Comments on: Tom Brady getting involved in labor issues

By: SmackMyVickUp

SmackMyVickUp — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:02:00 +0000

The NFL takes people that would have no chance of success in “real life” and gives them millions of dollars to play a game. They should be happy with what they get.
Say they deserve the large amounts of cash because of the risk they take and sit out games with concussions because of the risk.
Can’t have it both ways.

By: yumbodee

yumbodee — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:45:57 +0000

Say guys. I think Tom may be talking about players that haven’t invested wisely. How do they pay for medical bills? I am sure Tom Brady will have medical insurance coverage for his ailments. He sounds smart enuf to plan ahead in that way. But some unfortunates who spend it all and retire a la Lawrence Taylor . . . how do they pay for medical insurance? Lighten up. These guys deserve as much as any owner. And the fans who pay to watch . . . what do they deserve? How ’bout insurance against couch potato syndrome (heart disease). Dorks.

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Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:20:09 +0000

Damn… and I screwed up the numbers.
The NFLPA site quotes $1.1 million for an average salary, but that was in 2000 with a cap of $62 million.
Today’s cap is $128 million. 53 players on a team.
Now follow along, NoHomeTeam… math is hard… but that means the average annual salary in the NFL in 2009 is $2,415,000 and change.
Even if YOU were the player’s financial advisor and got your fantastic 2.5% return–let’s say the guy really scrimps and saves, and lives on just $415,000, eating rice and beans and dry breakfast cereal just to get by–even with your financial wizardry, that’s $50,000 in passive income thrown off assuming he never invests another dime beyond the initial $2,000,000 you told him to put in a savings account. At an easily achievable 10% rate, that’s a $200,000 annual income, without doing a thing. Just by being smart with his money. Capiche?

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Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:09:21 +0000

Sorry, forgot to include the link for the financial wizard up there who thinks millionaires are investing at 2.5%:
http://nflplayers.com/user/template.aspx?fmid=181&lmid=349&pid=0&type=l
2nd paragraph:
“This year, the average NFL salary was $1.1 million.”
3rd paragraph says the average NFL career is 3 1/2 years.
So, yeah… in an industry where the AVERAGE employee makes $3.85 million over a short 4 yr span, it’s their own fault for not covering their asses.

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Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:03:11 +0000

“At a safe investment rate of 2.5% – 3%, that would yield about $19-$20k a year. ”
If anyone is investing big money at 2.5% a year, they need somebody with an IQ higher than a pencil eraser to advise you financially. A savings account is not an investment.
Even a mediocre financial planner can easily exceed the average annual rate of return of the stock market, which is north of 10% annually.
Also, according the NFLPA, the average annual player’s salary is $1.1 million… so not only is your financial knowledge lacking, your facts are incorrect, and your credibility shot.
So again, I don’t fault them one bit for what they make. But they are in no position to cry about risking injury when people making 2.7% of the annual player risk their lives and well-being daily as well.
So back to my original point… if guys making an average of $1,100,000 per year aren’t smart enough to invest it early and insure themselves against catastrophic injury–and to correct your flawed math, a conservative stock return of 10% or $110,000 per year leaving just one year’s salary intact as principle, is more than enough to get by on.
Here’s a novel idea: when they get that signing bonus and first year’s salary, don’t go buying the Mercedes or the Bentley, and Rolex, the diamond stud earring, and the big ass mansion–live on $50k like a typical college grad and invest the rest. And then, yes, if they invest it intelligently, they’ll never have to worry about what happens if they get hurt. Frugality–it works.

By: Deb

Deb — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:30:47 +0000

@malgorthewarrior … beautifully said.
@hayward giablommi … Yeah, societies were much more civilized during the Middle Ages when warring cultures slaughtered every man, woman, child, and beast of their opponents, and displayed the heads of their leaders on spikes. We’re going downhill fast.

By: malgorthewarrior

malgorthewarrior — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:47:15 +0000

I think there are some things people are forgetting:
-the average conract can be deceptive. Yes, there are a lot of players making millions in the NFL. These players (like Brady) will likely have nothing to worry about once their careers are over.
But there are many players who don’t get millions of guaranteed dollars-they are paid to play. Once they are hurt they have no guaranteed money, or it is a tiny fraction of the money they will receive if their contract is terminated.
There are also players who played before the era of high priced contracts. Many fans forget free agency and more market oriented (see: bloated) contracts are a fairly recent phenomenon. The union fights for players who paid the game and weren’t fairly compensated-getting them better access to medical care and other benefits.
Finally, no one is talking about the owners. It’s not like Tom Brady is saying that anyone who plays football deserves millions-they deserve millions because people are making billions off of the fruits of their labor.
Some of you talk as though “joe schmoe” would get all the money that Tom Brady is not getting. That’s not the case. You would still be paying outrageous prices for parking, tickets, concessions, etc, only the money would be going more to the owner and less the players.
The players are the reason i watch football. In my eyes, if football makes billions they deserve most of the money.

