The NFL may be forced to conduct future Hall of Fame induction ceremonies without former enshrinees unless an agreement can be worked out regarding health insurance and pensions for the league's legends.
In total, 21 Hall of Famers and the widow of Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers defensive end Reggie White signed a letter addressed to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, and Hall of Fame President C. David Baker in which they demand health insurance and an annual salary that includes a share of league revenue for all members.
'We, the undersigned Pro Football Hall of Famers, were integral to the creation of the modern NFL, which in 2017 generated $14 billion in revenue,' read the letter, which was obtained by ESPN. 'But when the league enshrined us as the greatest ever to play America's most popular sport, they gave us a gold jacket, a bust and a ring – and that was it.
'Until our demands are met, the Hall of Famers will not attend the annual induction ceremony in Canton.'
An NFL spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rivals on the field, NFL Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (left) and Deion Sanders (right) both signed the letter, which demands healthcare and pensions for enshrinees
Members of the most recent Hall of Fame induction class were not included in the letter
The letter was addressed to commissioner Roger Goodell (left) and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith (right), both of whom had their salaries referenced
Those who signed the letter include Hall of Fame Board chairman Eric Dickerson, the former Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts legend, as well as Marcus Allen, Mel Blount, Derrick Brooks, Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, Richard Dent, Carl Eller, Marshall Faulk, Mike Haynes, Rickey Jackson, Ronnie Lott, Curtis Martin, Joe Namath, John Randle, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Jackie Smith, Lawrence Taylor and Kurt Warner, as well as Sarah White, Reggie's widow.
The letter emphasizes that the cost of giving healthcare to the hundreds of Hall of Famers would be less than $4 million annually, which is, 'less than that of a 30-second Super Bowl ad, or about 3 cents for every $100 the league generates in revenue.'
'The mistreatment of NFL Hall of Famers, who are often exploited as unpaid ambassadors of the sport, contrasts with how Major League Baseball treats its former players,' the letter continues. 'A baseball player who has appeared on a Major League roster for one day is entitled to health insurance for the rest of his life. A player employed on a roster for 43 days gets a lifelong pension.'
Now 82, Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown was among the letter's signees
Hall of Fame Board chairman Eric Dickerson (left), the former Los Angeles Rams legend, and former San Francisco 49ers safety Ronnie Lott (right) signed the letter
The letter ends with a reference to one of the league's many marketing campaigns.
'An NFL marketing slogan states that "Football is Family," the letter read. 'We agree, which is why we're demanding to be treated like family members who are integral to the league's present and future. As the legends of the game's past, we deserve nothing less.'
In addition to making reference to Goodell's $40 million annual salary and his new contract that's reportedly worth upwards of $200 million, the retired players also brought up Smith's $4.5 million annual salary, and the impending $1 billion 'Hall of Fame Village' project in Canton.
'It’s not right to invest in such a project without first acknowledging the league’s debt to its great players,' read the letter. 'We are the reason people visit the Hall of Fame in the first place.'
Attendance at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony became an issue in August, when retired wide receiver Terrell Owens declined to appear in Canton for his own enshrinement to protest the length of time it took the voting media members to give him the nod.
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Marcus Allen waves to the crowd after receiving his bust during the 2003 NFL Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on August 3, 2003 in Canton, Ohio
In response, the Hall of Fame is now considering making attendance mandatory for anyone to be considered for enshrinement. The proposal, which multiple sources told Pro Football Talk is likely to be approved, would require 25 semi-finalists to commit to attending the ceremony before the voters make their final selections.
The NFL previously settled a lawsuit for $1 billion in 2013 with thousands of former players who are struggling with the lasting effects of traumatic brain injuries.
Around 4,500 former players and their estates were included in the class-action suit against the NFL, including former Dallas Cowboys star running back Tony Dorsett, former Cowboys offensive lineman Brian Baldinger, and former New York Giants running back Ottis Anderson - all of whom are alive, but have complained about the lingering effects of head injuries.
In July, claims administrators in the settlement released an updated report on the settlement information website saying about $502 million had been approved in less than two years since the agreement. The original actuarial estimates from the NFL estimated a little more than $400 million would be paid out in the first decade.
Attorneys for the retired players adjusted their estimates on the total payout of expected claims earlier this month, saying the settlement would likely reach $1.4 billion - almost a half billion more than the NFL originally estimated.
THE HALL OF FAMERS' LETTER
To Roger Goodell, DeMaurice Smith and C. David Baker:
We, the undersigned Pro Football Hall of Famers, were integral to the creation of the modern NFL, which in 2017 generated $14 billion in revenue. But when the league enshrined us as the greatest ever to play America’s most popular sport, they gave us a gold jacket, a bust and a ring — and that was it.
People know us from our highlight reels. They see us honored and mythologized before games and at halftime, and it would be reasonable if they thought life was good for us. But on balance, it’s not. As a group we are struggling with severe health and financial problems. To build this game, we sacrificed our bodies. In many cases, and despite the fact that we were led to believe otherwise, we sacrificed our minds.
We believe we deserve more. We write to demand two things: Health insurance and an annual salary for all Hall of Famers that includes a share of league revenue.
The letter was addressed to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (left) and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith (right), requesting healthcare for Hall of Famers
It might seem like a lot, but it’s a drop in the bucket for the country’s most profitable sports league. 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. Paying Hall of Famers an annual salary works out to about 40 cents for every $100 in annual revenue, a figure that will increase dramatically in the near future with legalized gambling.
