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All pro safety Earl Thomas Seattle Seahawks wrote on August 2, 2018:
If you’re risking your body to deliver all of this value to an organization, then you deserve some sort of assurance that the organization will take care of you if you get hurt. It’s that simple. This isn’t new, and this isn’t complicated. It’s the reason I’m holding out — I want to be able to give my everything, on every play, without any doubt in my mind.
Many sports fans will choose to blindly support the decision of the company (ownership) or the employee (athlete). They will make their decisions based, primarily on perceived and/or acquired pseudo-knowledge and understanding of the contractual nuances that have been given to them by the various sports outlets and their commentators. Don’t bore me with details.
The “loyalist” and “die-hard” fans have been indoctrinated and conditioned to believe that most if not all professional (football players) athletes are, extremely wealthy, narcissistic, prima-donnas that are loyal only to themselves and have little if any regard for the fan’s desire to be entertained as long as they can; count their millions, drive expensive/fancy automobiles, reside in mansions and live an extravagant lifestyle that is only experienced by the rich and the famous.
Perceptions, be they false or quantifiably true have destroyed more lives and caused the demise of more friendships and marriages than hundreds of years of wars. We are inundated with the ideas, ideals, and misinformation of those who wish to gain, maintain and remain in power.
If we were to take a closer look at the life of a football player relative to receiving compensation from the company for “renting” his athletic/physical skills and abilities, to said company we may find that the true, narcissists and prima-donnas just might be the company.
Within our male-dominated society, sports are said by some to be a “catalyst” in preparation for war and is used either consciously or subconsciously as an “unspecified” proving ground through rigorous preparation and physical acumen to exhibit physical superiority over another. Thus, sports—specifically contact sports such as football—have taken on the identity of being a symbol of strength that provides an element of patriotism. Yes, I said to provide a symbol and an element of strength and patriotism. Doesn’t matter that the United States Military pays millions of dollars in advertisement funds to the NFL to play the National Anthem as a means of promotion, dominance, sacrifice, and loyalty to address its cause.
The elephant in the room is worse than having that fictional bull in a china shop, you can not only observe the destruction caused by the bull as he clumsily cascades through the store’s displays, you can hear the broken pieces and fragments as they are being shattered and trampled.
Unfortunately, the contracts that are offered for the “renting” of someone’s athletic/physical skills and abilities are far less audible and are invariably invisible to the “loyalist” and the “diehard” fans.
Words of Clarity
Approximately 95% of these gentlemen are responsible for the welfare of entire families, sometimes they are responsible for their communities in various ways, i.e., “giving back,” regardless of the fact that they were never given too, they are still expected to “give back,” politicians hands are extended, churches hands are extended, civic organizations hands are extended, uncles, cousins and friends that you never knew and are ever knew existed nor ever had any contacted with hands are extended and all are extended in the athletes direction. He doesn’t get to enjoy the fruits of his own labor, let alone does he get to stockpile a huge sum of funds in a short period of time.
All professional (CONTACT SPORTS-FOOTBALL) contracts should have a surgeon general’s label listed at the very top of the contract that reads; “SIGNERS BEWARE”.
Do not be misled by the alleged “monster/blockbuster” contracts and monies that these guys reportedly make, those contracts are set aside for a select few and the list is very SHORT.
Contracts and the funds that are reported publicly are never accurate, they are never accurate because the content of the contract is kept deceptively quiet, under the guise of privacy.
Listed below are just a few items that may be contained within a professional football players contract, said contract may be a twenty (20), thirty (30) or more pages document.
Contracts are very rarely if at all “paid-n-full,” they are stretched over a number of years that will ultimately “out-last” the player’s ability to perform at a competitive level that will satisfy the company (organization). They are loaded with all sorts of legal jargon, and clauses that render the contract in a great number of instances “unenforceable.” Players are required to actively participate for a specified number of years (5-10), before qualifying for retirement (Players must reach a specified age before receiving said retirement regardless of when they exited the game). They are required to participate in a specified number (injuries are highly ignored) of the contest. They, too, are required to pay “FICA” and all the other taxes that are required, personal health and life insurance, dieticians, physical therapist, sports agents, and a whole litany of other athletic-related expenses.
Dare we mention the possibility of receiving life-altering debilitating injuries, such as; CTE, and other neurological atrocities, paralysis, and broken bones.
This audible silence can be deafening and often is devastating as some misinformed “fan” utters the unforgivable words; “they knew that injuries were a part of the game,” we know that automobile accidents according to the National Highway Safety Administration occurs every twelve (12’) seconds but we continue to drive.
The average career span of a professional football player is three (3) to five (5) years.
Contracts are designed to protect both the company (organization) and the employee (athlete), the operative word is “Protect.”
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Photo Credit: Pixabay
Melvin, thanks for this article. I see these issues, up close and personal, since my two, twin, grandsons, Jacob and Cody Hollister, were signed to the New England Patriots last year. Cody was injured and just underwent surgery to repair a disk in his back. Jacob played his second pre-season game. They’re doing what they love, but its not always a level playing field and injury is a constant risk.