By: hayward giablommi

hayward giablommi — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:46:32 +0000

@ TheBigOldDog
Just a microcosm of society in general.
Sorry to say, but American “civilization” is in its twilight.

By: TheBigOldDog

TheBigOldDog — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:21:12 +0000

The level of severe mental illness displayed on PFT on a daily basis is truly frightening.

By: pubobby2004

pubobby2004 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:06:40 +0000

none of us can complain about what these guys are paid. as we log onto PFT, we basically sponsor those outrageous contracts. they have every right to get as much as they can. it’s simple supply and demand. they get more than cops and firemen and soldiers because, like it or not, anyone can be a cop, fireman, or soldier. something like .3% of high school athletes make it to the pros. if they were more easily replaceable, they would be compensated less.
my only issue with this, is that the ones who come up short, or run out of money after the game, become a draw on the rest of us.
yay capitolism. the only problem with it is that welfare exists. we can’t have it both ways.

By: Deb

Deb — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:04:50 +0000

So some of you think the millionaire athletes should stop picking on the BILLOINAIRE owners??? In a dispute between workers vs. corporate owners, I know where I stand. Without the athletes there’d be no league–they deserve to be compensated according to what they bring to the table.
@severs28 … these guys ARE living real lives–successfully. But what makes you think they couldn’t do anything else? Football has the highest number of college graduates of any professional sport. Many players go on to very successful post-field careers. Lose the bitterness. It’s not healthy.

By: Sportnman

Sportnman — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:03:06 +0000

Hey “severs28″-First comment regarding this story.
That has got to be by far the dumbest thing I have ever read in all of my days!
Please tell me how you know that “these people” would not have “NO CHANCE ELSE IN LIFE”?
I think you just showed us who the true looser is! BTW, you’re wife is serving up pig intestines in the back of the trailer park where she works MORON!

By: Obeah

Obeah — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:19:41 +0000

Tom, fluff your hair secure your make up, look good for the camera, and shut up.

By: ripped

ripped — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:16:48 +0000

OK first time ever replying on this site…
My brother is a member of the US Air Force E.O.D. (bomb squad)… talk about putting your body on the line… He makes a decent living doing so, roughly 50-60K. And the only compensation he gets for doing a good job is staying alive…you know, keeping America free for the countless scumbags demanding millions for their “physical jobs where they put their body on the line”. Its bullshit. My brother signed up knowing the risk but he did it because its what he wanted to do– just like a football player. And shit, if he dies, they send my family a 400,000 life insurance payment (whats that, like YEARLY salary of the lowest paid NFL player?)
And as far as players wanting in on all this money that the owners make from the players… why don’t these players get smart with their money and invest and try to become part of a ownership team… when they start raking in the money from being in ownership, I’m sure they would be more then willing to give tons of extra money to the players…yeah right.
Go serve in the military in time of war and then let me know just how valid “putting their bodies on the line” seems…

By: NoHomeTeam

NoHomeTeam — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:07:18 +0000

Your comment submission failed for the following reasons: Registration is required. says: “Do you know what the *average* annual salary is for NFL players? . . . Do you know what the *minimum* annual salaries are? . . . Properly investing just one year’s salary would throw off enough passive income to support them for a lifetime. . . Most of us regular schmoes can’t relate to the numbers these guys are dealing with. Too many zeroes involved, I guess, to clearly comprehend it.”
I’m going to guess that you were trying to apply the “ironic” html tag to your statement about “regular schmoes” not understanding the zeros.
It took about 30 seconds to come up with answers to your two questions. The average yearly salary for an NFL player is about $770k. At a safe investment rate of 2.5% – 3%, that would yield about $19-$20k a year. The League minimum is about $290k. At the same rate of return, that will produce about $7k-$8k a year.
Maybe the cost of living is lower where you are, but those numbers don’t really sound like enough to “support them for a lifetime.”

