Thoughts on Favre’s Retirement Saga

 

 

You know, when I heard the whispers about Brett Favre mulling a return to the Packers and the NFL, I thought: “This is nothing. Having an ‘itch’ or ‘urge’ to return is what all retired players go through. Brett will get over it”

Well, that was until I saw the headlines of “Brett Favre Returns”, “Favre wants release from the Packers” from various news sources. The only thing I have to say now is Favre should sit his ass down and stay retired. Granted, Favre still can play.  During 2007 season Favre

- Ranked Sixth in the League in passer ratings

-Finished fourth in passing yards and completion percentage

-Led the Packers to a 14-4 record.

However while last season’s accomplishments and the fact this he is considered to be one of the most beloved players in the history of the NFL and probably the most beloved Packer ever, that is not the point right now. The point here is this: Brett should have seriously thought about his desire to play before he made a decision to retire in March instead of stringing the Packers along after the fact.  According to Fox Sports Jay Glazer, Favre’s indecisiveness stared almost immediately after he announced his retirement.

In the article “Sources: Favre flipped-flopped before draft” (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8335678?MSNHPHMA), we now know why the Packers refused to grant Favre a release. According to the article, Favre

-informed Green Bay that he wanted to return in late March. He told coach Mike McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson that he had something left in the tank.

-The Packers front office even flew to Mississippi to officialize a deal for Favre to return but in a role to make Aaron Rodger’s situation easier.

-The move was set until Brett informed McCarthy that he was going to remain retired.

 Three months after the Packers drafted two QB’s to back Rodgers, Favre told the team that he’s ‘itching’ to play.  Now, the Packers are basically saying “Brett, you know there are creams for whatever itch that you may have. We are backing Aaron Rodgers.” I don’t blame the Green Bay Packers for taking this stance because Favre was the one playing all sorts of trifling and pitiful games with the organization. Honestly  Favre’s been toying with the Packers for nearly three years after every season.

It’s unfair for Aaron Rodgers, a man who paced the sidelines for three years to acquiese once again to #4. It is unfair for Rodgers to once again play backup to a man who refused to help him. I really wish that Rodgers would show some balls and speak up for himself to the Packers and against Favre. By doing this, he’ll probably earn the respect of the front office, the locker room, and *gasp* some fans! Hey, nearly anything is possible.

Pending Comissioner Goodell’s approval for reenstatement, there are only three options that the Packers can make here if they won’t release Favre. They can:

-Keep him and push Rodgers to the side

-Keep him as a backup (Talk about payback,lol) 

-Trade Him.

If the Packers can’t or wont take him back or trade him, that just leaves Brett with one option, the sanest option. STAY RETIRED

Retirement is the best bet because for the sake of aruguement, lets just say that Favre winds up on another team. What if Favre can’t get it done for the other team? I tell you what will happen. Favre’s legacy will really be ruined and the media will get all up in his ass for this lastest stunt and play poorly.

Chad Johnson+ NFL in LA= Mountains Out Of Molehills

photo from losangelesfootballstadium.com

The week’s hottest topics in the NFL excluding the draft are undeniably Chad Johnson’s latest trade demands and another attempt to bring a football team to Los Angeles. What I’m trippin on is how difficult these situations are potrayed to be. To me, it seems as if  the Bengals and the league are  making mountains out of molehills.

Since December, Ocho-Cinco’s been hollering about wanting out of Cincy. He is laying it out there like carpet that he was determined not to be a Bengal in 2008. The Bengals repeately said that the team will not trade their wide receiever.  The Bengals are typical  for saying that because if Chad goes, they are screwed on the field and in their wallets. Not only will the Bengals take a huge salary cap hit, they will be missing an important part of their team.  On the other hand, If they keep Chad, he will continue to raise hell and be a bigger distraction which will be detrimental to the Bengals’ season.

According to T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad endlessly talks to him about the drama and problems that the flamboyant pro bowl reciever is having with the team. In a recent interview, Houshmandzadeh beleives that the team should go ahead and give Johnson what he wants.  I agree with T.J. because, if Chad is still with the Bengals next year, he will be a bigger problem than he is now. He would probably have a horrible season on purpose or anything!

