Comments on: Ditka, Upshaw doing battle over health of former players

By: Bay24

Bay24 — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:46:54 +0000

Yeah – This is all simple to me. Why don’t they have a plan like every other major business or company. A lot of these old-timers are running out of money paying for medical bills. They didn’t make millions back in the day – they only made thousands.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:09:03 +0000

How hard would it be to insure these guys for reasonable health care? 15-20K per guy should get them a Cadillac plan – especially because the carrier could milk it for bonus points.

By: Big Stienny

Big Stienny — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:10:00 +0000

All points made are are good………For whatever Ditka’s reason is for coming out now I don’t think it’s ever too late to stand up. This guy was a hard headed player and coach who was never accused of being brilliant. He was part of the industructable age, you played hurt and coached the same way.

Duerson played for Ditka and if anything he was a quiet guy. I don’t remember him saying anything bad about Ditka so why now?

Botton line is that some players didn’t do as well as others and they need some help.

So do it

By: Anthony Stalter

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:23:55 +0000

T-Bone,

I agree and that’s why I said “SOME” players. Let’s face it, there’s plenty of athletes out there just banking off their athletic talents alone and don’t give a damn about the players who came before them.

I think it’s sad that there are plenty of former athletes out there that gave their all to the sports they played in, yet owners and guys like Upshaw in the NFLPA aren’t willing to help these players out once they can’t make money off them anymore.

Like Ditka eluded too – it’s just wrong.

By: T-Bone

T-Bone — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:05:41 +0000

Anthony…I agree. However, I think the union should pony up some cash for the former players who set the stage for the players of today. They make millions and their worried about getting millions in retirement?? Maybe the union should help some players manage their money so they’re not broke when it’s all over.

By: Anthony Stalter

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:04:15 +0000

I agree.

We as fans usually want to hammer a guy because he leaves a team for more money, but when you think about how nothing is guaranteed in sports and how certain careers only last 8-12 years, SOME players are justified to seek out as much money as they can. Now, in a situations where a player signs a contract and then wants to back out for more money just a year later (T.O.), then I have a hard time siding with the athlete.

It’s all relative. People like to put the dough that athletes make on pair with what an everyday “Joe” makes, but you almost have to look at the sports world as another universe…

By: T-Bone

T-Bone — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:52:16 +0000

Why did Duerson even make those comments? I’m willing to bet every coach who was a former player has had to make some difficult decisions regarding injuriries. And Duerson may be one of the players that gets help down the road from the issues raised by Ditka. Coaches have to rely on information from the medical staff of their teams, which are hired by the owners. Now if a coach is ignorning the physician’s recommendation and forcing a player back into a game, that’s compeletely different. If the doctors deem a player fit to be in a game, it’s the coach’s job to get him out there.

The more I see players in the 50′s and 60′s and the difficulties they have in everyday life because of what football has done to their bodies, the more I buy into how they need to make as much money as they can, as quickly as they can.