Comments on The Eye Patch: Gene Upshaw: Labor Legend

Mike,
You are changing people's words to ...

2007-08-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Mike,
You are changing people's words to fit your argument. The previous post states that the NBA, NHL, and MLB have better pension plans than the NFL. I would also argue that Billy Hunter and Don Fehr blow Upshaw out of the water in terms of labor representation. I am also confident that the NHL will find a competent labor leader and that leader won't be a freshly retired player like Upshaw was when he was plugged into his current post.

The NFLPA is quick to point out that Upshaw has been repeatedly been re-elected through a unanimous vote. It's easy to be voted in unanimously when no one has EVER run against you.

Upshaw was unwilling to communicate with retirees regarding disability, pension, and health care issues. It wasn't until Roger Goodell arranged a meeting with several retirees that Upshaw met with a few players.

Again, this is another example of Upshaw doing exactly what the commissioner(owner's representative) told him to do. I guess Goodell found that leash that Bryant Gumbel was talking about.

Players are not eligible for a pension benefit unless he has four years of service. The average NFL career, Easterbrook states, is three years. That means the majority of the players, players that pay $10,000 per year in union in dues, are not eligible for a pension benefit. Those union dues fund Upshaw's $6.7 million per year in compensation. Donald Fehr brings in $1 million per year.

Your opinion that players who only spend a few years in the NFL don't deserve a pension is not a well thought out argument. It is the same argument that fans complaining about players high salaries have. The money is there. The only question is whether the money stays in the owners pockets or goes to the players. Would you rather the money stay with the owners?

It is becoming more and more apparent that many former NFL players have severe health problems as they grow older. Jim Otto is just one example of this. Now Otto lies in a hospital bed with only one leg. Otto previously fought for his life on two occasions because of severe infections stemming from surgeries relating to his football related injuries. Who has the responsibility to pay for Otto's treatment and disability benefits? Is it your responsibility as a taxpayer to pay to support Otto through your social security contributions? Should Medicare be paying for his treatment? Or is it the responsibility of the billionaire owners that profited from Otto's efforts?

While the money in the NFL mind boggling, it isn't the result of anything Upshaw has done. The popularity of the sport is what has brought in the big dollars to the sport. That money has trickled down to the players.

You're saying the NHL has better labor representat...

2007-08-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

You're saying the NHL has better labor representation than the NFL? Are you serious? Please tell me you think Bob Goodenow and Ted Saskin are better player representatives than Gene Upshaw. Oh wait, they both got fired over the last two years. The NHLPA is leaderless.

Why has Gene Upshaw been repeatedly voted in as the head of the NFLPA year after year? Perhaps it has something to do with all the value he brings to the members of that association.

If you;re saying that these other leagues bring value because they demand strife between the associations and the leagues they play for, then I'm afraid I can't argue with you. Typical unionization is good for two kinds of people:

- the ones that run the unions

- and the ones who expect a free ride

The players that are whining now agreed to half assed deals that left them nothing. Upshaw had nothing to do with those deals. So he supposed to penalize the players that are reaping the biggest dollars for teh association to pay the ones that generated little originally? Sounds like welfare.

If your expectation is that Upshaw implement a welfare program, then he won't last as uniond chief. The existing players will vote him out.

The Raiders own Jim Otto has spent more than a hal...

2007-08-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

The Raiders own Jim Otto has spent more than a half million dollars out of his own pocket paying for care to treat his NFL related injuries. Otto just had his leg amputated in a hospital in Utah. Is he a whiner too?

Even Al Davis has fought to increase pension and disability benefits.

Maybe someday people like Easterbrook and yourself will stop eating up the spoon fed "facts" Gene Upshaw provides to you.

Unlike Jim Otto, Upshaw makes over $6.7 million a year and has both of his legs.

See:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-08-01-4141235890_x.htm

What profession has a better pension plan than the...

2007-08-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

What profession has a better pension plan than the NFL?

Hmmm....Major League Baseball, the NBA, and NHL. Of course the labor leaders in these leagues also have formal labor law training, unlike Gene Upshaw.

In 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, injury rates were 8 times higher in the NFL than any other professional sports league.

The problem isn't just with pension benefits, but disability benefits and post career healthcare. Retired professional athletes private health insurance will not cover football injuries since they are considered "industrial accidents." You can have the best private health insurance that money can buy, but it won't cover your football injuries!

I know some fans will see the players that complain as crybabies. I hope fans can realize that the money needed to properly fund post career benefits would be a drop in the bucket to NFL owners.

These billionaire NFL team owners are the same people that demand taxpayers fund their stadium building projects or threaten to move the team to another city.

These billionaire owners also count on taxpayers to pay for the disability and health benefits for older retired players who rely on Social Security benefits. Every taxpayer pays into the Social System fund. Too many times retired players qualify for Social Security disability benefits after being denied their NFL disability benefits.

The owners need to stop counting on the public to pay for their business expenses, such as stadium projects and disability benefits for retired players. These billionaires need to take care of the people that helped them make their billions.

Why should anyone who works in any field for less ...

2007-08-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Why should anyone who works in any field for less than three years be eligible for a pension??? It's ludicrous to think that 2 years or less of service are eligible for a pension.

I'd say a three year threshhold is pretty generous frankly. What profession has a pension plan better then that?

Nobody is holding a gun to these guys heads telling them they need to be pro football players. Serve two years in a job, and expect to be forever rewarded for it? That's insane.

I think Upshaw has elevated football to the stature that it maintains today, because he's worked with the NFL.

Do you feel that Eaterbrook's article is "outstand...

2007-08-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Do you feel that Eaterbrook's article is "outstanding" because he agrees with your portrayal of Gene Upshaw as being a good guy? Unfortunately, all the information included in the article is not accurate.

Easterbrook writes:

So the average player who's in the league three seasons will get a $16,800 annual pension

While it is true that the average player only plays three seasons in the NFL, it is also true that it takes FOUR credited seasons for a player to be eligible to receive a pension benefit. Easterbrook's assertion that the average NFL player will receive a $16,800 annual pension is false. A player with only three years of NFL service, the average player, is INELIGIBLE for any pension benefit.

I invite you and Easterbrook to call the NFLPA at 800-372-2000 to do a little fact checking. Call and ask about the pension benefit for a player that plays three season.

Do you still feel Upshaw is a "good guy" when the average NFL player will never collect a pension benefit?