The Bengals should just try to work out a draft day deal between Chad and other teams, and call it a day. Cincy’s passing game is still solid with Houshmandzadeh, and free agent pick up Doug Gabriel can and will step up to give T.J. some help. The Bengals should try to improve their defense anyway. Chad Johnson don’t want to be a Cincinnatti Bengal anymore. Let it go and let him go.

Los Angleles Laker and King minority owner, Edward Roski announced plans for a new stadium 20 miles east of Los Angeles in the City of Industry.  Roski said that the 75,000 seat stadium would be privately funded, and will be a part of an entertainment complex including a high end shopping mall.  I’m not in L.A. but I support this latest proposal.

I support it first and foremost for the fact that Roski is using private funds instead of tax dollars, and a stadium along with the mall will help create more jobs  for Industry. I also like the concept of the stadium being built into the existing hillside as opposed to building above ground.

Getting a team to play in this stadium should’nt be hard at all. Its simple really. I say this because the NFL have been whining and crying about returning to the nation’s second largest market for 13 years. There are some teams with stadium  and support issues. How hard is it for one of those team to follow through with moving instead of using LA for leverage for a new stadium?   The Bills, Jaguars, Vikings, and even the Saints could wind up moving. If I was a betting woman, I would say the Vikings would more than likely move. I say this because the team and the State of Minnesota have been at odds for new stadium for years. They just wont build them a stadium. Instead, their focus is on the Twins new facility and the Golden Golphers new football facility. The bridge collapsing made matters worse.

Even Viking owner Zygi Wilf offered to buy some property in downtown Minnapolis but the state legislature decided to sit on that idea. The growing frustration of the Vikings’ brass on this issue can very well drive them out of Minny.

If the league want at team in LA so bad, there is always contraction. The new team whoever it may be, can play in the Colisseum until the new stadium is built.

 

Spygate Revisited!

 On Super Bowl eve, there are reports circulating about the Patriots spying on the Rams before New England’s first Super Bowl Win. The timing of this revelation is impeccable. Why didnt the media reveal this during the incident with the Jets? Is this a case of scrapping up something to broadcast or write about? If it isnt that, Could it be that the media is turing their backs on the Patriots?

At first, I thought it was  about the Jets being sore losers until it was revealed that the league launched the ‘Spygate’ investigation.  It is known that each team in the league have tired to gain an extra advantage but I guess the taping is where it stops. 

If the Patriots win today, will the game and the rest of the games they won be under review?

We will see at 6:00!

Jerry Rice Vs. Randy Moss Vs. The Media

Photo from NFL.com

” I don’t think breaking Jerry Rice’s record was special. Shutting you guys up (NFL MEDIA) made it special.” -Randy Moss after beating the Giants in the Season Finale.

When I heard that statement, and after cracking up over it, I knew that a ’feud’ would be on the horizon.  Today, I was right because Jerry  said that Moss’ statement was a “slap in the face and added “That’s Moss”

On Mike and Mike in the Morning, Sean Salisbury and Mike Greenburg questioned his statement and the guys from Around The Horn discussed the statement with Woody Paige and two others siding with Moss.

Well, my take on this statement is this: Moss’ problem is not with Rice but with the mainstrem NFL media.  Check this out, Moss have been a target of these guys ever since he came into the league.  Weeks before the ‘98 draft, they talked about his fight in high school and his dismissal from Florida State. During his career, they didn’t talk much about the good things he done in Minnesota.  Instead, they talked about the incident with Minneapolis police, the ‘mooning’ incident, and walking off of the field before the game is over. In Oakland, he had one 1,000 yard receiving season before the Raiders really began to errode.

When Moss was traded on draft day to New England, the media thought the he would be locker room poison to the team. The media thought that he and Brady would not get along. Seventeen weeks later, the joke was on the mainstream NFL media. Randy Moss finished the year with 98 receptions, 1,493 yards, a record setting 23 receiving touchdowns and 0 distractions and disturbances.

