The fact that other people are just as bad off as these NFL guys, or even worse, does not make it okay for them to get screwed over. I don't think anybody should get screwed over. And it's even worse when the modern players are making such huge amounts of money. It's not like the money just isn't there.

---

Thanks for the link RP, it is quite disgraceful that ex players with glaring need for correct medical treatment do not recieve it.

However, with football progressively becoming more lucrative for the players (especially since the internet age) I think the onus is on the athletes themselves to prepare for potential medical problems.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102302881 

The link above provides quite extraordinary numbers, a whopping 78% of former NFL athletes have declared Bankruptcy by ill-advice or horrible investments.

First and foremost the league must properly educate it's players (though you'd think they'd be smart enough to know) about correctly investing and saving the money because football can be a dangerous gig, a bolt out of the blue.

With old-time players though, the league has to intervene and take care of it's former alumni.

In any case, I can't really classify hold-outs as greedy knowing how short a career can be.

---

That number made me think ... is it a surprise? How many of those men ever held a job in there life other than football?

---

Most of them, if they were frugal with their money, could live well off for the rest of their lives. But as we have seen, many blow the money as fast as they make it. Then the well runs dry, and they have to get a job.
Yes, it's sad that older players don't have the millions that they get today.
But remember, no one forced them into that line of work. They chose it.
So, like anything, you take the good with the bad.
Yes, it's sad. But like i said, my wife works hard, and has no more then her weekly paycheck. If she lost her job, we would have nothing to live on either.

---

More needs to be given to these old guys. 40K a year that would be OK if medical was covered. Take a couple percentage points form every contract and dole it out to the the retired players the built the league. Nothing wrong with that.

Any play since FA started, will get no sympathy from me though. They are getting paid enough so they should never have to worry about anything with a little smart financial planning.

---

I'm with Cheesey and Non on this one.

---

Yes, of course they chose what to do, but when that high a percentage of these guys have bad outcomes, it's evidence of a systems problem, which is what the article is about. In the same way, when blue collar people have bad outcomes time and time again, it means that we should seek to improve the system. "Personal choice" should not be used as an excuse to accept crappy systems.

Also, I think you are wrong when you say that most of these guys could live well for the rest of their lives on the money they made playing football. The average NFL career is very short and most players do not make millions of dollars.

---

Allright. A low paid NFL player gets what, 500 grand a year? Plays say, 5 years. Makes 2 and a half million. How long does the average worker have to work to make 2 and a half mill???
At say 40 grand a year, thats about 62 years. So i'd say that a low paid NFL player SHOULD be able to buy a house, PAID FOR IN FULL in his first year. No monthly house payment. Then stick 100 grand away in a savings account per year. Now, if his career ends and he has to get a "real" job, he SHOULD have a nice nest egg and his house paid for. Most people would be THRILLED to have that.
And again, they KNOW the risks going in. No NFL player doesn't know there is a chance at injury or other problems down the road. Cops put their very lives on the line every day. And they don't make near the money a football player makes.

---

Oh....and also.....most NFL players are college graduates, and SHOULD be somewhat prepared for work outside of football, if their careers don't last a real long time.

---