Potential BIG problem for Bears and FA's.

[JoeyTourettes]

The NFLPA will tell FA's not to sign with Bears if Illinois passes worker's comp bill.

NFLPA Executive director DeMaurice Smith said he would tell free agents to NOT sign with the Bears if the bill passes.

The Bill proposes to end Disability Benefits for professional athletes at 35 years old, when most workers in the state can claim workers' comp benefits until the age of 67.
Smith explained that such a regulation would impact injury care for retired athletes, and called out the Bears ownership for supporting the proposal.

Thoughts? politics and pro sports...wtf.

 

[anotheridiot]

I dont know, somehow the states with no income tax are not getting the great players either.

I dont think this is politics, its greed. Google what is the NFL worth and each site I get to claims each franchise averages being worth 2.3 billion dollars. They want you to multiply that average by 30 teams and its worth 60 plus billion. I have yet to find one that says what the actual NFL is worth. I would guess just the entity is worth 10 billion itself. They do not own the teams so how can that be valued.

Something with this consistent of cash flow, paying 150 million in salaries each year, billions in TV deals, cant find a way to take care of their players? The NFL is big enough to take a cut of everyones check and have their own pension and medicare in place. Why should any state have that problem and why should it matter if they rarely live out their lives in Illinois anyway.

But I also do not agree that congressmen should be paid for the rest of their lives either, even after they lose an election, yet, there is always talk of term limits. I agree with term limits if they get their pension at 67.

 

[richig07]

Lovely...

Shit

 

[JoeyTourettes]

More has come to light on this issue. I guess many other states have this same law on the books already and it hasn't impacted players or agents nearly as much as Smith wants us to believe.

My understanding of the proposal is as follows:

Using the example of a labor job- say a plumber... who makes $60K when they are 47 years old they legitimately hurt their back while performing duties of their job. So much so that that are no longer able to be a plumber anymore... the company than puts them in a desk job... which pays $50K... The workers comp claim would compensate that worker the extra $10K bringing their salary to the original $60K until that worker is 67 years old. (Plus they would be granted medical benefits to help with the injury)

The NFL/pro sports... is arguing that a player who makes $450K at 28 years old... gets hurt, and can no longer be a pro athlete... get's cut... Now that guy is working at a "normal" job...that pays $50k... The workers comp (my understanding?) is that the company (the team) would have to pay the additional $400K to compensate that player- as he was "injured while performing the duties of the job" The NFL wants to stop those payments at age 35 instead of 67... (I don't understand this part....sounds a little too good to be true)

I'm still confused as to how contract length and injury settlements work into that equation. I'm thinking that the injury settlement would account for this and...I do believe that teams and the NFL DO supply medical benefits in the event of a career ending injury... or at the very least I would think the team would only be on the hook for the remaining length of the contract the player signed.

Are there any labor lawyers out there that knows this?... please fill in my misunderstandings, how wrong did I get it... When originally reported I was kinda pissed at the Bears...but this makes sense to me.

 

[anotheridiot]

I am pretty sure the professional players have insurance take over their contracts for the full amount during the injury year so they are paid whether they play or not and it is not paid for by the team. But the players have no real guarantees and can be cut at any time. I am pretty sure that is the IR deal. When the player goes to IR insurance takes over since he is no longer participating in team activities.

I dont think your example is making up for that 400K balance, this is for the players that cannot even do that 50K job. This is a cost of living that other people on disability get. This day an age its concussion syndromes, brain damage that can keep a player from holding a "normal" job.

Like I said, I think you should be pissed at the bears because part of this is the organization voting against any petition for the teams and the NFL writing the monthly disability checks. States are broke as it is, even if they are getting a huge cut of that 150 million player payroll in state taxes, they cannot isolate those dollars in a pool for the players.

We just watched million dollar super bowl ads, some made no sense. Avacados from Mexico needed to spend a million dollars? Where the fuck else would you get avacados from and would you actually choose to buy the mexican avacado over the south american avacado at the grocery store? This is all monopoly money to lay people, and it sure seems like something that would take a ton of heat off of the NFL with Ditka talking up a storm for pensions.