After the Giants’ game, the same guys bashing  were the same guys  kissing his ass! Obviously, Moss remembered all of the negativity and the things they said about him. That was when and why  he said what he said. After sucking up to Tom Brady and Bill Bellichick, the media thought about what Moss said, got mad and talked about it today.  Most of these guys have been reporters since Rice was in his prime, and they knew how he was or even is to this day!

Most of these mainstream media knew about Rice and his competive nature and his epidsodes where he feels like he’s been disrespected. The media also know that Rice is trying to extend his celebrity beyond the gridiron.  Rice’s response was not suprising at all nor was his hint that he set the record in the midst of a player strike, and  the implication that Moss’ record should have an astrick.

This is how I see it!  Rice is bitter and salty because A) He lost one of his many NFL records. B) He lost it to someone like Randy Moss and C) Randy didn’t show Rice the respect that he feels entitled to.

My first memory of football was as an eight year old little girl watching Super Bowl XXIV. I was in front of the screen and I  took notice of a man wearing a white jersey with the number 80 on it in bold, scarlet red print, running pattern after pattern and catching touchdowns and passes. I have been a fan of that man, his team at the time, and the game of football since.

As I grew older, and didn’t cheer for the Niners much anymore, I still list Jerry Rice as my favorite football player of all time.

Now, when it comes to Saturday’s incident and Jerry’s reponse, I have to draw the flag. I call B.S. on what Jerry implied before Randy broke the record and after he broke the record because although he  publicly said that he would congratulate Moss, deep down, he didn’t want him to break the record.  If Marvin Harrison broke the record, Rice wouldn’t have a problem with it because Marvin reminds Jerry of himself and Moss is seen as the epitome of what Jerry supposenly despises-flash (despite the fact Rice dipped his hair in Duke and Care Free Curl (fifi hairstyle)  and danced in the end zone himself), controversy and distractions (despite the fact that Rice raised hell when he didn’t get the ball and felt slighted when reporters didnt give him credit), atagonistic relationship with the press and being moody (yeah, Jerry  had that going  too.)

When Moss was on the verge of breaking the record, Rice implied that an astrick should be on #23 because it took Randy 16 games while it took Rice 12 games in strike riddled 1987. He could not say, ‘Well, records fall.  Whatever.’ his competitiveness and pride would not let him.

After the press confrence, Rice was mad and saw Moss’ comments as a diss when it wasn’t even about Rice. Moss’ diss was for the MEDIA. Isn’t it funny that Jerry implied that breaking Moss’ record wasn’t special because he didn’t do it in 12 games and got mad because Randy thought the the actual breaking of the record wasn’t special? Imagine that.

Moss isn’t guiltless either. He should have known to watch what the hell he say. Moss know what the media thinks about him, and he shouldn’t have given them a reason to spout more negativity and tarnish a phenomenal regular season. Now, the media is mad because they felt insulted and it’s time for payback.

The mainstream sports media are a funny group of men (the women don’t act like this). You guys were dogging Randy Moss from day one! You dogged him in Minnesota and Oakland.  You labled him as a ‘locker room poison’. You brought up the police incident. You thought that he would ruin the Patriots and the ‘golden boy’.  What you dont see in Randy in his blowups in Minny and Oakland, his drive to win. He wants to win games and during the later years in Minny and Oakland, he wasn’t doing that.

Aside from that parking incident, did you see him ‘making it rain’? did you hear about him crashing Lamboghinis, carrying more weapons than the army, and causing some serious legal drama off the field? NO you haven’t!

Now that he’s doing good and everything is cool, you all want to act like he’s such a great guy, a leader , a professional, and all these great things, and now you expect him to forgive you all? You have a lot of nerve. So, I don’t blame Randy Moss for saying what he said.

