Ex-players may picket Football HOF

[obie7661]

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=353494&Category=17&subCategoryID=0

[longtimefirsttime]

I agree the pension for the older players is a joke, in light of what current players make. However they should find another way to take up the issue with Upshaw.

I thought they might be protesting that the event is in Canton. It is Canton. :wink:

[MTown]

I find it interesting the Gene Upshaw, a former player himself, doesn't work with previous generations of players on this issue. His stance is that as the union head, his responsibility is to the current players who are in the union and once a player retires they are no longer covered by the union....all true. But in football, players essentially wreck their bodies to play the sport and the ones hurting are the ones who helped build the league to the point where the freaking draft is one the premier springtime events in all of sports. There has to be a way to work something out.

[bthart22]

While I certainly appreciate the contributions of the older players in the development of the NFL, I can also understand the philosophy of current union members and team owners. There is no other profession in the world where you can work 8-12 years and be taken care of for the rest of your life. And the desire by older workers to "share the wealth" after a league or company becomes wildly successful is hardly unique to the NFL. It does appear that their argument has been hurt by their inability to define the real problem - that their disability coverage, which impacts on old players and current ones, is in need of serious overhaul. Had the older players played their cards to better the disability plan for the entire NFLPA AND include them in on that single aspect, reports are that they would have had much greater support from the current union leadership.

[DAWGH8R]

My grandpa wants the mill to better his retirement too !!!!!