NFL HOFers Getting Greedy

[IPv6Freely 2092]

https://www.tsn.ca/football-hall-of-famers-threaten-boycott-of-inductions-1.1175231

Quote

A group of Pro Football Hall of Famers led by Eric Dickerson is demanding health insurance coverage and a share of NFL revenues or else those former players will boycott the induction ceremonies.

Wait, what? What makes them think they deserve that? They already earned their salaries. 

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Just curious, how do you feel about the concussion lawsuit levied against the NHL?

Because the same issue is going on in football, and the NFL is still using their likenesses by continuing to market them through the Hall of Fame, merchandise and award presentations.  I can see where they're coming from.

[chippa13 1844]

At the bare minimum these guys deserve health insurance coverage, especially knowing what we know now about brain injuries and the NFL.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

There are some big names on that list too. 

[theinfamoust94 30]

10 minutes ago, chippa13 said:

At the bare minimum these guys deserve health insurance coverage, especially knowing what we know now about brain injuries and the NFL.

Knowing what we know now about brain injuries is exactly what will make insurance companies not want to cover these athletes unless there is a huge premium. I doubt the league or the owners are going to want to dish out that kind of cash especially after such a poor season viewership-wise. 

[stick9 890]

Players from that era didn’t make the giant salaries today’s players make. One can argue even today’s players don’t make as much as players in other sports due to non guaranteed contracts and short playing careers.

Overall cost to cover these guys is nothing.

“The total cost for every Hall of Famer to have health insurance is less than $4 million — less than that of a 30-second Super Bowl ad, or about 3 cents for every $100 the league generates in revenue," Dickerson's letter states.”

[chippa13 1844]

17 hours ago, theinfamoust94 said:

Knowing what we know now about brain injuries is exactly what will make insurance companies not want to cover these athletes unless there is a huge premium. I doubt the league or the owners are going to want to dish out that kind of cash especially after such a poor season viewership-wise. 

It isn't every single former player that has brain problems. The idea of insurance is spreading risk across an entire population and getting ahead of the problems so they don't become catastrophic and extremely expensive. How much would some of those former players that took their own lives have benefited from having a post career plan in place rather than being left on their own to figure it out?

[theinfamoust94 30]

4 hours ago, chippa13 said:

It isn't every single former player that has brain problems. The idea of insurance is spreading risk across an entire population and getting ahead of the problems so they don't become catastrophic and extremely expensive. How much would some of those former players that took their own lives have benefited from having a post career plan in place rather than being left on their own to figure it out?

I agree that the former players may have benefitted from it, but as I said before, there is much risk for insurance companies to cover NFL alumni so they would require a high premium. Who is going to pay for that?

[chippa13 1844]

Considering that the owners take $1 billion off the top of the tv contract before anything starts getting shared, I think there is enough cash to cover the premiums.

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

Wouldn’t that be something bargained by the Union? It’s always a big topic in our union as well. 

 

Edit; now that I give it some thought, likely not a union thing, as each player is represented by an agent, for their own contract with each specific team. 

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

I think the article stated that there's not a retired players' union.

The pension gets worked out by the current players' union, in their CBA.  So I assume if the current players bring up this argument, perhaps something gets done.

[theinfamoust94 30]

On 9/19/2018 at 2:30 PM, chippa13 said:

Considering that the owners take $1 billion off the top of the tv contract before anything starts getting shared, I think there is enough cash to cover the premiums.

Just because because the league has high revenue doesn't mean they should have to pay the insurance bill for all the players. If you're implying that a percentage of their pay cheque should be deducted to provide them health care, that would be a different discussion. With that being said, these athletes also make millions of dollars on their contracts and can afford their own health insurance, who's to say they're unable to find their own health insurance provider?

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

1 hour ago, theinfamoust94 said:

Just because because the league has high revenue doesn't mean they should have to pay the insurance bill for all the players. If you're implying that a percentage of their pay cheque should be deducted to provide them health care, that would be a different discussion. With that being said, these athletes also make millions of dollars on their contracts and can afford their own health insurance, who's to say they're unable to find their own health insurance provider?

Not every player makes millions of dollars (especially when you factor in taxes). The average career in the NFL is approx 3.3 years. Last time I checked, you don't get paid by a NFL team if you're not on a roster. Cost is not an issue for the league and its owners. Its a matter of greed. It only makes sense to take care of the employees who've kept you rich. No one comes to a NFL game to watch an owner and his 3rd wife (who is half his age) sit in the press box.

[chippa13 1844]

On 10/15/2018 at 12:47 PM, theinfamoust94 said:

Just because because the league has high revenue doesn't mean they should have to pay the insurance bill for all the players. If you're implying that a percentage of their pay cheque should be deducted to provide them health care, that would be a different discussion. With that being said, these athletes also make millions of dollars on their contracts and can afford their own health insurance, who's to say they're unable to find their own health insurance provider?

People on their own pay exponentially higher premiums than people in a group where the risk is spread over a population. It would be considerably cheaper for the league to create a retired player plan than for each player to go it alone.