Message from Jeff Nixon

Dear NFL Retired Players:

I have been very busy lately, responding to numerous emails from alumni around the country asking what they can do to help to push for better pension benefits.

The players did approve a resolution asking the NFLPA (Gene Upshaw) to use its (his) best efforts in bargaining with the NFL to increase the benefit credit amounts for all retired players.

This whole issue is really in Gene's hands. The owners have contributed all that they are obligated to contribute, based on what has been agreed to in the CBA. Gene must now decide what is the best way to divy up the money. So, how do all the affected parties feel about this:

• The owners don't really care how he divides the money because it’s already a defined amount that can't be increased.
• The current players have indicated that they want Gene to use his best efforts to increase the benefit credit. But, keep in mind, they didn't vote to increase it for everyone from $200 per credited season to $425 per credited season, so they don't want Gene to give away the whole increase in the salary cap.
• The retired players want an increase… period. How much will make us happy. I don't know, but hopefully it is a significant amount and not just a 10% across the board.

So what's the problem! Gene has said that this is the last CBA that he will negotiate, so why not give the retired players a hefty increase. There's 9,560 of us that are currently receiving benefits, compared to approximately 1,700 current players (and not all of them will qualify for pensions). The current players (millionaires) were doing exceptionally well under the previous CBA, and there's every indication that the cap will continue to rise every year as owners continue to generate more local revenues and the TV revenues continue to go through the roof.

One thing you can do is this.......

call Gene Upshaw's Office at 1-800-372-2000.

Don't worry, he won't answer the phone, but his Secretary will... and she will take a message. Send him the following message, or something like it, "The current players have asked him (Gene Upshaw) for an increase in our pensions. Please ask him to go to bat for us ". Sorry, I couldn't find a good football analogy. If you are able to speak directly to Gene, just speak from your heart.

You could also send him an email at nflretiredplayers@nflplayers.com, or send him a personal letter (this is good) and tell him what life after football has been like for you and how this could really help you/your family’s situation in life. Let him know that all retired players are trusting him to do his best! His address is: Gene Upshaw, Executive Director, NFLPA 2021 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20036.

Andre Collins, NFLPA Director of Retired Players told me today that the pension issue will not be totally resolved for some time. So you have time to do something. Gene needs to hear from you!

This may be tough, but I would advise everyone to be respectful in your communications, but at the same time…… be painfully honest. We all can get a little edgy when so much is on the line. Gene needs to know that although there have been some nasty and angry comments from the retired players……. in the end he can still make an immediate impact on the lives of 9,560 of his fellow alumni! And that's only the ones that are currently receiving benefits. There are hundreds joining the ranks every year!

If what I have stated here does not motivate you…….the next amount of information I give you will probably get you really pissed off to the point that you will act. The fact that we have to beg like this to get some assistance from current players and Gene, is depressing enough. And please, understand this, I do not resent the current players for what they make. They just need to understand why they're reaping the following benefits:

The current player average annual salary is $1,400,000 and the average annual starter salary is $2,259,000. The average annual salary for quarterbacks, running backs and offensive tackles is $3,000,000 for more information go to <http://www.nflpa.org/PDFs/Shared/2005_Mid-Season_Omnibus_Salary_Averages_&_Signing_Trends_November_2005.pdf .>

In addition to the Bert Bell Retirement Plan, here are some of the other benefits for players fortunate enough to have been in the league from 1993 until today:

Severance Pay Plan:

• If a player is released during this Collective Bargaining Agreement and has at least two credited seasons in the league, he'll receive $10,000 for every year he played 1993-1999, increasing to $12,500 per year 2000 - 2002. If a player had a credited season between 1993-1999, he will receive $5,000 for each year played 1989-1992. Credited seasons for severance pay prior to 1989 are governed by the 1982 CBA.

NFL Player Annuity Program:

• New in 1998, Players with four or more credited seasons are eligible for this program.
• Therefore, an eligible player should receive approximately $65,000 in an Annuity Program contribution for 2003.
• Players may elect to receive a distribution at age 35 or five years after his last credited season, whichever is later.

NFL Player Second Career Savings Plan:

• Players are eligible to contribute to the plan and receive a club contribution if they have two (2) credited seasons. First year players (not including practice squad players) may contribute to the plan.
• 2001-final League year: $2 for each $1 player makes in saving contributions; maximum club contribution is $20,000.
• The minimum club contribution for the 2001 season through the final League year is $3,600, if a player elects not to contribute his own pre-tax savings
• Players can choose among nine investment fund options.
• Players can withdraw the money in their accounts at age 45 or later.

As you can see, the current players are not going to be missing any meals anytime soon! If they do it right, a player (since 1993) can pretty much be set for retirement they day they leave the league! Don't get me wrong, I think its great that they are getting this kind of money, but its only because we (now retired players) went on strike in 1974, 1977, 1982 and 1987. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that in those years before the strikes, players were in a very precarious situation. It was very easy to get blackballed from the league for any union organizing type activities.

This has been a long and sustained battle and once we got unionized, the NFLPA continued to get better and smarter every step of the way. It was the 1987 strike that eventually led the players and NFLPA to the smartest move of all. Decertification of the union! This step effectively forced owners to obey the Anti-Trust Laws. Of course we know what happened.......they did not follow the law and we sued them. They knew they were going to lose the court battle and that would have cost them hundreds of millions in damages and would have changed the face and structure of the NFL forever. The owners knew it would be total chaos if they did not eventually settle in 1993. The draft would have been a thing of the past. It would be a free-for-all in signing players. They wouldn't be able to share TV revenues. Some teams that didn't generate enough local revenue would have folded. All of this would have happened because of Anti-Trust Laws designed to protect the worker and the public in general.

Why didn't the NFLPA decertify back in 1974, '77, or '82? We could have forced the sharing of owner wealth a lot sooner. I guess we will never know. I guess sometimes you need to get your ass kicked a few times before you really fight back. And we fought back, and players got blackballed and careers ended.

The point is this............we paved the way, we did the heavy lifting, and now we would like to partake in the fruits of our labor!

Make that phone call, write that letter or send that email. You'll sleep better knowing you did something to help the cause.

From the sound of it, the Baltimore Retired Players Chapter will also be providing information and guidance to everyone regarding the next steps we can take.

Sincerely,

Jeff Nixon
Vice President
Buffalo Bills Retired Players Chapter
http://theplayer-38@blogspot.com

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