Wednesday, February 07, 2007
The Playboy Super Bowl Party Was Fun; So Was The Super Bowl!
Yep. I attended my first Playboy Party and fifth Super Bowl. More with a click here!
NFL Game in UK already promised a Sellout
Ticket Requests Pour in for NFL in London- See my comment at the end
By Associated Press
February 7, 2007, 9:38 AM EST
LONDON -- The NFL's first regular-season game outside North America already looks like a big hit. More than 500,000 tickets were requested by about 160,000 fans in the three days following Friday's official announcement, the NFL said Wednesday.
The ticket request process ends Feb. 18, two months before tickets go on sale for the Oct. 28 game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants at Wembley Stadium.
Wembley is expecting to seat between 85,000-90,000 for the game.
"Nearly all these requests have come from UK based fans," said Alistair Kirkwood, the managing director of NFL UK. "These figures do not take into account the allocation of tickets for Dolphins and Giants fans from the United States, so we anticipate a very quick sellout when tickets go on sale in early March."
On Sunday, more than 4,000 fans gathered in London to watch the Super Bowl at Super Bash, which is in its fourth year.
So how much will these tickets Cost? Let's book our hotels now........
By Associated Press
February 7, 2007, 9:38 AM EST
LONDON -- The NFL's first regular-season game outside North America already looks like a big hit. More than 500,000 tickets were requested by about 160,000 fans in the three days following Friday's official announcement, the NFL said Wednesday.
The ticket request process ends Feb. 18, two months before tickets go on sale for the Oct. 28 game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants at Wembley Stadium.
Wembley is expecting to seat between 85,000-90,000 for the game.
"Nearly all these requests have come from UK based fans," said Alistair Kirkwood, the managing director of NFL UK. "These figures do not take into account the allocation of tickets for Dolphins and Giants fans from the United States, so we anticipate a very quick sellout when tickets go on sale in early March."
On Sunday, more than 4,000 fans gathered in London to watch the Super Bowl at Super Bash, which is in its fourth year.
So how much will these tickets Cost? Let's book our hotels now........
Sporting News Final NFL Power Rankings for 2006-07
Final 2006-07 NFL Power Poll
By Mike Nahrstedt - SportingNews
Final rank, plus a look ahead to 2007
ADVERTISEMENT
1. Colts. Sure, there's room at the end of that laser, rocket arm for another ring.
2. Bears. Who would you rather be, Grossman or Bartman? Man, tough call.
3. Patriots. Don't bet against the Pats ending an excruciating two-year title drought.
4. Chargers. Arizona desert would be a good spot for Marty to exorcise his demons.
5. Ravens. The core players are old, but you can say that about the Stones, too.
6. Saints. That glass slipper? It just might fit the next time around.
7. Eagles. Invincible was great, but wouldn't it be nice if it applied to McNabb?
8. Jets. You know, that Mangini guy, he seems to be working out OK.
9. Seahawks. Seattle remains the class of the NFC West. (Talk about your oxymorons.)
10. Chiefs. Need some DTs, OTs, WRs … stop me if you've heard this before.
11. Cowboys. Enough with the fuss over the coach. Who's gonna be the holder?
12. Broncos. When upgrading D-line, Denver should look beyond Cleveland this time.
13. Titans. Wouldn't Pacman look good in a Bengals uniform? I'm just sayin'.
14. Giants. Something tells me Coughlin ain't the guy to fix a fractured locker room.
15. Jaguars. If you have the answer at QB, please call 1-877-JDELRIO.
16. Steelers. NFL can never have too many coaches named Mike. Tomlin makes five.
17. Bengals. 2007 goal: More wins than arrests. Hey, you gotta reach for the stars.
18. Bills. Move Buffalo to the NFC, and suddenly it's playoff-caliber.
19. Panthers. DeShaun? DeAngelo? DeSomebody has to run the ball for DePanthers.
20. Packers. It would take a Lambeau-sized leap of faith to put the Pack in SB42.
21. Falcons. This just in: Vick is not a great passer. But isn't that what QBs do?
22. Rams. Let's just say Jackson ain't shakin' in his cleats about a Faulk return.
23. 49ers. Well, they'll be the best team in the Bay Area again.
24. Texans. A Domanick by any other name is still injury-prone.
25. Dolphins. Welcome back, Ricky Williams. T.O. can't handle all the lunacy alone.
26. Cardinals. You can put the Super Bowl in Arizona, but you can't put Arizona …
27. Redskins. Two scarcities in D.C.: allies for Dubya and W's for the 'Skins.
28. Bucs. Bucs need to make a deep playoff run or Chucky could be toast.
29. Browns. Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thy offense and defense, Romeo?
30. Vikings. Wouldn't Culpepper look good in purple right about now?
31. Lions. If it's lightning and Millen is nearby, head his way--the man is fireproof.
32. Raiders. To paraphrase the Wizard's guard: Not no way, not no how.
By Mike Nahrstedt - SportingNews
Final rank, plus a look ahead to 2007
ADVERTISEMENT
1. Colts. Sure, there's room at the end of that laser, rocket arm for another ring.
2. Bears. Who would you rather be, Grossman or Bartman? Man, tough call.
3. Patriots. Don't bet against the Pats ending an excruciating two-year title drought.
4. Chargers. Arizona desert would be a good spot for Marty to exorcise his demons.
5. Ravens. The core players are old, but you can say that about the Stones, too.
6. Saints. That glass slipper? It just might fit the next time around.
7. Eagles. Invincible was great, but wouldn't it be nice if it applied to McNabb?
8. Jets. You know, that Mangini guy, he seems to be working out OK.
9. Seahawks. Seattle remains the class of the NFC West. (Talk about your oxymorons.)
10. Chiefs. Need some DTs, OTs, WRs … stop me if you've heard this before.
11. Cowboys. Enough with the fuss over the coach. Who's gonna be the holder?
12. Broncos. When upgrading D-line, Denver should look beyond Cleveland this time.
13. Titans. Wouldn't Pacman look good in a Bengals uniform? I'm just sayin'.
14. Giants. Something tells me Coughlin ain't the guy to fix a fractured locker room.
15. Jaguars. If you have the answer at QB, please call 1-877-JDELRIO.
16. Steelers. NFL can never have too many coaches named Mike. Tomlin makes five.
17. Bengals. 2007 goal: More wins than arrests. Hey, you gotta reach for the stars.
18. Bills. Move Buffalo to the NFC, and suddenly it's playoff-caliber.
19. Panthers. DeShaun? DeAngelo? DeSomebody has to run the ball for DePanthers.
20. Packers. It would take a Lambeau-sized leap of faith to put the Pack in SB42.
21. Falcons. This just in: Vick is not a great passer. But isn't that what QBs do?
22. Rams. Let's just say Jackson ain't shakin' in his cleats about a Faulk return.
23. 49ers. Well, they'll be the best team in the Bay Area again.
