Story: Pack great Willie Wood at congr. hearing

[Badgerinmaine]

Congress was holding hearings yesterday on the long-run effects of head injuries on players in the NFL. Along with Commissioner Goodell, one of those present was Willie Wood, who was one of the greats in the Packers defensive backfield in the Lombardi years. Good story about it in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/67110867.html

[KYPack]

The NFL's record on helping the old guys absolutely sucks.

Go look at the JSO article in the link. The look on Willie Wood's face tells it all. That's what you call the "thousand yard stare".

Goodell is looking right at Willie, too.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Where does the players' union stand on this issue?

In other words, have the players ponied up in a significant way?

[pbmax]

Where does the players' union stand on this issue?

In other words, have the players ponied up in a significant way?
Upshaw drew the line that his fiduciary duty was to current players, not retirees. That is, his duty was to extract as much as he could for current players with retirees pensions and health care on a lower rank of priorities.

The new guy Smith has publicly made more of the issue, but without a new CBA, there hasn't been much new done.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Where does the players' union stand on this issue?

In other words, have the players ponied up in a significant way?
Upshaw drew the line that his fiduciary duty was to current players, not retirees. That is, his duty was to extract as much as he could for current players with retirees pensions and health care on a lower rank of priorities.

The new guy Smith has publicly made more of the issue, but without a new CBA, there hasn't been much new done.

You would think that with all these players making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year they would voluntarily cough up some significant dough to help the ones who blazed the trail for them. The owners ain't the only millionaires in the game. This reminds me of a bunch of rich guys petitioning the government to raise their taxes. Why not just voluntarily do what needs to be done.

I feel for Willie Wood. I loved him as a player. He was one of my favorites. I don't remember him making "vicious" tackles as was mentioned in the article. He was no Chuck Cecil. I remember him as the master of the "rolling block" and "shoe string" tackle. He tackled low consistently and rarely missed a tackle, even on a much bigger man. Maybe got kicked in the head as a result a few too many times. He was smart, too. Rarely made a mistake. Had the surest hands in the league.

The problem is he's old, not as old as some of us, and not as healthy as some of us. Still, he lived life to the fullest and by his own choices. Anyone who tells you that growing old is a piece of cake is a damn fool. There comes a time in everyone's life when the memory fails, not to mention the heart, bladder, immune system, prostrate, you name it. It's not fun. And it doesn't happen on some damn schedule. Some guys are relatively young when the shit happens and some are older. Some get hit by a bus.

I'm lucky because I still have the memories of Willie that he probably doesn't. I don't know. All I know is that Willie Wood as a player was the dictionary entry for "old school." I wish him well.

[pbmax]

Where does the players' union stand on this issue?

In other words, have the players ponied up in a significant way?
Upshaw drew the line that his fiduciary duty was to current players, not retirees. That is, his duty was to extract as much as he could for current players with retirees pensions and health care on a lower rank of priorities.

The new guy Smith has publicly made more of the issue, but without a new CBA, there hasn't been much new done.

You would think that with all these players making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year they would voluntarily cough up some significant dough to help the ones who blazed the trail for them. The owners ain't the only millionaires in the game. This reminds me of a bunch of rich guys petitioning the government to raise their taxes. Why not just voluntarily do what needs to be done.
What I have never understood is that a significant number of current players will have medical and financial trouble. If there is a chance you might get hit with that daily double, you would think it would be smart to have a backup plan. If for no other reason than to protect your family.

[Badgerinmaine]

Where does the players' union stand on this issue?

In other words, have the players ponied up in a significant way?
Upshaw drew the line that his fiduciary duty was to current players, not retirees. That is, his duty was to extract as much as he could for current players with retirees pensions and health care on a lower rank of priorities.

Yes, and Upshaw had a well-publicized series of dustups with Joe Delameilleure (the former Bills great) over the issue; he thought Upshaw wasn't doing nearly enough and was more than a little vocal about it. I do think the players of today owe a huge debt to the men who helped pave the way for them.

I am just old enough to remember Wood toward the end of his career--he had a great heart as a player. If I remember right, he wasn't drafted but wrote Lombardi asking for a tryout and got it and the spot on the team. And yes, getting old is a bear, even for those without the physical beating an NFL player takes (especially from that era, when clothesline tackles were legal, shots to the head were routine and helmets were not as advanced). My dad is 88 and his memory is fraying now, too. It's hard to watch; I can only imagine how much worse it must be to go through. And KY--yeah, that look on Willie's face is sure a sad one, I agree.

[Badgerinmaine]

Here's a link to Wood in happier days:
http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PLAYER_ID=235
Also, I hadn't heard of Maxine Waters's husband Sid Williams before, but I looked him up--he was a LB and an NFL contemporary of Wood's, mainly with the Browns.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Where does the players' union stand on this issue?