When it comes to Flash 80, you media guys are even worse. Despite revering him and his accomplishments, you never really cared for him because he didnt handle you in the way you liked. In his later years in San Francisco and his stops in Oakland, and Seattle, year after year, you told him to retire because he was ‘tarnishing the legacy’, while you prased Brett Farve for his ‘longevity’.  You dissed Rice for being so focused on the game and not being marketable. When Rice decided to come out of his shell and appear on ‘Dancing With the Stars’, ‘Deal or No Deal, ‘The Class’, ‘The Game’, and ‘Sirus Satellite Radio’ and for the Bay Area ,’ Toyota Sports Sunday’ you accused him of not wanting to let go of the spotlight.

Now, you wanna act like you always liked Rice-pouring on extra admiration, honor, and respect for the way he changed the wide receiver position. You know, spare me the lies and B.S. ! You never gave a good kitty about Jerry Rice , allright! You are giving him extra credit because you can’t stand Randy Moss! For all I know, you probably talk trash behind his back about him being in an anchor’s chair and on satellite radio with his thick Mississippi accent. You were the same way with Muhammad Ali back in day. You hated him in his prime. Now, he beloved because he reminds you of how boxing used to be. It is the same thing with Rice. You thought he was a primadonna and a diva in his prime. Now, he  is a great guy because you think that the new generaton of wide receivers are 10x’s worse than what Rice was. You sportscasters and analysts are about as transparent as glass!

In this match up, noone wins. Jerry Rice should acknowlege and accept the fact that Randy Moss got the single season TD record fair and square regardless of  the number of games it took. Randy Moss should realize that he is still under scrutiny and should learn what to say. The mainsteam sports media should stop playing games and start doing their jobs without fawning, drooling and stanning!

When the Roar Of the Crowd Fade!

  

  

Seventy-eight!

This is the precentage of players that are either divorced, permanately injurjed, or bankrupt after their football career.

One-third!

This is the fraction of retiring players who are college graduates.

Few and far between!

This is the number of active players who are college graduates.

For many NFL players, football is their identity and their sense of pupose. For the majority, the game is all they know. However, there comes a time when it is time to hang up the cleats for good. After the the applause, after the last press confrence, and after the cheering stops, the player is forced to deal with the “real world” Looking at the numbers, most of these guys are not making a successful transisition after the game.

For the college players, I think that it is wise to take your classes and your major seriously. The average NFL career last any where from 3-5 years. If you make it to 10+  years, you are blessed and extremely fortunate! For the future, I think it is wise for the player to make contacts with folks in their field of interest. In the offseason, it is a good idea for the player to have an appreticeship or even an intership. For example, Miami Dolphins RB Samkon Gado wants to be a doctor after football. During his time in Green Bay, Gado was working in a hospital under doctors.  Gado, receieved a bachelor’s degree in health promotions and studied pre med courses at Liberty University. During the offseason, Gado took the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). 

Giants CB, R.W. McQuarters own a construction company in Tulsa, Ok where he also works along with his employees.

There are quite a few ex players who made a smooth transistion after the game. Tiki Barber and Keyshawn Johnson are turning out to be solid analysts.  Keyshawn holds a degree from USC in communications and provided an array of soundbites thoughout the years as a player. Going into the booth was a natural fit for this guy.

Barber holds a degree from the University of Virginia in Management Information Systems, but caught the media fever as a player. His elequence caught the eye Fox and later NBC. Now he is on the network’s ‘Football Night In America’.

After an illustrious career with the Seattle Seahawks, hall of famer Steve Largent found his way into politics. In 1994, Largent became a member of the House of Representatives from Oklahoma’s first district. He would hold that position until 2002.  After an unsuccessful run for Oklahoma govenor, Largent is now the President and CEO of the CTIA-The Wireless Association.

Hall Of Fame Quarterback Steve Young made sure he would not have to struggle after the NFL. During the prime of his career, Young earned his Juris Doctor from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. In addition to that, he is now in the private equity field. If that wasn’t enough, he is broadcasting for ESPN and still getting his yearly annuinity from the USFL.

Players can do it. They can be successful and carve a productive identity after football. The blueprint is there.

USE A CONDOM!