24. Texans. A Domanick by any other name is still injury-prone.
25. Dolphins. Welcome back, Ricky Williams. T.O. can't handle all the lunacy alone.
26. Cardinals. You can put the Super Bowl in Arizona, but you can't put Arizona …
27. Redskins. Two scarcities in D.C.: allies for Dubya and W's for the 'Skins.
28. Bucs. Bucs need to make a deep playoff run or Chucky could be toast.
29. Browns. Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thy offense and defense, Romeo?
30. Vikings. Wouldn't Culpepper look good in purple right about now?
31. Lions. If it's lightning and Millen is nearby, head his way--the man is fireproof.
32. Raiders. To paraphrase the Wizard's guard: Not no way, not no how.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
A ring for Eli Manning?
Peyton thinks brother is on right path and also could be a champ
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Correspondent
February 6, 2007
MIAMI -- Peyton Manning had taken time to savor his first Super Bowl win and his MVP award for leading the Colts to a 29-17 victory over the Bears on Sunday night. Yesterday, he promised that his kid brother will stand in the same spot someday.
"There's no doubt in my mind that Eli will lead his team to a Super Bowl, probably more than one," Peyton said. "I know how hard he works. There's no question he's going to be fine."
The quarterback brothers talk plenty of football during the season, exchanging tips on defenses one of them has seen. Eli told Newsday on Friday that Peyton had barely sat down to relax in his Indianapolis home after beating the Patriots for the AFC championship when he started asking Eli for tips on the Bears.
Sunday night - early yesterday morning, actually - the two were talking football again, even though there are no more games to be played this season.
"We talked, like we do after games. We got into the X's and O's," Peyton said. "He sees things like I see things. He said, 'The safety is really holding his looks to the very end and coming down late.' It's fun to talk about a game you just won with your brother, who's an NFL quarterback."
Eli's Giants started this season playing Peyton's Colts, and for the Manning family, there might have been as much hype for that game as there was for the Super Bowl. The Colts won in September, 26-21, at Giants Stadium and won their next eight, a typical run for Peyton.
Eli and the Giants ... well, you know how that went. A 6-2 start, a midgame meltdown against the Bears and a stumble to a .500 finish. Along with plenty of questions about Eli's maturation in his second full season of starting.
Now that Peyton has his coveted ring, his status as one of the game's great quarterbacks is assured. He said Eli, who at 26 is almost five years younger, is still on the right path.
"He's been a huge supporter of me throughout my entire career and life," Peyton said. "I'm a huge supporter of him. He's been right there, with the rest of my family."
There already have been plenty of changes for Eli - his old position coach, Kevin Gilbride, is his new offensive coordinator, and Chris Palmer is his position coach - and Peyton could see some new faces when the Colts begin their title defense.
His quarterbacks coach, Jim Caldwell, might get a chance to interview with the Cowboys for their head-coaching job. Dominic Rhodes, who ran for 113 yards Sunday, is a free agent. So are defensive end Dwight Freeney and linebacker Cato June. Even coach Tony Dungy is weighing whether to retire now that he has won a Super Bowl, the first for a black head coach.
But Peyton, who hasn't missed a game in nine NFL seasons, is the Colts' constant. He finally won by not being the impatient Peyton of old, by settling for short completions and handoffs in the rain Sunday. But he's not looking to kick back now.
"In some cases, I've seen past quarterbacks that have won a Super Bowl getting 'the pass.' They kind of get the pass when they have a bad year. People say, 'He won a Super Bowl; we'll give him the pass,'" he said. "I guess what I'm saying is, I don't want the pass. I want to be held accountable each and every year. Next year, my goal is to be better, and I feel like I should be because of the experience I gained this year."
So Lets Give Peyton a hand here People. Anyone seen that Monkey??
Monday, February 05, 2007
Newsday's Arthur Staple wraps up the coverage of the Big Game
SUPER BOWL XLI: COLTS 29, BEARS 17
See My end comment!
Colts finally grab ring
Manning, Dungy use ball control, 5 turnovers to get that elusive title
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Correspondent
February 5, 2007
MIAMI -- Peyton Manning showed he could win without being flashy. Tony Dungy showed a coach could rally his team through tough times without screaming. And the Colts, the decade's most dominant team during the regular season, showed they could win the big one.
Their 29-17 win over the self-destructive Bears in Super Bowl XLI on a rainy night at Dolphin Stadium capped an up-and-down season for the Colts, who won their first championship since moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. They started 9-0, then stumbled to a 3-4 finish with a Swiss cheese defense, seemingly needing Manning to put them on his back.
Turns out the Colts needed Manning to be smart and safe. He was picked off by safety Chris Harris on the Colts' first drive last night, then guided his offense smoothly by dumping off passes underneath a deep-playing secondary.
Rookie running back Joseph Addai led the Colts with 10 catches, and Dominic Rhodes ran for 113 yards as the Colts ate up clock, holding the ball for 38:04 and running 81 plays to the Bears' 48. Five turnovers by the Bears offset three by the Colts, all in the first half.
"This was a great team win, a team championship," said Manning, who won the MVP award despite a modest 25-for-38, 247- yard game. His only touchdown pass was his only big play, a 53-yard strike to a wide-open Reggie Wayne in the first quarter.
"With our defense playing the way it has, you don't feel like you have to be quite as aggressive," Manning said. "It wasn't really that way in the regular season. The defense has been outstanding in the playoffs. It's nice to be able to get this win as a team."
And for Dungy, who had as much a bridesmaid's reputation as Manning for being a great coach unable to win a championship. He still never changed his genial ways, and it paid off when he became the first black coach to win a Super Bowl by besting his close friend and former assistant, Lovie Smith.
"This may not have been the best team we had over the last five years, but it's definitely the team that's been through the most," said Dungy, who had one of his sons on the postgame podium with him. His son James committed suicide in December 2005.
"This wasn't the easy road, it was the tough road. And tonight, more than anything, we were a team, fighting together all the way through."
They were fighting from behind just 14 seconds in after rookie Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a score. Between that and Manning's interception, Chicago couldn't have envisioned a better start. Even after Wayne's TD, Thomas Jones ripped off a 52-yard run to the 5 and Rex Grossman hit Muhsin Muhammad for a 4-yard TD to give the Bears a 14-6 lead after a quarter.
