Greg Lloyd says NFL is 'not PBS... it's a.......

Yeah, I agre it's a tricky one trying to gauge run of the mill players pay versus what their options are off the field.

But on this note, let's not pretend pay and risk are related so directly. After all, golf is a pretty high-paid sports, and that's hardly high risk. At the other end, the likes of gymnasts and marathon runners distort their bodies through years of rigorous training, and are hardly paid at all. I don't believe that Chris Johnson is getting paid extra money because he might get injured, he's getting paid extra money because he equals wins for the franchise in a league that is keen on expanding its revenue.

 

A bit off topic, and I know technology isn't the answer to everything, but I feel more could be done with the R&D of NFL helmets.

Yeah, they have the new helmet to prevent concussions like Ben wears, but it is still a solid object that can be used as a weapon out on the field. Guys are still are willing to throw their body head first into something with those things on.

Are current helmets the best way to protect people from concussions? Maybe they need to come up with something radically different?

 

I 100% agree with the helmet issue.

First, 99% of today's helmets do not fit properly, they are way too loose, which really leads to more concussions.
Second, I agree with exterior padded head protection to take away the use of the helmet as a weapon.
Also, I think shoulder pads should be reduced to protection vice weaponry as well. I recently watched the top 10 power backs on NFL and it was very noticable when they had the Bronco Negursky footage - leather helmets and very minimal padding, yet they still played hard. Like rugby, no pads, yet they still go hard.

Todays football helmet and shoulder pads are weaponry moreso than protection.

 

i agee about the helemts I think those helmets could be made where there are almost no concussions.

 

It's possible to design helmets that break apart. This allows the helmet to absorb much of the impact. They do this in auto racing: both cars and retaining walls are built this way. In terms of a helmet, they'd certainly have to have an outer shell that is piced together like a puzzle and these pieces fly off in a hard hit. Yeah, it would be a bit of a pain to pick up the pieces and get the player a new helmet, but it beats carting guys off.

 

Lets be realistic here there are two completely different things that Llyod is talking about here. The first is how the league is addressing the violence of the game and the second is how the league and Players association is handling older veteran players be they retired or not.

So as far as his first point that is no different than what we have heard Hines Ward express in the past. It is hypocritical for the league to dole out fines on big hits such as the one the Harrison leveled in the Cleveland game two years ago and then turn around and market that violence in an attempt to gain more money ie selling pictures of the hit on Massaquad. Llyod is right they market that violence and sell it but they do very little in the way of educating players on how to take care of their bodies, the long term effects of playing, how to hit and so forth. He is speaking his mind as someone who has been part of the process and I have no problem with his point of view.

THe second part is something I do have a problem with and not because of anything Llyod said but because as a union the PA is really failing these retired players and the league is not doing much in the way of helping either. I won't lay the blame completely on Goodell because he is just the latest figurehead for the league. These problems go back years if not decades and trying to blame Goodell for everything is not being realistic. This is an industry that is very much built on the "what have you done for me lately" philosophy and GL is absolutely right they get the biggest bang out of you and when you can't go anymore you are cast aside. I would love to see the numbers for players that move from the ranks of playing into coaching or broadcasting. I have to think it is less than 1%. So then you have these huge numbers of former athletes that may or may not have finished college, are used to a type of lifestyle where things are given to them and having a certain amount of money and after football they have no career path. That is where some of the run in with the law have happened in recent years and where the PA is failing these guys in terms of health care and treatment and helping them to adjust to life after football. I know it has to be tough for the league and the PA to get through to some of these players, guys who think they are tough as nails and will play forever but they do need to think about the future. Call me naive but in a billion dollar industry I think it is a shame that they don't do more beyond the game for retired player, current players and rookies.

 

Not sure what their business model exactly is to take care of retired players?

I know they said most of the money they raise from the probowl goes toward it...yet Goddell is perfectly fine with getting rid of it.

 

I believe the mininum is 400K X that by (4 avg football career) you have 1mill 600 k
do you think the majority of these players will make that in their lifetime?
Lets see the Avg Pennsylvanian makes 43,000/yr X 37 yrs = 1,591,000
Boy I know what i would do.

 

Funny that you mention hockey,( they too haveserious marketing problems) see Sid Crosby
Are you going to go when they stop the fighting?
Watch how many fans drop off the Hockey bandwagon.

 

i agree with you. i will even further the cause though.

what about these big time college programs? that's where this life after football should be started for alot of these guys. they get bigtime TV money and gate reciepts too. colleges make alot of money off these athletes with no pay. at least educate them in money management during they're playing time and teach them to live within their means and plan for the future, be it health insurance plans, and retirement needs. show them how to save and spend this money they are about to receive. the NFL and PA can then further their education.

all ex athletes have had this delema. they spend like drunken sailors when they are making the big bucks and then 10 years later these new guys are making tons more and they think they should be too. take a big portion of that TV money and put it in a pool for these things. make it so the owners and PA can't even bargain about it.

 

You cant get rid of a rb ducking. They would get destroyed going through the hole.