   

“You’re blessed man. Use protection and limit the number of women you see” -Ray Lewis to Shawne Merriman (Quoted in 2006 Sports Illustrated article)

“A pill aint gonna keep your d**k from falling off! I don’t understand why you insist on learning things the hard way but you gon’ learn. Oh, yeah. YOU gon’ learn!” -Laurence Fishburne as Furrious Styles in Boyz N The Hood

In the wake of the Lance Briggs Paternity saga, it is known that he fathered two other children outside of his relationship with Brittini Tribbett.  Before Briggs, we have heard about the paternity drama surrounding Brian Urlacher and Tyna Roberston, Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Lienart and Travis Henry, who fathered nine, you count them, nine children out of wedlock.

With all of that said, I think that this message is on time. Look, I know that these players regardless of sport are going to be out  there sleeping around so it’s whatever. BUT, don’t complain and whine when some woman or women approach you and say “I’m pregnant” or “I have the package and you may be infected.” when you could have used protection and used it right.

Yeah, condoms may take away some of the sensation but it is better than having to pay child support for a child you did  not plan to make. It is better than getting a deadly disease. Besides, there are all sorts of condoms out here on the market that offers protection and sensations, USE THEM!

Now, you may be using condoms but you may be using them wrong or even the wrong size. When you stap it on guys, you are supposed to leave room at the tip and squeeze the air out before sex. For those who may be using the wrong size, stop trying to be something that you are not! As long as you are not hung like a gnant  or have the girth of a pencil, then you are okay, you are fine. If you are using a condom that is not your size, well you know what will happen-condom falls off, the woman discovers it  later and put you on blast on message boards and tabloids.

 Yes, there are some unscrupulous women out here and they are “Forty-Niners” if you know what I mean. You must protect yourself at all times. She’ll tell you that she is on the pill but don’t believe her. Basic, common knowlege, but for some reason, you are still getting women pregnant and paying child support, evading child support, or not paying at all. To take care of this problem, instead of just throwing the condom in the trash for her to fish out later, you should empty the condom, flush the semen and sperm down the toilet, rinse the condom and rip it up!

If you are in the posistion of having a child, make the most out of the situation. Spend your time as well as your money. If you by chance had an absentee parent growing up, remeber what it was like and make sure you break the cycle. Develop a respectful relatioship with the baby’s mother for the sake of your children. Surely, these women are not that unreasionable out here.

If the woman is pregnant, don’t tell her what to do with the baby. The choice is hers. The only thing you can do is ask her for a paternity test. If it’s yours, Just take care of your responsiblilty so you dont end up being the subject of a paternity suit. Don’t whine about child support just shut up and pay it and be safe next time!

A Holdout for Briggs Looms?

The 3:00 deadline came and went for Bears linebacker Lance Briggs to sign a long term contract extension with the team. Now, according to league rules, Briggs is only eligible for the franchise tag offer of $7.2 million for the season.

If the Bears and Briggs  cannot come up with a comprimise, Briggs will more than likely follow through on his threat to hold out for 10 games. Right now, it looks like Briggs will not suit up because taking the $7.2 million offer will be a bad decision from a marketing standpoint.

If Briggs agree to the deal on the table, it will be difficult to shop for a deal elsewhere. As a franchise player, the Bears have the right to match any offer sheet signed. At this point, the only way to avoid a hold out is if the franchise tag is lifted after the season.

WHY?

Today, I realized that the induction ceremony for the Pro Football Hall Of Fame is only a month away. While this year’s class is strong and impressive, I can’t help but to think about two people that should have been wearing that yellow jacket years ago! I can’t help but to wonder why Art Monk and Roger Craig are not in the Hall of Fame when they have contirbuted more than their share to the league and their teams.

Despite being eclipsed by Rice, Carter, Brown and Reed in the record books, Monk’s resume is still impeccable! Monk was the first WR to reach 900 career receptions (940), amassed 12,721 career receiving yards, 68 touchdowns, and most important, three Super Bowl rings (XVII,XXII,XXVI). Currently, no receiver in the Hall Of Fame have more catches,yards, and titles* than Monk.  While statistics play a huge part in selection, impact on a team plays even a bigger part. With that said,no one could deny the enormous impact that Art Monk had on the Washington Redskins during the 1980’s.

While Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders received all the attention from the media and scared defensive coordinators, Monk was the man behind the Smurfs’/Posse’s success. This is so because Monk was the inside receiver that most defenses focused on thus leaving Clark or Sanders open for the 50 yard bomb.  Monk was catalyst of that receiving corp because he did what was necessary to make Joe Gibbs’ offense one of the most feared and potent in the league.  He was the guy that ran routes accross the middle, moved the chains in third down situations to open up opportunities  for John Riggins and Earnest Byner.  Speaking of the running game, Monk’s blocking was top notch and it helped the running backs gain considerable yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

For all the hard work and stats over the years, all Monk gets is rejections and a 46 minute discussion among voting sportswriters about his importance!(Peter King, Monday Morning ,QB Nov. 2005). If that isnt insulting enough, there are a few Monk naysayers that implied that he is overlooked because he didnt make a spectacular catch or huge play in the Super Bowl or conference championship games  like Lynn Swann did ( Leonard Shapiro, A Hall Of Mystery, Feb. 2005)

If all it took to get in the Hall of Fame as a receiver was to make some eye popping, flashy catches and big plays, why did it take Swann 14 years after eligibilty to get in? If flash is all it takes for receivers, why isn’t Clark and Sanders considered for the hall? If it is simply flash that some of these sportscasters want from their Hall Of Fame receivers, then what is Steve Largent doing in Canton? As far as big plays are concerned, where is Dwight Clark’s bust?

Michael Irvin may have the WR slot for this years class. However, Monk should be wearing the yellow jacket no earlier than next August or in 2009. After ‘09, his chances may be even slimmer because Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, and Cris Carter will be eligible in 2010 at the earliest. Since 2010 will be stacked with WR’s, you all might as well vote Monk, Rice, Brown,Carter, and Reed in at one time and call it a day.

On the other hand, you can be a great player and even an intrigal part of a revolutionary offense and not even be on the Hall of Fame Ballot.  Forty Niner great Roger Craig have been eligible for the hall since 1998 and no one in the selection comittee is giving him the time of day. While his stats may not be as gaudy and Walter Payton’s, Barry Sanders’ and Emmitt Smith’s, Roger Craig had a significant impact on the game. You all must have forgot that Craig is the innovator of the modern day running back-a double threat on the ground and through the air!  This guy was the first running back to gain more than 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards recieving in a season.(1985)  In 1988, Craig reached and broke the 2,000 combined yardage mark for the second time in his 11 year career. In additon to being elected to the Pro Bowl at both halfback and fullback, Craig also remains the only running back to lead the league in receiptions and the only one to record 100 yards receiving in the Super Bowl.

Remember when I mentioned that some sportswriters and sportscasters implied that a big play was needed? Well, who you think kept the Niners’ hopes alive  during  the closing minutes of Super Bowl XXIII with his opening catch and two  runs? While that sequence was remembered for John Taylor’s winning TD, it was Craig along with Jerry Rice that helped the Niners overcome a pontentally devistaing penality by Randy Cross. 

Simply put, Roger Craig was just as infuluental in the Niner dynasty as Walsh, Montana, Rice, Lott, and Clark, and  his respect and his HOF nod is long overdue. Don’t get me wrong, he was playing in the huge shadow of arugueably the greatest quarterback, receiver and safety to ever play, and overlooking the contributions is easy. However, those contributions are worthy for at least consideration.

* NOTE: The titles statement is among those already in Hall. Irvin has 3 himself but he is not offically enshrined.

Get Your Job Back, Chris!

   

      I may be in the  minority when I say this but I believe that naming Jeff Garcia as the starter in Tampa Bay is premature. Coach Gruden’s  decision was  premature because the starting job was Chris Simms’ to lose due to mediocre performance not to injury. If I’m not mistaken, Simms recovered from his ruptured spleen injury, and even signed a two year extension for $5 million. Obviously, the Bucs brass thought highly enough of the second generation quarterback to give him a contract extension so having him model the latest in officially licensed hats while carrying a clipboard  does not make a bit of sense.