"We got a chance to set the tempo," said Hester, who barely touched the ball again, with the Colts squibbing kicks to steer clear of him. "We set it early, but we couldn't keep it going."
Even with long, clock-eating drives, the Colts settled for three Adam Vinatieri field goals inside the red zone and let the Bears hang around into the fourth quarter.
But Grossman, the whipping boy entering the grand stage, lived down to his billing. He had two fumbles, two sacks after slipping on the wet field and two fourth-quarter interceptions. Backup defensive back Kelvin Hayden returned the first 56 yards with 11:44 to play to make it 29-17, crushing the Bears when Chicago still had a chance.
"Not just Rex, all of us could handle the situation better next time," Smith said. "It's a growing experience for him as much as anything."
The Colts have grown as much as they could during the last five seasons, winning 60 regular-season games while Manning cemented his Hall of Fame status. But the playoffs had been a different story. The Colts either ran into the Patriots' juggernaut or coughed up games like last year's home loss to the Steelers.
So even after their torrid start this season, the bad finish - including a Dec. 10 loss to the Jaguars in which they allowed 375 rushing yards - made the Colts leery. But the defense stiffened in the playoffs against the Chiefs and Ravens, and Manning lit up the scoreboard in the second half to finally vanquish the Patriots two weeks ago.
Then last night the Colts beat the Bears at the game Chicago hoped to play: smash-mouth running and ball control. Manning was a guide, not a do-it-all, and perhaps that was the difference in their becoming champions.
"It's just been a long time coming for us," defensive end Dwight Freeney said. "We've been through so much as a team, been so close so many times. We finally got a chance in the Super Bowl and we seized it."
So it was a good game considering the weather and such. Now we are just waiting for Zennie to return and Post about his visit to South beach.
See My end comment!
Colts finally grab ring
Manning, Dungy use ball control, 5 turnovers to get that elusive title
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Correspondent
February 5, 2007
MIAMI -- Peyton Manning showed he could win without being flashy. Tony Dungy showed a coach could rally his team through tough times without screaming. And the Colts, the decade's most dominant team during the regular season, showed they could win the big one.
Their 29-17 win over the self-destructive Bears in Super Bowl XLI on a rainy night at Dolphin Stadium capped an up-and-down season for the Colts, who won their first championship since moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. They started 9-0, then stumbled to a 3-4 finish with a Swiss cheese defense, seemingly needing Manning to put them on his back.
Turns out the Colts needed Manning to be smart and safe. He was picked off by safety Chris Harris on the Colts' first drive last night, then guided his offense smoothly by dumping off passes underneath a deep-playing secondary.
Rookie running back Joseph Addai led the Colts with 10 catches, and Dominic Rhodes ran for 113 yards as the Colts ate up clock, holding the ball for 38:04 and running 81 plays to the Bears' 48. Five turnovers by the Bears offset three by the Colts, all in the first half.
"This was a great team win, a team championship," said Manning, who won the MVP award despite a modest 25-for-38, 247- yard game. His only touchdown pass was his only big play, a 53-yard strike to a wide-open Reggie Wayne in the first quarter.
"With our defense playing the way it has, you don't feel like you have to be quite as aggressive," Manning said. "It wasn't really that way in the regular season. The defense has been outstanding in the playoffs. It's nice to be able to get this win as a team."
And for Dungy, who had as much a bridesmaid's reputation as Manning for being a great coach unable to win a championship. He still never changed his genial ways, and it paid off when he became the first black coach to win a Super Bowl by besting his close friend and former assistant, Lovie Smith.
"This may not have been the best team we had over the last five years, but it's definitely the team that's been through the most," said Dungy, who had one of his sons on the postgame podium with him. His son James committed suicide in December 2005.
"This wasn't the easy road, it was the tough road. And tonight, more than anything, we were a team, fighting together all the way through."
They were fighting from behind just 14 seconds in after rookie Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a score. Between that and Manning's interception, Chicago couldn't have envisioned a better start. Even after Wayne's TD, Thomas Jones ripped off a 52-yard run to the 5 and Rex Grossman hit Muhsin Muhammad for a 4-yard TD to give the Bears a 14-6 lead after a quarter.
"We got a chance to set the tempo," said Hester, who barely touched the ball again, with the Colts squibbing kicks to steer clear of him. "We set it early, but we couldn't keep it going."
Even with long, clock-eating drives, the Colts settled for three Adam Vinatieri field goals inside the red zone and let the Bears hang around into the fourth quarter.
But Grossman, the whipping boy entering the grand stage, lived down to his billing. He had two fumbles, two sacks after slipping on the wet field and two fourth-quarter interceptions. Backup defensive back Kelvin Hayden returned the first 56 yards with 11:44 to play to make it 29-17, crushing the Bears when Chicago still had a chance.
"Not just Rex, all of us could handle the situation better next time," Smith said. "It's a growing experience for him as much as anything."
The Colts have grown as much as they could during the last five seasons, winning 60 regular-season games while Manning cemented his Hall of Fame status. But the playoffs had been a different story. The Colts either ran into the Patriots' juggernaut or coughed up games like last year's home loss to the Steelers.
So even after their torrid start this season, the bad finish - including a Dec. 10 loss to the Jaguars in which they allowed 375 rushing yards - made the Colts leery. But the defense stiffened in the playoffs against the Chiefs and Ravens, and Manning lit up the scoreboard in the second half to finally vanquish the Patriots two weeks ago.
Then last night the Colts beat the Bears at the game Chicago hoped to play: smash-mouth running and ball control. Manning was a guide, not a do-it-all, and perhaps that was the difference in their becoming champions.
"It's just been a long time coming for us," defensive end Dwight Freeney said. "We've been through so much as a team, been so close so many times. We finally got a chance in the Super Bowl and we seized it."
So it was a good game considering the weather and such. Now we are just waiting for Zennie to return and Post about his visit to South beach.
Friday, February 02, 2007
A SB wings recepie from Food Network's Paula Deen
Buffalo Wings
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Show: Paula's Home Cooking
Episode: Fire House Pot Luck Dinner
Creamy Roquefort dip:
1/2 cup Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/2 cup sour cream
12 chicken wings, disjointed
Oil, for frying
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup hot red pepper sauce
In a medium size bowl, cream the Roquefort and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the remaining ingredients and blend well. Chill for 2 hours.
Using a fryer or a large pot, heat oil to 350 degrees F. Deep fry the wings until golden and crispy, approximately 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, melt the butter, add the hot sauce and heat thoroughly. Immediately toss hot wings into sauce. Place wings on a platter and serve with creamy Roquefort dip.