In other words, have the players ponied up in a significant way?
Upshaw drew the line that his fiduciary duty was to current players, not retirees. That is, his duty was to extract as much as he could for current players with retirees pensions and health care on a lower rank of priorities.

The new guy Smith has publicly made more of the issue, but without a new CBA, there hasn't been much new done.

You would think that with all these players making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year they would voluntarily cough up some significant dough to help the ones who blazed the trail for them. The owners ain't the only millionaires in the game. This reminds me of a bunch of rich guys petitioning the government to raise their taxes. Why not just voluntarily do what needs to be done.
What I have never understood is that a significant number of current players will have medical and financial trouble. If there is a chance you might get hit with that daily double, you would think it would be smart to have a backup plan. If for no other reason than to protect your family.

Have you much experience with talking to 24 year old millionaires? :lol:

[MJZiggy]

My concern is not about taking care of the players. That the league and its players should do that is a no-brainer. My concern in with Gay's assertion that the NFL TV contracts should be messed with. Leave that stuff alone.

In Wood's day guys just went and played and didn't know the kind of stuff their playing could cause. Now they do know, and just wait until they're trying to outlaw all contact sports because they cause dementia. People can make choices and if they choose to play rough sports or box or whatever, that's their choice to make.

[pbmax]

Where does the players' union stand on this issue?

In other words, have the players ponied up in a significant way?
Upshaw drew the line that his fiduciary duty was to current players, not retirees. That is, his duty was to extract as much as he could for current players with retirees pensions and health care on a lower rank of priorities.

The new guy Smith has publicly made more of the issue, but without a new CBA, there hasn't been much new done.

You would think that with all these players making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year they would voluntarily cough up some significant dough to help the ones who blazed the trail for them. The owners ain't the only millionaires in the game. This reminds me of a bunch of rich guys petitioning the government to raise their taxes. Why not just voluntarily do what needs to be done.
What I have never understood is that a significant number of current players will have medical and financial trouble. If there is a chance you might get hit with that daily double, you would think it would be smart to have a backup plan. If for no other reason than to protect your family.

Have you much experience with talking to 24 year old millionaires? :lol:
Not nearly as much as I would like :lol:

But if Labor leaders have been able to organize effective, or at least able, Unions in the big four sports then they probably have enough sway to have moved forward some on this issue. There is obviously a limit before they would tune you out, but more that the current incremental improvements could have been made.

Upshaw had an uphill fight until the success of decertification and litigation in the early 90's. But he had done 3 or 4 deals since then.

[pbmax]

My concern is not about taking care of the players. That the league and its players should do that is a no-brainer. My concern in with Gay's assertion that the NFL TV contracts should be messed with. Leave that stuff alone.

In Wood's day guys just went and played and didn't know the kind of stuff their playing could cause. Now they do know, and just wait until they're trying to outlaw all contact sports because they cause dementia. People can make choices and if they choose to play rough sports or box or whatever, that's their choice to make.
That was Maxine Waters.

[HowardRoark]

Matt Birk is real big on this issue. He is going to donate his brain (when he dies).......also, he tries to raise money among the 24 year olds. He does not have a lot of luck from what I understand.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Gridiron-Greats-928455.html

[bobblehead]

Where does the players' union stand on this issue?

In other words, have the players ponied up in a significant way?
Upshaw drew the line that his fiduciary duty was to current players, not retirees. That is, his duty was to extract as much as he could for current players with retirees pensions and health care on a lower rank of priorities.

The new guy Smith has publicly made more of the issue, but without a new CBA, there hasn't been much new done.

You would think that with all these players making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year they would voluntarily cough up some significant dough to help the ones who blazed the trail for them. The owners ain't the only millionaires in the game. This reminds me of a bunch of rich guys petitioning the government to raise their taxes. Why not just voluntarily do what needs to be done.
What I have never understood is that a significant number of current players will have medical and financial trouble. If there is a chance you might get hit with that daily double, you would think it would be smart to have a backup plan. If for no other reason than to protect your family.

Have you much experience with talking to 24 year old millionaires? :lol:

I do, the question I often walk away with is "how in the FUCK did he become a millionaire??". Often the answer is inherited it, or god given athletic talent. Rarely is it common sense and wisdom beyond his years (although rich young women as a % have their heads on a LITTLE straighter).

[Badgerinmaine]

Here's a more recent case where the NFLPA did do right by an old former player, Earsall Mackbee of the Vikings:
http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/67216817.html?elr=KArks5PhDcU9PhDcU9PhDcUU
Don't be surprised if you find yourself tearing up if you watch the attached video.

[Badgerinmaine]

Jim Brown weighs in, and he's not happy...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4607758&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

[mraynrand]

Jim Brown hasn't been happy since he was 5.

[Badgerinmaine]

Jim Brown hasn't been happy since he was 5.
Touche'--but he does have a point.