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One of the saddest things to see is the professional football hall of fame ceremony. The former football field titans can barely step on the stage, their golden-sheathed bodies shattered by the work they had done for the NFL. Glory is in the past, the present filled with pain and inability.
My initial reaction was therefore sympathy for the Hall of Famers who sent a letter this week demanding health insurance and a share of the league's income. The NFL has always shown little interest in the good thing for the health of the players, now and in the future.
But after a closer reading? Wow, what division
A group of players led by Eric Dickerson wrote a letter threatening to boycott the annual Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton, Ohio. They presented themselves as "an integral part of the creation of the modern NFL, which generated $ 14 billion in revenue in 2017". The letter goes on: "We write to ask for two things including a share of the league's revenue.
Is not this the ultimate team game? What about men who have also ruined their bodies to help the teams – and those Hall of Famers – to reach fame? What about Dwight Clark, who has not entered the lobby, but whose picture is iconic? Why the demand to only occupy the elite elite?
The men who signed the letter were among the most rewarded. This is not to dismiss the struggles they lead after their careers. These are real. It is their disgust for the income invested in the salary of Commissioner Roger Goodell or in a new village of the Pantheon.
But their former teammates, who did not get as much glory or wealth, but also sacrificed their future health, are also struggling. Maybe even more. Do not they deserve a share?
The missive created a controversy, with errors, including using the name of Jerry Rice, who issued a statement stating that he was not consulted. Dickerson thinks his group has the power to create a change that will eventually help all players. But that seems like a way to divide terribly.
This makes it clear why NFL players have the weakest union in professional sports. Gathering does not seem to be their thing.
Ann Killion is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @annkillion
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