

It actually is a regular job. They're contract employees. If the NFLPA went on strike and we had scab football, I'd still watch. I like football.

I also don't buy the "they should get lifetime health insurance because what they do is special" argument. They should get lifetime health insurance because most football players are stupid and can't manage their finances, so it would be relatively easy to keep their packaged compensation in the same value ballpark while protecting them from themselves.

Sorry to be harsh, but the idea that only football players get hurt on the job is ridiculous. Everybody who has ever worked in construction, agriculture, or a warehouse says hello.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

It actually is a regular job. They're contract employees. If the NFLPA went on strike and we had scab football, I'd still watch. I like football.

I also don't buy the "they should get lifetime health insurance because what they do is special" argument. They should get lifetime health insurance because most football players are stupid and can't manage their finances, so it would be relatively easy to keep their packaged compensation in the same value ballpark while protecting them from themselves.

Sorry to be harsh, but the idea that only football players get hurt on the job is ridiculous. Everybody who has ever worked in construction, agriculture, or a warehouse says hello.

Scab football would be trash. The game's violence can't be ignored. Many of these players deal with football injuries for the rest of their lives. But, guess what? You'll be getting something that approximates scab football in the not-so-distant future, because fewer and fewer young people will participate as they and their parents better understand the risks.

By that time the neanderthals will be dead and the US will have some type of universal healthcare - like a real country - so the point will be moot.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

I'd be fine watching scab football. I've been a Miami Dolphins fan for a long time now. You think the prospect of watching bad football intimidates me?

 

[NJ Dolphan]

It actually is a regular job. They're contract employees. If the NFLPA went on strike and we had scab football, I'd still watch. I like football.

I also don't buy the "they should get lifetime health insurance because what they do is special" argument. They should get lifetime health insurance because most football players are stupid and can't manage their finances, so it would be relatively easy to keep their packaged compensation in the same value ballpark while protecting them from themselves.

Sorry to be harsh, but the idea that only football players get hurt on the job is ridiculous. Everybody who has ever worked in construction, agriculture, or a warehouse says hello.

It's not a regular job in the sense that the NFL is a company that brings in a lot of revenue relative to a small number of employees. If the revenue is sufficient, the players can bargain for lifetime health insurance if that's what they want.

The other thing that isn't clear though, is what regular workers' compensation pays for. I would think that if a player suffers a career ending knee injury, the medical expenses are paid for out of that. If that's the case, the risk of injury on the job doesn't have much to do with what HOFers are talking about. Another story if a player is diagnosed with cancer twenty years after his career is over.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

I'd be interested to look at total League + club employment figures. Players are a small subset of the overall employment roster.

One thing to consider is that in any employment situation, revenue sharing is rare and wonderful. I would just say that as a matter of course, NFL players are indeed extremely fortunate to be included in a compensation scheme where they get a significant amount of the pile, while the support structures that enable them to do their jobs are lucky to get COLA.

 

[Daytona Fin]

It actually is a regular job. They're contract employees. If the NFLPA went on strike and we had scab football, I'd still watch. I like football.

I also don't buy the "they should get lifetime health insurance because what they do is special" argument. They should get lifetime health insurance because most football players are stupid and can't manage their finances, so it would be relatively easy to keep their packaged compensation in the same value ballpark while protecting them from themselves.

Sorry to be harsh, but the idea that only football players get hurt on the job is ridiculous. Everybody who has ever worked in construction, agriculture, or a warehouse says hello.

Sounds like our education system is failing.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Sounds like our education system is failing.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Do you know the origins of the modern American educational system?

Well, that's a discussion for another board, but suffice it to say that it was not designed to provide a comprehensive, effective education that would encourage young people to think critically or approach life in a rational fashion. Instead, it was intended to provide industrial magnates with a large workforce of predictable, reasonably socialized young men.

Anyway, in general, many athletes demonstrate terrible financial planning acumen. While I myself think that people should have the freedom to spend and invest their money as they see fit, I think at this point, just to save everyone more heartache, the NFL should consider protecting its members from themselves. Of course, given the course by which all things run, I'm sure that the net result will be higher dues and mandatory contributions to "association approved" financial planners.