NFLPA's Gene Upshaw Does a Little Dance.....
This is from Pro Football Weekly's Online edition......see my end comment
Upshaw defends NFLPA’s level of contribution to retired players’ pensions
By Eric Edholm, Dan Arkush and Mike Holbrook
Feb. 1, 2007
MIAMI — The NFL Players Association held its annual meeting at the Super Bowl to discuss a wide range of hot-button issues, including testing for human-growth hormones and other designer drugs, player conduct and the early returns on the first year of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. But the testiest exchange came at the end of the question-and-answer session over retired players’ benefits.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Brian Burwell finished the session by asking union president Gene Upshaw, sternly, “I am a little confused. You talked about the oldest players, and how, back when you were playing, you were told what doctors to go to and (that) a lot of times you didn’t know what your own diagnosis was. … In light of those kinds of those kind of working conditions that you and all of the older players that I have talked to dealt with, isn’t there any way, as this huge, enormous pie continues to grow, that you can find some extra money for them?”
Upshaw retorted by saying there is $60 million paid each year — money that comes directly from current players’ salaries — that benefits former players drawing pensions. “They’re the ones who put that money in. That’s where that money comes from,” Upshaw, a retired player, said. “We just spent $51 million this (past) year to improve the benefits for guys like me. And it’s not just this year. It goes all the way back (to 1993).”
There are nearly 9,000 former players who are eligible for benefits, but fewer than 200 get long-term benefits. Many NFL alumni have suffered serious medical problems after their careers have ended, a lot of whom have distanced themselves from the league they feel has left them behind. The NFLPA says a new $50-a-month increase in the new CBA should help matters.
The union also has concerns about current players. The talk of increased testing for performance-enhancing drugs is something that resonates from both the players’ union and the league, but Upshaw said he and new commissioner Roger Goodell differ on how the testing should take place. Upshaw said he wants to avoid having his players “getting stuck in the arm with a needle every five minutes” and that there is no effective, reliable testing method for HGH and EPO, one of the newest banned substances to be added to the league’s list.
So Mr Upshaw still comes off to most people as someone who works hard for players rights, and he does, for current players.
50 Bux a Month?? That's Not much.....tell that to Herb Adderly who gets $126.50 a month. I know One of the last things Paul Tags did as commish was the #88 rule named after John Mackey, to help those players who have suffered TBI from their playing days. It just might be too little too late......
Upshaw defends NFLPA’s level of contribution to retired players’ pensions
By Eric Edholm, Dan Arkush and Mike Holbrook
Feb. 1, 2007
MIAMI — The NFL Players Association held its annual meeting at the Super Bowl to discuss a wide range of hot-button issues, including testing for human-growth hormones and other designer drugs, player conduct and the early returns on the first year of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. But the testiest exchange came at the end of the question-and-answer session over retired players’ benefits.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Brian Burwell finished the session by asking union president Gene Upshaw, sternly, “I am a little confused. You talked about the oldest players, and how, back when you were playing, you were told what doctors to go to and (that) a lot of times you didn’t know what your own diagnosis was. … In light of those kinds of those kind of working conditions that you and all of the older players that I have talked to dealt with, isn’t there any way, as this huge, enormous pie continues to grow, that you can find some extra money for them?”
Upshaw retorted by saying there is $60 million paid each year — money that comes directly from current players’ salaries — that benefits former players drawing pensions. “They’re the ones who put that money in. That’s where that money comes from,” Upshaw, a retired player, said. “We just spent $51 million this (past) year to improve the benefits for guys like me. And it’s not just this year. It goes all the way back (to 1993).”
There are nearly 9,000 former players who are eligible for benefits, but fewer than 200 get long-term benefits. Many NFL alumni have suffered serious medical problems after their careers have ended, a lot of whom have distanced themselves from the league they feel has left them behind. The NFLPA says a new $50-a-month increase in the new CBA should help matters.
The union also has concerns about current players. The talk of increased testing for performance-enhancing drugs is something that resonates from both the players’ union and the league, but Upshaw said he and new commissioner Roger Goodell differ on how the testing should take place. Upshaw said he wants to avoid having his players “getting stuck in the arm with a needle every five minutes” and that there is no effective, reliable testing method for HGH and EPO, one of the newest banned substances to be added to the league’s list.
So Mr Upshaw still comes off to most people as someone who works hard for players rights, and he does, for current players.
50 Bux a Month?? That's Not much.....tell that to Herb Adderly who gets $126.50 a month. I know One of the last things Paul Tags did as commish was the #88 rule named after John Mackey, to help those players who have suffered TBI from their playing days. It just might be too little too late......
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Shame of the NFL: why won't they help Sick ex-Players?
Again: i don't always agree with Wally Matthews, but he is on point here!
From Newsday
Wallace Matthews
Shame of the league
January 31, 2007
When Tiki Barber retired from the NFL at the end of this season, he did more than walk away from his career at the top of his game. He also walked right onto Gene Upshaw's enemies list.
There is simply no other way to describe the behavior of that spineless mockery of a union, the NFL Players Association, or the attitude of its president, also known as Roger Goodell's -- formerly Paul Tagliabue's -- lapdog, toward its former members.
As exposed by HBO's "Real Sports" last week, and illustrated by my colleague Shaun Powell's heartbreaking column about John Mackey yesterday, once a player is done with the NFL, the NFL is done with him.
This week is the NFL equivalent of Mardi Gras, a week of happy horsecrap about the League That Can Do No Wrong.
But a handful of former players, Hall of Famers all, are not swallowing the Kool-Aid the rest of the country seems to be drunk on. While most of the NFL media is being distracted by the temptations of Super Bowl Week, Jerry Kramer, Harry Carson and Mike Ditka, to name a few, will be speaking truth in a hotel conference room a few hours before Upshaw gets his chance to lie about how great everything is.
They have long known that The Shield, as the players refer to it, is a league that eats its young, and the NFLPA is a union that discards its old. And tomorrow, they want the rest of the world to know it.
As Kramer said, "It will not be a pleasant task. But then, it's not pleasant to talk to Bill Forester [a Pro Bowl linebacker on Kramer's Green Bay Packers teams of the mid-60s] and hear that he's suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia and pneumonia, that he needs a feeding tube to survive, and that he can't get any money from the Players Association to help him."
Nor is it pleasant to consider the case of Willie Wood, a Hall of Famer now destitute, living in a nursing home and needing to rely on a trust fund for retired players set up by Ditka, of all people, in order to survive; or to think about a former New England Patriot, whose name is being withheld to preserve his privacy, living on the street, nor to consider the future of Carson, now 53 and suffering from post-concussion syndrome, the result of at least 15 game and practice-related concussions. Will he be the next John Mackey or Andre Waters?
