December 14, 2007

NFL Updates Disability Plan : Following a string of news stories drawing attention to the trials of former NFLers' efforts to get disability benefits, the NFL has announced updates to assist getting these benefits to players more efficiently and quickly.

read story | posted by Spitztengle to Football at 10:55 PM CDT (8 comments total)

Nuthin like a little Scrutiny to get the ball rollin!

It seems like a pretty small thing in the big picture but I guess any progress in the right direstion is good thing to those in need.

Comment icon posted by firecop at 11:36 PM CDT on December 14

A little scrutiny? It's been years and years of pressure!

Reading that piece, it just hit me how little money Ditka's foundation actually raised. They may have only handed out $57,000 (or $159,000 or whatever), but even the $1.3 million they allegedly raised is a pittance considering the people they were asking for it from. Of all the players, across the whole league, and all the executive and entrepreneurs who make up the support system of this multi-multi-billion dollar industry, all they could get was $1.3 million?

Shit, Terrell Owens is spending more than that on his Christmas party.

As far as the actual point of the article, like the Wolf said, let's not suck each other's dicks just yet. These are all people and organizations who are legendarily good at lip service to get people off their backs. When people like Conrad Dobler, Earl Campbell, Alex Karras and other crippled and infirm retirees who I've never heard of but who hurt as bad as those guys do start getting checks, then and only then will I start to feel better about this.

Comment icon posted by chicobangs at 12:11 AM CDT on December 15

$1.3 million

Shit, Terrell Owens is spending more than that on his Christmas party.

Source?

Comment icon posted by tommytrump at 1:49 AM CDT on December 15

Terrell is dating Trouble Helmsley - and managing her finances

Comment icon posted by B-2 Spirit at 2:18 AM CDT on December 15

tommy, are you contesting my basic point, that if you're canvassing a pool of extremely rich people and you can only get a pittance out of them, that there isn't a problem there? (And not that I want this to overshadow the topic, but you do remember the Christmas Party T.O. threw a couple of years ago during one of his suspensions, right? He flew people in from all over the country and took over some complex in Florida or someplace. It was a P Diddy-level operation, and a million-plus is the starting point for those kinds of parties.)

So, back to the point of the post.

This sounds like the league and the Players' Association doing the bare minimum, so they can point to something when they get interrogated on pundit shows and say, "Hey, we're working i\on it."

Comment icon posted by chicobangs at 1:06 PM CDT on December 15

let's not suck each other's dicks just yet.

chico, I couldn't agree with you more. I was a bit cautious when posting this not to editorialize in the FPP, but that's what I'm really sceptical about ... is this yet another dose of lip-service--an effort to deter any further scrutiny--or, is it an actual step in the right direction? Too early to tell? Too few details on the who, how, and when these disability benefits get doled out still. Regardless, I still think it is important to keep a watchful eye on this situation and keep the pressures on those uber-rich & powerful (largely off the backs of others) to make this right.

Comment icon posted by Spitztengle at 2:46 PM CDT on December 15

When people like Conrad Dobler, Earl Campbell, Alex Karras and other crippled and infirm retirees who I've never heard of but who hurt as bad as those guys do start getting checks, then and only then will I start to feel better about this

Amen brother!

Comment icon posted by jojomfd1 at 5:37 PM CDT on December 15

let's not suck each other's dicks just yet.

(That's taking all of the fun out of things.)

I think chico hit it just right. It remains to be seen if this is just lip service and window dressing on the part of the NFL. When the Conrad Doblers, Earl Campbells, etc, start giving unsolicited testimonials to the assistance they are getting from the league and the NFLPA, I might believe that things have been put right.

Comment icon posted by Howard_T at 11:20 PM CDT on December 15

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