By: footballisfun

footballisfun — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:50:52 +0000

“So, if the current pay scale in the NFL isn’t sufficient for the physical investment that the players have, what should US Soldiers be paid? Police? Fireman?”
Come on, you can never make that comparison. We live in a capitalist world. Its all about the pie being dealt with. Right now the NFL is making billions of dollars, therefor the players want to take part in those billions of dollars. Just as if I work for something like Google I would want to be fairly compensated for the amount of money I help them make. The NFL makes 7 billion dollars a year. Lets say Tom Brady makes 14 million dollars a year. Therefor Tom Brady’s chunk of the pie is 0.2% of the total revenue of the NFL. And his salary is one of the top salaries in the league I imagine. We’re not debating if Tom Brady is making more than a Boston city police officer, we’re debating the difference between how much money Tom Brady is making compared to Robert Kraft. Why should the owners get all of the revenue? Both sides need to be treated fairly so the negotiations will continue. Its ignorant to complain about either party making too much money. Its capitalism.

By: mooremi9

mooremi9 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:36:01 +0000

Tom Brady is no better then Tiger Woods. And they are both going bald.

By: davis1281

davis1281 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:29:24 +0000

DarnFlorio says:
December 4, 2009 1:03 PM
ScottieC says:
December 4, 2009 12:33 PM
pats suck, blow and cheat* says:
I mean, Really -Does it matter what this guy says? His name says it all.
He’s a little jealous cry baby who’s team has been beat like a drum by Tom and the Patriots.
Get out of your mom’s basement, the fumes are fueling your adolescent hatred of a team and game that you should love to watch.
______
NO ONE here “hates” the Pats (and certainly not the game of football). We all merely dislike you moronic Pats fans (who are also moronic Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fans as well as just moronic New Englanders in general). And as far as the general population of men living in their mommy’s basements, the Northeast has the largest concentration of basements per capita in the US, therefore chances are that you New England pussies are the ones habitating said basements.
Besides, ANYONE who refers to himself with a little boy’s name like Scottie certainly hasn’t cut the apron strings. Now, get off your mommy’s computer before she has to smack your little behind, loser. Besides, you will be late for your afternoon shift at the local Mickey D’s if you don’t get a move on and your mommy won’t let you watch your Saturday morning cartoons if you lose yet another dead-end job.
————————-
Ignor the last line, please I am trying
yours truly
cornfloiro , pornflorio , darnflorio

By: footballrulz

footballrulz — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:20:05 +0000

There is a fairly simple solution to this. Require NFL teams/owners to carry Workman’s Comp for their players , practice squad and other employees (like any normal business has to). This takes care of all medical costs as well as short term salary loss, as well as long term disability that compensates for lost income long term. Yes, it would be expensive but hey, it’s not like they can’t afford it.
Just a thought

By: dsigrey

dsigrey — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:11:58 +0000

I don’t think he necessarily is talking about the hire paid players. It’s the guys who play the average 3 years for minimal money, that need the help.

By: Insomniac

Insomniac — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:03:24 +0000

I thought the most interesting thing in the article was the talk about guaranteed contracts. First time I’ve really heard it mentioned seriously.
“Guaranteed contracts would be great for the players to have, but there are a lot of ramifications for both sides,” Brady said. “A lot of former players sacrificed a lot over the years for the CBA and there are still no guaranteed contracts. We’ll have to see what ends up being negotiated, but that’s a big deal for us. As a player, we all understand the day the team feels it can replace you for a dollar less, they will.”

By: DarnFlorio

DarnFlorio — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:03:07 +0000

ScottieC says:
December 4, 2009 12:33 PM
pats suck, blow and cheat* says:
I mean, Really -Does it matter what this guy says? His name says it all.
He’s a little jealous cry baby who’s team has been beat like a drum by Tom and the Patriots.
Get out of your mom’s basement, the fumes are fueling your adolescent hatred of a team and game that you should love to watch.
______
NO ONE here “hates” the Pats (and certainly not the game of football). We all merely dislike you moronic Pats fans (who are also moronic Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fans as well as just moronic New Englanders in general). And as far as the general population of men living in their mommy’s basements, the Northeast has the largest concentration of basements per capita in the US, therefore chances are that you New England pussies are the ones habitating said basements.
Besides, ANYONE who refers to himself with a little boy’s name like Scottie certainly hasn’t cut the apron strings. Now, get off your mommy’s computer before she has to smack your little behind, loser. Besides, you will be late for your afternoon shift at the local Mickey D’s if you don’t get a move on and your mommy won’t let you watch your Saturday morning cartoons if you lose yet another dead-end job.