 

[NCChiFan]

I would be SHOCKED if ex NFL players had to utilize either state disability or workman's comp for anything related to football. Union would pitch a fit if this was the case. Do you have any idea what Workman's comp pays for any disabilities. Heck in my state the top pay out is $300,000 if you die and it is Workers Comp related. Guys with head trauma got what? $1 billion from the NFL? Not to mention all of the policies out there to protect athletes in case they break something and can never play again. Not buying it. No way the NFL players rely solely on Workman's comp for anything. Employees of the Bears or anyone else, sure... The janitor, the equipment guys, etc...

I did a little reading, seems that ex players who can prove injury while playing can actually pick a state where they played in to ask for damages so liberal states like California are big time with former athletes because of their liberal polices even though the athlete's nor the team live their, they just played games there. Again, cost figures for teams range around $2-3 million per year but could go as high as $10 million per year.

 

[anotheridiot]

As it was explained on 670. the law is currently in place to help injured workers. If a worker is injured on the job and he has to take a lower paying job the insurance will cover the difference up to age 67 because if they where not injured they would still be making that money.

The states that have this law all are saying that athletes never play to the age of 67 so there should be an exception to a more reasonable age like 35. (just for athletes)

The law was designed to help workers like roofers or construction workers that get hurt and can no longer work in there trade and have to take a different job. The law was never intended for million dollar athletes..

 

[Payton]

So bottom line... Is D Smith REALLY telling players not to sign with the Bears because they support a law that apparently exists in other NFL markets?

 

[RobBase]

Liberals hate sports. They're willing to sacrifice your Bears for their cause.

 

[BsGenius]

Talk about idiots making a mountain out of a mole hill. Players don't care about politics, money talks.

 

[anotheridiot]

would impact players making less than 100K per year, so that is no pro football player anyway, and if they are stupid enough to not pay a premium for disability insurance who wants them anyway.

 

[anotheridiot]

But then again, maybe you just find the right kind of player

Cooper overwhelmed by Bears fans 

 

[steve59]

The score had a union rep (or someone)explain many team owners are attempting to avoid liability and save money supporting the law, just business as usual, political corruption goes unnoticed these days.

 

[anotheridiot]

The score had a union rep (or someone)explain many team owners are attempting to avoid liability and save money supporting the law, just business as usual, political corruption goes unnoticed these days.

again, if the billion dollar teams of the NFL are only doing this so they do not have to pay for their players disability insurance past the age of 35.

I completely support this, why should the millionaires and billionaires need to use tax payer money? Give them tax breaks for their stadium, tax is being collected on all sales at the place and is a bigger number than what they are being given.

The bears have also signed more free agents, (albeit second and lower tiers) than any other team, so did it really matter?

 

[richig07]

The score had a union rep (or someone)explain many team owners are attempting to avoid liability and save money supporting the law, just business as usual, political corruption goes unnoticed these days.

Yeah... I'm more or less with AI and everyone else here. There's no corruption going on, and the front office brought in more free agents than anyone in the league. This is a non-story.

 

[steve59]

Seriously, I'm almost ashamed to suggest corruption and Politics in the same sentence, whatever could have come over me. Especially in Illinois, the land where the governors make our license plates.

 

[richig07]

Seriously, I'm almost ashamed to suggest corruption and Politics in the same sentence, whatever could have come over me. Especially in Illinois, the land where the governors make our license plates.

I don't get it...

Are you suggesting that the "default" stance on every political story out of Illinois should = "Corruption!"

"Some guy who was on 670 The Score said they're bad... and I don't really understand it all... so, that must mean they're bad."

Nice.

Because I'm sure that rep/attorney/politician... or whomever... doesn't have political ties or an agenda either. lol. He's the ONE guy shooting on the straight and narrow, telling it how it is! Right...

 

[steve59]

The united states government and all the way down to local townships salaries are paid by tax paying earners in this country. I'm suggesting NFL policy is NFL business, not government business. Let the lawyers fight it out, players have a union to bargain their priorities.

 

[nebearsfan70]

Non-issue