OT: Ex-NFL star wishes he never played

[O]

Very interesting and tragic read.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...ories+(RSS:+Top+Stories)&utm_content=My+Yahoo

 

[lauraw]

Why can't the $$ go into a fund

to pay the insurance costs..? If the NFL is worried about old men getting too much money put a % of the gross Profits each year for NFL and NFL Properties say 2.5% which of 20 billion per year isome $$[dont know what the NFL grosses, just guessing], it would be an EMERGENCY START..what about the men who are just like Pear but Dont get $40,000

 

[jw7]

Ouch, that is sad, but not uncommon. Good article, O.

I think a lot of the fault goes not only to the NFL, but to the NFLPA. There is no reason that a player like JaMarcus Russell can cash a check for $30m and suck, while veterans wait to get cut as salary cap casualties and have little support for post-NFL health problems.

Gene Upshaw sucked as a union rep. Sorry (RIP), but he did suck. Too much emphasis on rookie signings and overall revenue sharing and not a lot of help for the vets from a league that makes insane money.

 

[Assface]

Ouch, that is sad, but not uncommon. Good article, O.

I think a lot of the fault goes not only to the NFL, but to the NFLPA. There is no reason that a player like JaMarcus Russell can cash a check for $30m and suck, while veterans wait to get cut as salary cap casualties and have little support for post-NFL health problems.

Gene Upshaw sucked as a union rep. Sorry (RIP), but he did suck. Too much emphasis on rookie signings and overall revenue sharing and not a lot of help for the vets from a league that makes insane money.

I still don't know why they've never done anything about rookie salaries. Most unions usually defer to members with seniority, the NFL does it backwards. If they institute a cap then who are they worried about alienating, the guys who aren't in the league yet? Rookies absolutely should not be getting paid more then people who have already been a member for a few years.

 

[Buckybird]

Conrad Dobler...32 knee surgeries? OMG!!! I've seen him many times on TV & the guy struggles everyday just to get around on his feet.

 

[Russ Smith]

It's just like the Jim Otto story, last time I heard about him he had to have live in nurses because he could barely take care of himself, feed himself etc after years of playing C for the Raiders in the 60's and 70's.

It's basically a game where the players get into the equivalent of highspeed car accidents over and over week after week.