This is the stuff the NFL never wants to talk about, but especially not now, when everyone is paying attention to what is universally regarded as the world's most lucrative and best-run sports league.
Upshaw did not return a call yesterday, but as he told the Charlotte Observer recently, "They don't hire me and they can't fire me. They can complain about me all day long. But the active players have the vote. That's who pays my salary."
Clearly, there's no help there, so after their news conference, the players will stage an auction of items from their personal collections, many of them prized possessions, to raise money for the thousands of players who can't, or won't, go to the union for help.
"These are proud guys, and a lot of them are too embarrassed to ask for help," Carson said. "But for them to even get to the point where they have to beg for assistance, that really -- me off."
Thankfully, Carson does not need the $700 or so a month his NFL pension would pay him if he applied for it. But it enrages him to think of Herb Adderley cashing an NFLPA check for $126.85 a month -- that is not a misprint -- and it really infuriates him when Upshaw crows about increasing all benefits this year by 25 percent.
"Great, now Herb will get $150," Carson said.
For a league that receives $3.1 billion a year for its television rights alone, it is an incredibly chintzy way to do business. Of the 9,000 retired NFL players, only 144 receive disability benefits and the league has never lost a lawsuit brought by a former player seeking help.
"You really do need to be crawling on the floor to qualify for disability benefits," Carson said. "They just deny, deny, deny, and hope that it all goes away."
Kramer said he hopes the auction will raise between $250,000 and $500,000, with all proceeds to be distributed as soon as possible because "we got guys who need help right away."
The NFL is providing nothing but the hotel room, because to deny the retired players a place to speak out would have garnered even worse publicity than what they will say.
But that is where The Shield's commitment ends.
"They told us they had so many requests for help, they didn't know who to help first," Kramer said. "So they decided to help nobody."
For the NFL, it is business as usual. Profits through the roof. Heads in the sand.
From Newsday
Wallace Matthews
Shame of the league
January 31, 2007
When Tiki Barber retired from the NFL at the end of this season, he did more than walk away from his career at the top of his game. He also walked right onto Gene Upshaw's enemies list.
There is simply no other way to describe the behavior of that spineless mockery of a union, the NFL Players Association, or the attitude of its president, also known as Roger Goodell's -- formerly Paul Tagliabue's -- lapdog, toward its former members.
As exposed by HBO's "Real Sports" last week, and illustrated by my colleague Shaun Powell's heartbreaking column about John Mackey yesterday, once a player is done with the NFL, the NFL is done with him.
This week is the NFL equivalent of Mardi Gras, a week of happy horsecrap about the League That Can Do No Wrong.
But a handful of former players, Hall of Famers all, are not swallowing the Kool-Aid the rest of the country seems to be drunk on. While most of the NFL media is being distracted by the temptations of Super Bowl Week, Jerry Kramer, Harry Carson and Mike Ditka, to name a few, will be speaking truth in a hotel conference room a few hours before Upshaw gets his chance to lie about how great everything is.
They have long known that The Shield, as the players refer to it, is a league that eats its young, and the NFLPA is a union that discards its old. And tomorrow, they want the rest of the world to know it.
As Kramer said, "It will not be a pleasant task. But then, it's not pleasant to talk to Bill Forester [a Pro Bowl linebacker on Kramer's Green Bay Packers teams of the mid-60s] and hear that he's suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia and pneumonia, that he needs a feeding tube to survive, and that he can't get any money from the Players Association to help him."
Nor is it pleasant to consider the case of Willie Wood, a Hall of Famer now destitute, living in a nursing home and needing to rely on a trust fund for retired players set up by Ditka, of all people, in order to survive; or to think about a former New England Patriot, whose name is being withheld to preserve his privacy, living on the street, nor to consider the future of Carson, now 53 and suffering from post-concussion syndrome, the result of at least 15 game and practice-related concussions. Will he be the next John Mackey or Andre Waters?
This is the stuff the NFL never wants to talk about, but especially not now, when everyone is paying attention to what is universally regarded as the world's most lucrative and best-run sports league.
Upshaw did not return a call yesterday, but as he told the Charlotte Observer recently, "They don't hire me and they can't fire me. They can complain about me all day long. But the active players have the vote. That's who pays my salary."
Clearly, there's no help there, so after their news conference, the players will stage an auction of items from their personal collections, many of them prized possessions, to raise money for the thousands of players who can't, or won't, go to the union for help.
"These are proud guys, and a lot of them are too embarrassed to ask for help," Carson said. "But for them to even get to the point where they have to beg for assistance, that really -- me off."
Thankfully, Carson does not need the $700 or so a month his NFL pension would pay him if he applied for it. But it enrages him to think of Herb Adderley cashing an NFLPA check for $126.85 a month -- that is not a misprint -- and it really infuriates him when Upshaw crows about increasing all benefits this year by 25 percent.
"Great, now Herb will get $150," Carson said.
For a league that receives $3.1 billion a year for its television rights alone, it is an incredibly chintzy way to do business. Of the 9,000 retired NFL players, only 144 receive disability benefits and the league has never lost a lawsuit brought by a former player seeking help.
"You really do need to be crawling on the floor to qualify for disability benefits," Carson said. "They just deny, deny, deny, and hope that it all goes away."
Kramer said he hopes the auction will raise between $250,000 and $500,000, with all proceeds to be distributed as soon as possible because "we got guys who need help right away."
The NFL is providing nothing but the hotel room, because to deny the retired players a place to speak out would have garnered even worse publicity than what they will say.
But that is where The Shield's commitment ends.
"They told us they had so many requests for help, they didn't know who to help first," Kramer said. "So they decided to help nobody."
For the NFL, it is business as usual. Profits through the roof. Heads in the sand.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Mike Tomlin - New Steelers Coach Adds Six Assistant Coaches
Mike Tomlin's coaching staff is complete
New Steelers coach adds six assistants
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mike Tomlin said he wanted assistant coaches who were teachers and shared the same football values he possessed. Apparently, he also wanted coaches with whom he had previously worked.
After spending the past four days in Minnesota, getting his family and house in order, Tomlin returned to the Steelers' offices on the South Side yesterday and officially put his coaching staff in order, announcing the hiring of six new assistants.
Heading the list is former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, whose hiring as quarterbacks coach was reported last week. He will replace Mark Whipple, who was not retained, and has been entrusted with working with the team's franchise player, Ben Roethlisberger.
Anderson, 57, never worked with Tomlin, but he was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals when Tomlin was working as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati.
