NFL Player Retirement Benefits

Today, the NFL is one of the most popular sports in America. It is a league where players make astronomical salaries and are considered role models in society. Recently tough, the league has had to deal with many issues such as the Michael Vick case, steroids, and players getting into trouble with the law. These issues have created unnecessary controversy for the league and is a big distraction to the game. One issue that faces the league is the NFL players and their retirement benefits. Its a situation that seems to be an ongoing struggle where both sides are having a tough time coming up with a compromise. Players feel that the NFL is not compensating them for their services and are feeling cheated and forgotten. The question that should be asked when looking at this story is Are retired players expecting too much from the NFL? In my opinion, I think the retired players are becoming a hindrance on the NFL. Former players like Joe DeLamielleure, Henry Cason, and Willie Wood are bashing the NFL saying they are not providing enough money to help retirees. In addition to their argument about money players like to blame their injury's on the NFL. Why would you blame and hold the NFL accountable for your injuries? The NFL is a high risk profession and the likelihood of injury is high. In contrast to the belief that the NFL doesn't give out enough money the NFL Players Association's goal is to ensure financial security. According to www.nflpa.org the players association sets up a four-track plan that gives athletes the money they need. Step 1 is a severance pay plan where a person with two credited seasons will receive $10,000 for every year he played. Step 2 is the Annuity Program where players with 4 or more credited seasons will receive $65,000 and can receive a distribution at 35 or five years after. Step 3 is the NFL Player's Second Career Savings Plan where a maximum club contribution can reach 20,000 with nine types of investment funds and Step 4 is the Bert/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan where players can receive benefits for each credited season they play. These are only a few benefits that the NFL offers and I don't see where the players are coming from. Although, it is an important process the NFL is doing what they can to help. The NFL is a tough sport and players might need more help, but constantly bashing the NFL is not the answer.

The Baby-faced Assassin

The question that I find myself asking is Why do retired athletes seem to create negative controversy in the news? You would think that they would be able to continue their lives after sports in a positive way and give back to their communities. Recently, an athlete that has made headlines in the news is Isiah Thomas. Isiah Thomas was the all-world point guard from Illinois that led the Pistons to back-to back championships in the 88-89 season. He was a player with phenomenal talent and had a sense of awareness on the court that was second to none. The issue that has been brought upon him is a sexual harassment suit. According to Chris Broussard, an ESPN writer, Isiah was accused of calling former Knick executive Anucha Browne Sanders demeaning names and made sexual advances toward her. Even though these accusations could prove to be false Isiah is a professional and should not be caught up in these situations. On top of that when asked about the situation he said it would be worse if a white man called a black women a demeaning name than it would if a black man called a black women a name. Already his image has been questioned and is perceived as a rude individual. Isiah why would you incriminate yourself even more than you have already been? This is a big case and comments like that are not needed. Another factor that is affected by this case is his role as coach/general manager of the Knicks. What do you think of Isiah now that he has been put in this crossfire? In my opinion, I would let Isiah go and make him think about his life. He needs to step out of the spotlight and handle his business. Isiah has jeopardized his career and will have to repair his image. The backlash in society will be monumental with parents having to explain to their kids the situation he is in. Its an embarrassing situation for the Knicks organization and Isiah needs to reflect on who he has become. Athletes having negative press in the news has become more and more common and hopefully it will be corrected in the future.