 

[GasPed]

Here’s the amount of money some of the HOFers that signed this BS made during their careers:

Marcus Allen - $14.2M
Derrick Brooks - $37.3M
Marshall Faulk - $48.9M
Curtis Martin - $46.8M
Jerry Rice - $42.3M
Deion Sanders - $33.5M
Bruce Smith - $46.9M
Kurt Warner - $62.7M

You guys can’t afford health insurance? Really?

Just fyi, Kurt Warner just released his own letter saying he wasn't aware of this petition, and that he supports benefits for all players (not just HOFers). He also said that he does not support an HOF ceremony boycott. Seems like Dickerson made a bit of a mess of this thing...

 

[SMadison29]

The NFL wouldn't exist without the players.

The NFL would be just fine with any players. Look at how popular college football is. 99% of those players aren't NFL caliber yet we watch. Watch old NFL games from the 60's & 70's. Those guys are not nearly as athletic as the 53rd player on today's roster yet the game thrived.

Exactly. People always try and compare it to regular jobs. This is not a regular job in any way shape or form. They absolutely should get lifetime heath insurance. Some players are hurt for the rest of their lives and struggle to work because of it. The whole, should of saved your money is BS. No body deserves how expensive medical bills can be, regardless of previous income, and especially when its a direct result of your previous job.

Professional sports is no different than a regular job. You choose to play it. You know the risks of playing. Nobody is forcing you to put your body through that. They play for the lifestyle, fame, money, women... that's the trade off. The majority of them are already given a free education, if they choose to apply themselves & didn't squander that opportunity too. They don't deserve anything more. Playing a game doesn't give you the right to lifetime anything. They should take responsibility for themselves & their actions. If you get hurt at your "regular job" & struggle to work the rest of your life because of it your company is not paying for your health insurance for the rest of your life. You'll get disability & a settlement which won't even compare to what NFL players made over their careers.

Sounds like our education system is failing.

That's an entirely different subject that starts with parenting.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

The NFL would be just fine with any players. Look at how popular college football is. 99% of those players aren't NFL caliber yet we watch. Watch old NFL games from the 60's & 70's. Those guys are not nearly as athletic as the 53rd player on today's roster yet the game thrived.



Professional sports is no different than a regular job. You choose to play it. You know the risks of playing. Nobody is forcing you to put your body through that. They play for the lifestyle, fame, money, women... that's the trade off. The majority of them are already given a free education, if they choose to apply themselves & didn't squander that opportunity too. They don't deserve anything more. Playing a game doesn't give you the right to lifetime anything. They should take responsibility for themselves & their actions. If you get hurt at your "regular job" & struggle to work the rest of your life because of it your company is not paying for your health insurance for the rest of your life. You'll get disability & a settlement which won't even compare to what NFL players made over their careers.



That's an entirely different subject that starts with parenting.

If you took the star players out of college football - the ones that go to the NFL - and removed the ties to the given university/student base, how well do you think it would do?

Idk, maybe you're right. Maybe there are a bunch of people with standards so low they'd watch a trash product without noticing the difference.

 

[SMadison29]

If you took the star players out of college football - the ones that go to the NFL - and removed the ties to the given university/student base, how well do you think it would do?

Idk, maybe you're right. Maybe there are a bunch of people with standards so low they'd watch a trash product without noticing the difference.

You don't think NFL teams have the same type of following as college teams w/alumni & students? Our fan base is a perfect example. Look a the garbage we've had to watch since Marino retired but we still do it.

 

[Gonzo]

It's weird to be so upset about something that doesn't affect you in anyway. Are you pissed off about what I want from the company I work for too?

 

[j-off-her-doll]

You don't think NFL teams have the same type of following as college teams w/alumni & students? Our fan base is a perfect example. Look a the garbage we've had to watch since Marino retired but we still do it.

Big difference between being bad or mediocre by NFL standards, or even upper-level college standards, and being below those standards. But, again, maybe you're right. Maybe people are too stupid to appreciate the difference.