But four of the new assistant coaches who signed contracts yesterday worked with Tomlin either in college or in the NFL.
They are:
Offensive line coach Larry Zierlein, who was the offensive line coach at the University of Cincinnati when Tomlin was there. Zierlein, 62, was also the offensive line coach with the Cleveland Browns when Bruce Arians was the Browns' offensive coordinator.
Wide receivers coach Randy Fichtner, who coached with Tomlin at Arkansas State and the University of Memphis. Fichtner, 43, a native of West Mifflin, was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Memphis the past six seasons.
Assistant special teams coach Amos Jones, who coached the running backs and special teams during Tomlin's tenure at Cincinnati. He coached special teams and outside linebackers the past three seasons at Mississippi State.
Running backs coach Kirby Wilson, who was the running backs coach at Tampa Bay (2002-2003) when Tomlin was the Buccaneers' secondary coach. Wilson was the running backs coach the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
"It's not that we all think the same," Tomlin said. "But [I want] guys who have the base core football values that I have. As coaches, we need to be teachers. Success is built on fundamentals, muscle memory and execution."
The only coach who doesn't appear to have some working relationship with Tomlin is special teams coach Bob Ligashesky, a McKees Rocks native who played at Sto-Rox High School and IUP. Ligashesky, 44, was the special teams coach with the St. Louis Rams in 2005-06 and also spent four seasons at Pitt (2000-03) as tight ends/special teams coordinator.
Jones, 47, also spent one season at Pitt, serving as the Panthers' kicking game coordinator in 1992.
Tomlin interviewed all the assistants last week when he was in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl practice sessions and indicated they would be hired. The hirings were not announced until yesterday, when Tomlin returned to Pittsburgh.
The addition of Anderson, the Bengals' all-time leading passer and a four-time NFL passing champion, is the most intriguing hire.
After working the past four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was brought in to work more closely with Roethlisberger, who threw an NFL-high 23 interceptions in 2006, ranked 11th in the AFC with a 75.4 passer rating and appeared to struggle with zone coverages.
"We have to be methodical at assembling a staff because that's important," Tomlin said. "It's the people."
In addition to retaining six assistants from former coach Bill Cowher's staff, Tomlin said assistant secondary coach Ray Horton has been promoted to secondary coach, replacing Darren Perry. Tomlin will also retain conditioning coordinator Chet Fuhrman, offensive assistant Matt Raich and defensive assistant Lou Spanos.
With the retirement of running backs coach Dick Hoak, Fuhrman is the only remaining member of Cowher's original staff from 1992.
Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was the team's secondary coach in 1992, but he left after the 1998 season to join the Bengals and did not return until 2004.
New Steelers coach adds six assistants
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mike Tomlin said he wanted assistant coaches who were teachers and shared the same football values he possessed. Apparently, he also wanted coaches with whom he had previously worked.
After spending the past four days in Minnesota, getting his family and house in order, Tomlin returned to the Steelers' offices on the South Side yesterday and officially put his coaching staff in order, announcing the hiring of six new assistants.
Heading the list is former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, whose hiring as quarterbacks coach was reported last week. He will replace Mark Whipple, who was not retained, and has been entrusted with working with the team's franchise player, Ben Roethlisberger.
Anderson, 57, never worked with Tomlin, but he was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals when Tomlin was working as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati.
But four of the new assistant coaches who signed contracts yesterday worked with Tomlin either in college or in the NFL.
They are:
Offensive line coach Larry Zierlein, who was the offensive line coach at the University of Cincinnati when Tomlin was there. Zierlein, 62, was also the offensive line coach with the Cleveland Browns when Bruce Arians was the Browns' offensive coordinator.
Wide receivers coach Randy Fichtner, who coached with Tomlin at Arkansas State and the University of Memphis. Fichtner, 43, a native of West Mifflin, was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Memphis the past six seasons.
Assistant special teams coach Amos Jones, who coached the running backs and special teams during Tomlin's tenure at Cincinnati. He coached special teams and outside linebackers the past three seasons at Mississippi State.
Running backs coach Kirby Wilson, who was the running backs coach at Tampa Bay (2002-2003) when Tomlin was the Buccaneers' secondary coach. Wilson was the running backs coach the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
"It's not that we all think the same," Tomlin said. "But [I want] guys who have the base core football values that I have. As coaches, we need to be teachers. Success is built on fundamentals, muscle memory and execution."
The only coach who doesn't appear to have some working relationship with Tomlin is special teams coach Bob Ligashesky, a McKees Rocks native who played at Sto-Rox High School and IUP. Ligashesky, 44, was the special teams coach with the St. Louis Rams in 2005-06 and also spent four seasons at Pitt (2000-03) as tight ends/special teams coordinator.
Jones, 47, also spent one season at Pitt, serving as the Panthers' kicking game coordinator in 1992.
Tomlin interviewed all the assistants last week when he was in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl practice sessions and indicated they would be hired. The hirings were not announced until yesterday, when Tomlin returned to Pittsburgh.
The addition of Anderson, the Bengals' all-time leading passer and a four-time NFL passing champion, is the most intriguing hire.
After working the past four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was brought in to work more closely with Roethlisberger, who threw an NFL-high 23 interceptions in 2006, ranked 11th in the AFC with a 75.4 passer rating and appeared to struggle with zone coverages.
"We have to be methodical at assembling a staff because that's important," Tomlin said. "It's the people."
In addition to retaining six assistants from former coach Bill Cowher's staff, Tomlin said assistant secondary coach Ray Horton has been promoted to secondary coach, replacing Darren Perry. Tomlin will also retain conditioning coordinator Chet Fuhrman, offensive assistant Matt Raich and defensive assistant Lou Spanos.
With the retirement of running backs coach Dick Hoak, Fuhrman is the only remaining member of Cowher's original staff from 1992.
Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was the team's secondary coach in 1992, but he left after the 1998 season to join the Bengals and did not return until 2004.
The New Racism Trick: Acuse The Person Who Complains OF Discrimination Of Racism
This is the new trick of racists. To accuse the person who points to racial discrimination of being racist. One example is the reaction of some Raiders fans to my article which openly identifies that the Oakland Raiders have a pattern of going after young white men for coaching positions.
Rather than admit the problem, they attack the accuser. They forget that racism is the act of putting down someone because of the color of their skin. This can be done by words or by actions; the Raiders openly all but skirting the Rooney Rule and deliberately selecting white men to be head coaches; stopping only to hire Art Shell twice, so fools and idiots can point to their "diversity."
What a laugh.