College Game

Hello Heisman! Kieth Jackson's famous call from the 1991 game between Ohio State and Michigan. Bryce Drew's game-winning shot for Valparaiso and Doug Flutie's hailmary to beat Miami. These are some of the lasting images that will forever be embedded into the culture of college sports. Its a place where legends like Emmit Smith, Bo Jackson, and Deion Sanders made their marks before attaining greatness in the NFL. College sports provide incredible atmospheres where people from all over the country come to cheer on their teams. The teams represent more than just themselves, but more importantly reflect their fans and university. Although, these aspects make college sports great the issue of whether or not the athletes should be paid is always on the table. Why change what has always been? I personally like college sports better than the pros because of the fact they are not paid. Obviously, these players goals are to reach the professional level at some point, but for now I like to see players who play for the fun and tradition and not for the money. An author named Jim Wynn wrote an article that said "if we pay athletes we corrupt the system." Players would go towards the money and not for the sport.
One example of why players should not be paid is the situation with Maurice Clarett. Clarett was an Ohio State running back that had all the potential in the world. After winning the National Championship as a freshman he was poised to be a Heisman candidate the next year. According to Tom Friend, an ESPN THE Magazine writer Clarett accepted money from a family friend and lied about it to the NCAA. As a college athlete you cannot accept any money from anyone and Clarett was ruled ineligible for his sophomore season. As a result he dropped out of high school and challenged the rule to turn pro. Clarett challenged the rule and ultimately lost. Clarett never returned to school and has never been able to get his life and career on track. In August of 2006 Clarett was picked up by police and they found he had an assault rifle and three handguns in his car near the home of a witness who was to testify against him in a prior robbery conviction. Was this coincidence? I think not, Clarett has become a troubled man with no direction. He listened to the media and negative influences around him that told him he was ready to be paid. Now he is nowhere to be found, a washed up phenom that took money and paid for it. I think that college athletics should focus on their sport and leave the money in the pros. We should keep college sports the same to prevent this from ever happening again. Are these the future images of college sports. If it is then I don't want to be a part of it.

Paid to Play

One question that has spurred a lot of debate in sports is the aspect of players being paid to play. In today's society athletes are making astronomical sums of money and some have never even played a game. Jonathan Yardley, a writer for the Washington Post said it best that the American spectator sports may be losing their souls. His primary focus was the NFL and its salaries. The salary that stuck out most in my mind was "Broadway Joe Namath's contract in 1965. Joe Namath was a Hall of Fame QB that is considered to be one of the best to ever play the game and in 1965 the New York Jets paid him a contact worth $427,000. In contrast to one of the contracts today Mike Vick signed a contract in 2004 worth 130 million with a 37 million signing bonus. The numbers don't even compare and it is becoming more common to see. In my opinion, the players today are making way too much money. Players now gauge themselves to other contracts and expect to be paid top dollar. As a result organizations are forced to dole out money to reel in and keep the players. The integrity of the sports are being called into question when players hold out for more money. Another aspect of being paid to play are the disputes over contract negotiations. Contracts are becoming more difficult with signing bonuses, franchise tags and the length of a contract. One contract that hits close to home is Carlos Boozer and his situation with the Cavs. In 2004 the Cavs said they would pay him 39 million over 6 years if they let him out of his old contract. They let him out and he received a call from the Jazz. He ended up signing with the Jazz for 70 million over 6 years. Boozer shafted the Cavs for more money.
Lastly, an effect of contract negotiations are the ways it affects other sports. In baseball Barry Zito became the richest pitcher in history when the Giants signed him to a 7 year 126 million dollar deal. Also, in soccer David Beckham signed a 5 year 250 million contract to play for a bottom dweller LA Galaxy team. Everyone sees the different contracts and wants to emulate one another. I think that there needs to be more of a balance when distributing money. Average players want to be paid like the elite players and it is compromising their sports. It is reflective of our society in that we compare ourselves to others wanting what other people have. We need to look past our differences and be happy with what we've got. Gone are the days when players showed loyalty to a franchise and played for the love of the game. It is a cycle that will continue in sports and society until we stop letting money drive us.

In my past experiences with writing I've felt that I have developed a good comfort level in the area. Throughout my schooling writing was one of my better subjects and I feel that it is a good way to become a more well-rounded person. Writing paves a way to express your feelings and to get opinions across. One experience I've had with writing was when we had to create a fictional story on the topic of your choice. I created a story about two players who grew up playing baseball together but they were legitimate rivals. Through a coincidence they end up playing on the same team and end up forming a bond the gets their team to the city championship. I had a good time writing it and I was glad that writing gave me that opportunity.