When football men clash, it always promises to be a bruising battle. They attack with the gusto of a linebacker on a blitz. Witness, for instance, the on-going feud between the head of the NFL Players' Association, Gene Upshaw, and his most vocal critic, former Bears coach Mike Ditka.
Ditka accuses Upshaw and the union he represents of abandoning the league's former players. These former players, after years of the game ravaging their bodies, are sometimes in need of medical help. Sometimes, they need help in adjusting to life outside the very specialized world of the NFL. And some were on the gridiron in the days before the average player made $1.1 million, and so they need a financial handout.
Ditka says the NFLPA has not gone far enough in addressing these needs. He points out that the league was built on the shoulders of these former players, and without their effort, the NFL would not be the billion dollar business it is today. But Ditka also made it personal, accusing Upshaw of taking an illegal loan from the NFLPA.
Ditka had former Jacksonville Jaguar and Cincinnati Bengal, Brian DeMarco, speak at his restaraunt. DeMarco was supposed to be a prime example of a player the Players' Association had abandoned. But after his appearance, the union produced copies of seven checks sent over the course of the past nine months on behalf of DeMarco totaling $9,748.81. DeMarco also apparently received a $50,000 severance claim when he left the NFL after the 2000 season and has a 401(k) plan with $151,000 in it.
And Ditka's concern for injured players rings hollow with at least one player who was on the roster of a Mike Ditka coached team. Former Bears safety Dave Duerson (he's now a trustee on the NFL Players Association retirement board) says Ditka was, "very disrespectful of guys who got hurt."
It's an ironic twist, really. The same tactics that Ditka's using to bring the problem into the spotlight are now undermining his credibility on the issue. But don't expect Ditka to give up the fight. When football men are involved, there are no half measures.
Damaris Lewis
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