We demand nothing less than this. In the past, the NFL has tried to appease retired players by creating programs like the $620 million “Legacy Fund.” But from our own experience, and in speaking with other retired players, we know that such bureaucracies have proven to be little more than cynical public relations ploys that fail to help those who desperately need it. Commissioner Goodell, we know better, and the fans do too.
The mistreatment of NFL Hall of Famers, who are often exploited as unpaid ambassadors of the sport, contrasts with how Major League Baseball treats its former players. A baseball player who has appeared on a Major League roster for one day is entitled to health insurance for the rest of his life. A player employed on a roster for 43 days gets a lifelong pension.
Retired New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, whose career was hampered by injuries, was among the Hall of Famers who are seeking healthcare and pensions
We consider ourselves the founders and early employees of a wildly successful business. Like analogous employees at other iconic American companies like Apple, Facebook and Amazon, it’s unjust to leave us behind while league revenues skyrocket decade after decade. In fact, the NFL is the only major American corporation that is set up this way.
The NFL is notorious for the hard line it takes against players in negotiations. Yet the league always seems to have plenty of money for other priorities. One example: Your compensation, Commissioner Goodell, of $40 million annually as part of a multi-year deal worth up to $200 million. Meanwhile, many of us Hall of Fame players can’t walk and many can’t sleep at night. More than a few of us don’t even know who or where we are. Our long careers left us especially vulnerable to the dangers of this violent sport, especially those intentionally hidden from us. Commissioner Goodell, there are better uses for that money.
Another example: the impending construction of the Hall of Fame Village, a mixed-use development project that President Baker estimated would cost about $1 billion. It’s not right to invest in such a project without first acknowledging the league’s debt to its great players. We are the reason people visit the Hall of Fame in the first place.
Jerry Rice also signed the letter
The time has come for us to be treated as part of a game we’ve given so much to. Until our demands are met, the Hall of Famers will not attend the annual induction ceremony in Canton. It’s well-known that the NFL is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, and while we are proud of our role in building this league, we don’t believe 100 years of player exploitation is something to celebrate. As we approach this momentous date, we challenge the NFL to honor its past by helping retired players instead of exploiting their images for marketing purposes.
To be clear, we don’t want our efforts to detract from the latest announcement of Hall of Fame nominees, men we are proud to call our brothers. We are supremely grateful for this great game. We are grateful for our fellow players and we’re most grateful for our millions of fans around the world. It’s the connection between the players and fans — and not the corporate suits — that makes the NFL what it is. We’re confident that when our demands reach the court of public opinion, the fans will agree that the NFL owes us a debt of gratitude.
Commissioner Goodell, you have often referred to Hall of Famers as the “Gold Standard” of the league and as “The Greatest Team Ever Assembled,” and you’re right: We are resolved as a team to stand up for ourselves. To underscore that we are a united front, we have elected a Hall of Fame Board, the first ever entity answering only to the concerns of Hall of Fame players. To advise us, our board has brought in executives at Fortune 500 companies, Wall Street veterans and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
Our approach to these negotiations attempts to establish a template for active players in the next round of CBA negotiations for the expiration of the current deal in 2021. Our relationships with active players tell us that we’ve been historically underutilized as mentors — and that there has been a deliberate attempt to divide active and retired players. For instance, not a single retired player sits on the board of the NFLPA, and the organization’s longtime executive director Gene Upshaw once disparaged his fellow retired players by saying, “They can’t hire me and they can’t fire me. They can complain about me all day long…. But active players have my vote.”
The interests of retired players have also been neglected by Upshaw’s successor, DeMaurice Smith, whose $4.5 million annual salary with an $8 million trust far exceeds the compensation most Hall of Famers made, even adjusted for inflation. But going forward, retired players and active players won’t be set in opposition to each other. This time, it’s different.
Former St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk is hoping to earn a share of league revenue by threatening to boycott future Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Canton
Eric Dickerson, the legendary running back and single-season rushing record holder, will spearhead the board’s player organizing efforts. Dickerson’s status as a charismatic media member and his friendships with multiple generations of Hall of Famers makes him perfectly suited to this role. Leading negotiations on the business end is Gustavo Miguel, a Wall Street entrepreneur and Dickerson’s business partner and agent. Dickerson and Miguel have a strong track record of working together; both have made mid-career sacrifices to devote themselves to this important cause.
An NFL marketing slogan states that “Football is Family.” We agree, which is why we’re demanding to be treated like family members who are integral to the league’s present and future. As the legends of the game’s past, we deserve nothing less.
Sincerely,
Eric Dickerson, Chairman, Hall of Fame Board
Board Members:
Marcus Allen, Mel Blount, Derrick Brooks, Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, Richard Dent, Carl Ellard, Marshall Faulk, Mike Haynes, Rickey Jackson, Ronnie Lott, Curtis Martin, Joe Namath, John Randle, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Jackie Smith, Lawrence Taylor, Kurt Warner, and Sarah White, Reggie White’s widow
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/18/former-nfl-stars-threaten-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony-boycotts-over-healthcare-and-pensions/
Main photo article The NFL may be forced to conduct future Hall of Fame induction ceremonies without former enshrinees unless an agreement can be worked out regarding health insurance and pensions for the league’s legends.
In total, 21 Hall of Famers and the widow of Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/18/14/505AE17F00000578-6180735-image-m-18_1537278989926.jpg
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