The NFL Is A Disgrace - Daniel Negreanu's Blog

Daniel Negreanu's Blog
January 30, 2007
Negreanu blogs about the NFL
and players who were injured

Daniel Negreanu's Poker Blog

UltimatePokerForum.com
The Ultimate Poker Site

The NFL is a Disgrace

January 30, 2007

I just finished watching an episode of HBO Real Sports and it made me a little
sick to my stomach, so I thought I’d share some of the key points of the story
with you. On the eve of the hyped up Super Bowl, not many people want to
talk about, or think about the dark side of the game:

Conrad Dobler played 10 seasons in the NFL during the 1970‘s. He’s now 56
years old and this year alone has had seven surgeries on his knees. He’s
spent a total of 100 days in the hospital this year alone. Living in constant
pain, he is subscribed 150 Vicadin a month, that’s 5 a day.

When he applied to the league for disability the first doctor that looked at
him said his legs were 90% impaired. Then the league sent him to a second
NFL doctor who said he had significant disabilities, but could do sedentary
work.

The pension he receives from the league do not cover his health care costs.
During Dobler’s playing day’s the average NFL salary was 26,000 a year.
Retired NFL players often need knee replacements, hip replacements and
suffer from post concussion syndrome, all of which are very expensive to
treat.

Get this, the pension for an NFL player who spent 10 years in the league is
$24,000. Compare that to major league baseball, where a player who is in
the league for 10 years can get as much as $175,000! Doesn’t that seem
backwards to you?

Johnny Cooks is a 48 year old retired NFL player who can barely walk, and
when he does the pain is intense. He was looked at by two different doctors
who both wrote that he was disables and unable to work. The U.S.
government recognized that he is disabled, and pays him social security. The
NFL pays him nothing that he is OWED. An NFL doctor who looked at him said
that he could do “light/sedentary” work.
Cooks claims that the pain is too great for him to sit at a desk for 8 hours a
day. This man is 48 years old, can’t work, has difficulty supporting his family,
and feels totally emasculated.

There are currently 9000 eligible living retired players, but only 144 receive
long term disability payment from the league.

Mike Webster fought the NFL for 7 years in court looking to get the money he
was owed by the league. He played for 17 years in the NFL. Five doctors,
three of them different mental heath professionals, a psychologist, a
psychiatrist, and a neurologist, all agree that after pro football, this man
could not earn a living. Eventually, after a seven year fight he was rewarded
his money. Unfortunately, Webster died of a heart attack before the league
was finally ordered to pay him. His family will get that money.

It’s important to note, that while many NFL players do sign substantial
contracts, not all of them are paid millions of dollars. On top of that, the
contracts they sign provide pension and disability, just like any other job.
These men are entitled to have the health care insurance so that they can
repair the broken parts of their bodies.

So why doesn’t the NFL pay? That money comes from the same pot of money
used to pay active players.

Gene Upshaw, former player and head of the players union in response to
retired players criticism of him, “The bottom line is I don’t work for them. They
don’t hire me and they can’t fire me. They can complain about me all day long.
But the active players have the vote. That’s who pays my salary.”
This is the guy who represents the players. How sad.

Johnny Unitas was the face of the league during his days on the field, but
yet, even he couldn’t get disability to repair his many injuries. He stopped
attending the Hall of Fame ceremonies and died a very bitter man.

Sure, many of these players should have better prepared themselves for life
after football, but some of them didn’t. Now they can’t walk, live in constant
pain, can’t pay their medical bills, and the league does nothing for them.
That’s just pathetic.

Read More Entries from Daniel Negreanu's Blog

Site Directory