Rather than admit the problem, they attack the accuser. They forget that racism is the act of putting down someone because of the color of their skin. This can be done by words or by actions; the Raiders openly all but skirting the Rooney Rule and deliberately selecting white men to be head coaches; stopping only to hire Art Shell twice, so fools and idiots can point to their "diversity."
What a laugh.
The New Racism Trick: Acuse The Person Who Complains OF Discrimination Of Racism
This is the new trick of racists. To accuse the person who points to racial discrimination of being racist. One example is the reaction of some Raiders fans to my article which openly identifies that the Oakland Raiders have a pattern of going after young white men for coaching positions.
Rather than admit the problem, they attack the accuser. They forget that racism is the act of putting down someone because of the color of their skin. This can be done by words or by actions; the Raiders openly all but skirting the Rooney Rule and deliberately selecting white men to be head coaches; stopping only to hire Art Shell twice, so fools and idiots can point to their "diversity."
What a laugh.
Rather than admit the problem, they attack the accuser. They forget that racism is the act of putting down someone because of the color of their skin. This can be done by words or by actions; the Raiders openly all but skirting the Rooney Rule and deliberately selecting white men to be head coaches; stopping only to hire Art Shell twice, so fools and idiots can point to their "diversity."
What a laugh.
John Mackey Still suffering from Dementia, remembers playing days with the COLTS
A Great Article By Newsday's Shaun Powell See my Addition at the end
A constant enemy
Mackey among many with neural scars from their playing days
January 30, 2007
At some point tonight on the Amtrak from Baltimore to Miami, a passenger might feel a gentle tap on the shoulder and see a large man balling a fist, ready to hit him with a bit of nostalgia.
"See this?" John Mackey will say sweetly to the stranger while flashing a striking piece of bling. "This is my Super Bowl ring. I scored the 75-yard touchdown to beat the Dallas Cowboys."
This is what he tells people -- on the streets, in the malls, wherever -- not just because the memory of his thrilling catch in Super Bowl V gives him bragging rights. It's also because, in his condition, the touchdown is almost all he remembers about the past.
And the ring. He wears two of them, actually -- a Super Bowl ring on one hand, a Hall of Fame ring on the other. Always. He sleeps with them. He rarely removes them. Which is why he's taking the train to Miami for Super Bowl XLI and not a flight.
A few years ago, while headed to St. Louis for an autograph signing show, he approached airport screening. Security ordered him to remove the rings and place them in the plastic bins. He refused. They told him again. He said no.
Then he noticed these weren't the same friendly strangers on the street who listened patiently when he told them about the touchdown. That's what dementia does. It makes its victims suspicious and also very protective of their possessions, especially the precious ones.
Therefore, Mackey followed his football instincts, which took him from Hempstead to Syracuse to the NFL and allowed him to cover 75 yards on that touchdown catch and run 35 years ago, when he spun away from the Dallas defense.
He elbowed past security and headed toward the gate. He was then, and still is now at age 65, a firm 6-2 and 240 pounds with giddyap. In his mind, he still was the man who starred for the Colts and revolutionized the tight end position.
It took four security jackets to tackle Mackey. In a post 9/11 world, that was enough for his wife, Sylvia, a flight attendant.
"If he could've gotten away and run down the corridor, they weren't going to catch him," she said yesterday. "They'd have to shoot him. And I'm not going to put him up against that."
So they'll ride the train to Miami to watch his old team, the Colts, play in the title game for the first time since their Mackey-inspired 16-13 win in 1971. The trip will take a while, but it's nothing compared with Mackey's long and draining journey to get financial help from the NFL to cover his soaring medical costs.
His situation is not unique among former players who came before the big salaries, who now pay the physical and sometimes mental price for laying the foundation for a league that generates billions in revenue.
Mike Webster, the great center for those Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh teams, suffered brain injuries and was homeless before dying five years ago from heart failure. Andre Waters recently committed suicide at age 44 after being depressed, perhaps a result of brain damage after playing 12 years as a hard-hitting safety.
Those are just two examples. One report recently said that of the 7,500 former players covered by NFL disability, fewer than 200 receive football disability benefits. These players must prove their disability is a direct result of football injuries in order to collect. The league estimates it shells out $60 million a year in pension benefits; others say the figure is closer to $15 million.
Regardless, it's a cruel coincidence for Mackey. As an outspoken player, he fought for free agency and benefits at great risk to his career. And where did this sacrifice get him? He was snubbed by Hall of Fame voters until 1992, his final year of eligibility. And the NFL players' union, the weakest in team sports, sits under the thumb of the owners.
For many years after his career, Mackey had thriving business interests and successfully raised a family. About eight years ago, his wife noticed changes. He became forgetful about little things. Then she overheard a conversation in which Mackey told someone: "I don't have a sister." Sylvia pulled him aside.
"You do have a sister."
"No, I don't."
"Are you kidding? You have a sister."
"Well, what's her name, then?"
"That's when I knew something was wrong," Sylvia Mackey said. "He went to a bar once, which is something he rarely did, and began singing karaoke with someone. Then he announced they were taking their act on the road. They were going to Vegas. And he was serious."
His health declined, the bills increased. Sylvia Mackey, a retired fashion model, had to return to work as a flight attendant. They moved from Southern California to Baltimore partly to stimulate his memory. He began spending his days in an adult day care center, where the monthly costs almost equaled his NFL pension.
On a whim, his wife wrote a heartfelt three-page letter to outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue, urging him to take action. She told him about John's behavior, which became childlike, and the financial and emotional drain his condition had on the family. She explained how his memory was running on empty, except for the rings and the TD in Super Bowl V.
Tagliabue was moved. Within weeks, the NFL created the Number 88 Plan, named after Mackey's uniform number, which provides up to $88,000 a year for institutional care to former players suffering from dementia.
"I expected his reply to be along the lines of, 'We're working on it, thanks for your letter, good luck,' something like that," Sylvia Mackey said. "Paul felt everything he saw in my letter."
Other events in Mackey's life seem hazy. Only the NFL still registers strongly. Seizing the chance, his wife strategically puts his medicine in a box with an NFL address, which makes Mackey anxious to take it. Because dementia destroys a person's hygiene habits, she also taped a fake sign in their bathroom from the NFL, telling him to wash his face and brush his teeth. She signed it Paul Tagliabue.
"Works like a charm," she said.
Football was his life, and after a brief separation, is back in his life again. He stays sharp by watching video of old games, including the two Super Bowls in which he played. He never tires of the 75-yard touchdown play, or showing the Super Bowl V ring. But football does have company for Mackey's affections.
"Before this disease, John was a person who had a hard time saying 'I love you' to his wife," Sylvia said. "But now I must hear 'I love you' 10, 15 times a day."
