I thought this was an injury more like Richardson had than say Collins. If that's true he has a better chance to get cleared.

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Honestly this seems to be a no-brainer. He is not going to lack for money so why risk getting paralyzed? In the long run, if he plays and plays well he MIGHT earn more than the $10 mill but returning from some injuries just isn't a good idea regardless of whether he feels ok or thinks he can still play.

I'd hate to root for the idea of Finley playing again then see him carted off paralyzed.

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If he plays three years, he'll make more than $10. Maybe two, depending on the contract.

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True, but apparently that 10 million is tax free, which is pretty sweet. Guy could have a kick ass life with all that money plus whatever he has. He could make tons of investments, start businesses, sell real estate, etc. Become a business man like Shaq!

If he just walks away, he doesn't get paid.

They don't give you insurance against quitting.

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I've been critical of Finley on other threads, but it was with the assumption that he could get his hands on this 10 mil insurance policy.

Here is my take which means nothing.

He has been cleared to play so if a team offers him a contract the insurance company will argue that his career had not ended due to injury. Whether Finley decides to return or not at that time will be a moot point because he would have had a chance to return thus his career was not ended by injury. I would agree with this.

If no team offers him a contract his lawyers will argue that it is because of the injury risk since a player of his caliber would likely have gotten an offer if not for the injury. I would agree with this also.

A scenario where it is not so cut and dried IMO would be if he decides to retire now after he has been cleared by one doctor but before he is offered a contract. He has actively pursued a job in the NFL after being cleared so the insurance company lawyers will argue that his career is not over. His lawyers will argue that yes he did pursue a job but none were forthcoming and that could only be because of the injury. Personally I think if he were to walk away now and say he had a change of heart and didn't want to risk it I would say give him the money. After all, as far as we know, he has not been cleared by any doctor of any team that may have offered him a contract. If one doctor clears him but no others do and he doesn't play again its because of the injury. Of course no small part of that is due to the fact that I absolutely detest insurance companies.


Obviously the best way for Finley to have collected the 10 million would have been to simply retire and not seek clearance to play again. If he doesn't play again there will be a big fight on this and the only sure thing then will be that a bunch of lawyers will make a bunch of money. This in turn sucks balls as the only thing I detest as much as insurance companies are lawyers.

Before you go all political on me I'll just add that I know insurance companies and lawyers are necessary evils. I just don't trust them and I will do everything in power to avoid dealing with them as much as I can.

I will also add that my dislike is more for the profession or the business than any particular individuals. If you are a lawyer or are somehow employed in the insurance field I feel sorry for you but I do not dislike you personally. If I were to get to know you I may dislike and I may have some strong feelings against you based on how you act on this forum but I will not dislike you out of hand simply because of your chosen career path.

This is similar to I feel about politics, or anything else. It sounds very cliche', but in my opinion, true: "Hate the player, not the game." No matter how bad, corrupt, or lame a politician is, there is always going to be someone just as bad ready to take their place because the system ("the game") perpetuates the cycle. Same for attorneys, athletes, and anything else. The politicians, Wall Street folk, and attorneys are simply playing the game. I can't necessarily blame them. I mean, it's not unreasonable to do so, but it's missing the bigger picture. One should focus more on the system that perpetuates the cycle of futility, because that's the root of the problem. How can I truly get mad at Politicians or Wall Street investors for maximizing their earning potential and power if it's within the confines of the law? Because it may not be ethical? Psssh. Not everyone is going to play by another's perception of ethics. That may piss some off, but everyone has different priorities, experiences, and philosophies that guide their behavior. If there's no standard metric, I can't be that upset if some don't play by the same rules that I would. Isn't maximizing ones potential (and often subsequently earning potential) a pillar of capitalism and a free market society?

It's similar to the Western medicine philosophy of mostly treating symptoms instead of the actual causes of medical problems. Some temporary progress or relief can certainly be had (I benefit from that), but the bigger problem will remain and continue to occur until the root of the issue is identified and addressed. There's nothing wrong with doing the best we can do until it's possible to do better, but I think many would argue that we could be doing much better in many facets of life and/or society these days. "If things aren't improving, they're getting worse." Another cliche statement that is valuable to consider. But once again, everyone lives by different philosophies.