   Don’t get me wrong, Garcia is a strong and solid quarterback. He held Philly together when McNabb went down but I feel that he did not earn the Bucs’ starting job. In my point of view, Simms did not get a fair opportunity to compete for this position. Granted, I know that he developed some bad habits mechanically due to the desire to protect the torso but mechanics can be easily corrected. In this case, can be corrected before training camp. If push comes to shove there are three words to remember in this situation: father knows best. If needed, Chris can always get mechanics advice from his father Phil.

Simms’ mechanics may be off and needs some work but that doesn’t stop his brain from absorbing that playbook and watching film. If it was me, that’s exactly what I would do espically when the team signed Garcia in March. I would have been glued to the film room and the playbook. I also would be on the lookout for new schemes.

Right now, Simms should continue to work to take back what’s his. Simms need to beat Garcia in training camp to show ‘Chucky’, the analysts, and the fans who the starter in 2007 should be!

RESPECT AND BENEFITS MUST BE PAID!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“This isn’t just about the players. This is about families watching their loved ones die.”

-Garrett Webster, Son of Former Steeler Center Mike Webster

“I discovered how the NFL rewards its gladiators who’ve left their body parts on the field-by crapping on them.”

-Hall of Fame Center Jim Otto in his book “The Pain Of Glory“

     Former NFL players and their families were on Capitol Hill Tuesday to take the league and the NFLPA to task over disablility benefits. All I can say is “It’s about time!”

I remember seeing a segment about this topic on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel”, and I remember being in complete and utter shock after hearing the stories of the players interviewed. As a fan of the game, it saddened and confused me to hear the tales of former players being disabled, destitute and homeless.

It stunned me to learn that there are some former players out there that are not able to walk without assistance, (35 year old former Bengal Brian DeMarco), suffering from demencia ( Baltimore Colt Tight End, John Mackey), and even dying broke and alone. (Mike Webster)

What’s even more stunning is the fact that the league that these men and many others sacrificed their physical and mental well being for basically put them out to pasture. The numbers are disgusting. Currently, three percent of the NFL’s past and present players are receiving disability payments in a league where half of the players retire due to game related injury (LA TIMES 6/27). According to a Baltimore Sun article on John Mackey nearly two years ago, the NFL only paid $14.5 million for disability. That figure wouldn’t have sounded bad if the NFL did’nt make more than $5 billion in revenue each year. (see NFL neglect of Mackey belongs in the Hall of Shame from the Baltimore Sun for that one)

With all of that said, I am so glad that Iron Mike Ditka and former Giant Harry Carson is among those who are strongly advocating for more benefits for these players. Granted, I know that there are some naysayers like Dave Zirin (NFL Players’ Union Gets Blitzed http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/29/opinion/main2999669.shtml)  that is questioning Ditka’s credibility and even bringing up the fact that he crossed the picket line 20 years ago to support that claim. To those critics, I say this: It is not about the messenger. It’s all about the message! The message now is, ‘Give these gladiators what they deserve and what’s due to them! Give them fair benefits and fair pension!’

To Ditka’s credit, he is walking the walk. He is heavily involved with the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund. In its brief history, the Gridiron Greats went above and beyond their obligations to those suffering ex football players. For instance, the orginaztion spent $20,000 on DeMarco-paying four months rent, assisting with medication,etc.

The bottom line is this, while the recent efforts of the NFLPA is admirable (approval of the 88 plan coupled with a few increases over the years), it is not enough to sustain or improve the quality of life of the legon of disabled players. It is time for the NFLPA to seriously consider revamping thier pension and benefit policies or contiued to be criticized by former players and blitzed by congress-the choice is thiers!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GRIDIRON GREATS AND TO MAKE A DONATION, LOG ON TO http://www.jerrykramer.com/