She laughed. "I knew something was wrong when he started saying that."
Wow: John Mackey: the greatest Tight End ever (except for maybe Mike Ditka, Kellen Winslow Sr., and a Kid from Boston who wore #89)
I first remember reading about this about two years ago. Can you Imagine him Knocking out TSA agents trying to tackle him to keep him from getting on the Plane??
Seriously: This is very sad that until Sylvia Mackey wrote Tags a letter, there was no special funding to help players with in juries of the brain. Nice that they are doing something now, but it's still not enough. The players from the old days could use a little more help, and Maybe the NFLPA could help out a little more.
A constant enemy
Mackey among many with neural scars from their playing days
January 30, 2007
At some point tonight on the Amtrak from Baltimore to Miami, a passenger might feel a gentle tap on the shoulder and see a large man balling a fist, ready to hit him with a bit of nostalgia.
"See this?" John Mackey will say sweetly to the stranger while flashing a striking piece of bling. "This is my Super Bowl ring. I scored the 75-yard touchdown to beat the Dallas Cowboys."
This is what he tells people -- on the streets, in the malls, wherever -- not just because the memory of his thrilling catch in Super Bowl V gives him bragging rights. It's also because, in his condition, the touchdown is almost all he remembers about the past.
And the ring. He wears two of them, actually -- a Super Bowl ring on one hand, a Hall of Fame ring on the other. Always. He sleeps with them. He rarely removes them. Which is why he's taking the train to Miami for Super Bowl XLI and not a flight.
A few years ago, while headed to St. Louis for an autograph signing show, he approached airport screening. Security ordered him to remove the rings and place them in the plastic bins. He refused. They told him again. He said no.
Then he noticed these weren't the same friendly strangers on the street who listened patiently when he told them about the touchdown. That's what dementia does. It makes its victims suspicious and also very protective of their possessions, especially the precious ones.
Therefore, Mackey followed his football instincts, which took him from Hempstead to Syracuse to the NFL and allowed him to cover 75 yards on that touchdown catch and run 35 years ago, when he spun away from the Dallas defense.
He elbowed past security and headed toward the gate. He was then, and still is now at age 65, a firm 6-2 and 240 pounds with giddyap. In his mind, he still was the man who starred for the Colts and revolutionized the tight end position.
It took four security jackets to tackle Mackey. In a post 9/11 world, that was enough for his wife, Sylvia, a flight attendant.
"If he could've gotten away and run down the corridor, they weren't going to catch him," she said yesterday. "They'd have to shoot him. And I'm not going to put him up against that."
So they'll ride the train to Miami to watch his old team, the Colts, play in the title game for the first time since their Mackey-inspired 16-13 win in 1971. The trip will take a while, but it's nothing compared with Mackey's long and draining journey to get financial help from the NFL to cover his soaring medical costs.
His situation is not unique among former players who came before the big salaries, who now pay the physical and sometimes mental price for laying the foundation for a league that generates billions in revenue.
Mike Webster, the great center for those Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh teams, suffered brain injuries and was homeless before dying five years ago from heart failure. Andre Waters recently committed suicide at age 44 after being depressed, perhaps a result of brain damage after playing 12 years as a hard-hitting safety.
Those are just two examples. One report recently said that of the 7,500 former players covered by NFL disability, fewer than 200 receive football disability benefits. These players must prove their disability is a direct result of football injuries in order to collect. The league estimates it shells out $60 million a year in pension benefits; others say the figure is closer to $15 million.
Regardless, it's a cruel coincidence for Mackey. As an outspoken player, he fought for free agency and benefits at great risk to his career. And where did this sacrifice get him? He was snubbed by Hall of Fame voters until 1992, his final year of eligibility. And the NFL players' union, the weakest in team sports, sits under the thumb of the owners.
For many years after his career, Mackey had thriving business interests and successfully raised a family. About eight years ago, his wife noticed changes. He became forgetful about little things. Then she overheard a conversation in which Mackey told someone: "I don't have a sister." Sylvia pulled him aside.
"You do have a sister."
"No, I don't."
"Are you kidding? You have a sister."
"Well, what's her name, then?"
"That's when I knew something was wrong," Sylvia Mackey said. "He went to a bar once, which is something he rarely did, and began singing karaoke with someone. Then he announced they were taking their act on the road. They were going to Vegas. And he was serious."
His health declined, the bills increased. Sylvia Mackey, a retired fashion model, had to return to work as a flight attendant. They moved from Southern California to Baltimore partly to stimulate his memory. He began spending his days in an adult day care center, where the monthly costs almost equaled his NFL pension.
On a whim, his wife wrote a heartfelt three-page letter to outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue, urging him to take action. She told him about John's behavior, which became childlike, and the financial and emotional drain his condition had on the family. She explained how his memory was running on empty, except for the rings and the TD in Super Bowl V.
Tagliabue was moved. Within weeks, the NFL created the Number 88 Plan, named after Mackey's uniform number, which provides up to $88,000 a year for institutional care to former players suffering from dementia.
"I expected his reply to be along the lines of, 'We're working on it, thanks for your letter, good luck,' something like that," Sylvia Mackey said. "Paul felt everything he saw in my letter."
Other events in Mackey's life seem hazy. Only the NFL still registers strongly. Seizing the chance, his wife strategically puts his medicine in a box with an NFL address, which makes Mackey anxious to take it. Because dementia destroys a person's hygiene habits, she also taped a fake sign in their bathroom from the NFL, telling him to wash his face and brush his teeth. She signed it Paul Tagliabue.
"Works like a charm," she said.
Football was his life, and after a brief separation, is back in his life again. He stays sharp by watching video of old games, including the two Super Bowls in which he played. He never tires of the 75-yard touchdown play, or showing the Super Bowl V ring. But football does have company for Mackey's affections.
"Before this disease, John was a person who had a hard time saying 'I love you' to his wife," Sylvia said. "But now I must hear 'I love you' 10, 15 times a day."
She laughed. "I knew something was wrong when he started saying that."
Wow: John Mackey: the greatest Tight End ever (except for maybe Mike Ditka, Kellen Winslow Sr., and a Kid from Boston who wore #89)
I first remember reading about this about two years ago. Can you Imagine him Knocking out TSA agents trying to tackle him to keep him from getting on the Plane??
Seriously: This is very sad that until Sylvia Mackey wrote Tags a letter, there was no special funding to help players with in juries of the brain. Nice that they are doing something now, but it's still not enough. The players from the old days could use a little more help, and Maybe the NFLPA could help out a little more.
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