By: I♥Patriots

I♥Patriots — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:02:00 +0000

hayward got it right about matt walsh. Brady spends as much time as possible with that kid.

By: Fan_Of_ Four

Fan_Of_ Four — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:57:26 +0000

I’d rather hear Marsha Brady talk about Greg trying to sneak in her bedroom at night. Sorry Tom, it’s hard to find any sympathy for guys making millions playing a kids game. Regular guys go to work everyday and put themselves at risk and if they get hurt most of the time they get a small settlement and social security for life which is keeps them below the poverty line so I mean this in the nicest possible way…Phuck ewe.

By: foosmom

foosmom — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:57:24 +0000

Brady represents players…each of you represents police, fightfighters, etc. If you want them to get paid more, use your voting rights to do it.

By: DarnFlorio

DarnFlorio — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:56:50 +0000

danmateus75 says:
December 4, 2009 11:58 AM
Hey Matt Walsh….
Brady is with his kid often.
And if you are married I would like to see the pig that would marry you.
peskys_pole says:
December 4, 2009 12:01 PM
Matt Walsh – try standing when you pee. You may sound less bitchy
you other idiots – Brady is not talking about himself here, he is talking FOR the guys who dont have a public voice. Guys that get hurt playing and need the pension and other benefits that DeMaurice Smith is fighting for.
If Ryan Pontbriand gives this same speech, not even Florio would report on it.
The Union needs Brady and other high-profile guys to give the talk.
hayward giablommi says:
December 4, 2009 12:02 PM
@ Matt Walsh
You are a pathetic, embarrassing, disgusting disgrace of a disgruntled human being…and a waste of oxygen.
Your commentary here on PFT is pretty weak, too.
p.s. How’s that book deal coming along?
___________
Coming from you Three Stooges, that’s a laugh. Llike you know ANYTHING about ANYTHING, much less what Brady does or doesn’t do. I’m pretty sure that Tom Brady not only doesn’t need your help defending himself, but that he doesn’t even know who any of you are (except that he likes the way that you orally service him after games).

By: Bill Cowher's Chin

Bill Cowher's Chin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:53:18 +0000

Brady has to talk about this, Roethlisburger is too stupid to be able to make a valid point, and Peyton Manning gets more money whoring himself on endorsements than he gets paid for winning games.
Brady didnt say that he was talking about himself, he is talking about the guys that abuse their bodies for a few years, make less than a million in their career, and then hobble around for the rest of their lives.
Someone needs to speak for the guys making $300K, before Obama’s “tax the wealthy” approach takes half of it, play for 4 years, and have less than $800K (if they didnt spend a dime during their playing days).
It is only human for the players to want more, for the owners to want to give less, and for us fans to complain that they get paid so much they shouldnt be allowed to complain………

By: Professor

Professor — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:49:44 +0000

I think most of you guys are missing the point. Of course I agree that almost all professional athletes are over paid when you compare them to cops, firefighters, etc. But you’re comparing apples to oranges.
Yes, in the real world most NFL players make a ton of money and should have nothing to complain about. However, in professional sports, football is by far the most physically demanding, offers the highest risk for injury and requires the most commitment and yet on average they are the lowest paid athletes in sports. You can’t tell me a 35 year old closer in baseball should be making the same amount of money as Tom Brady. That is really the NFL players only point.
I think the real problem I have with these players is that they really don’t understand WHY they don’t make “baseball money.” They don’t understand that it costs an organization a hell of a lot more money to run a 52 man football team than a baseball or basketball team. Between having to pay a much smaller number of players and the organization having a lot more opportunity to make money on an 80+ game season in basketball or a 150+ game season in baseball there’s a lot more money to go around. Until NFL players are willing to expand the season past the current 17 week format, I doubt they will see any significant increase in pay across the board.

By: Guy Incognito

Guy Incognito — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Wow, hard to believe some of the vitriol being spit on this topic.
Yes, Tom Brady has made a boatload of money, but Kevin Everett most certainly did not. The man worked his entire life for a shot in the NFL, got it and suffered a career ending injury.
Everett’s situation pretty clearly falls under the umbrella of the representation that Brady is looking for.
Frankly, if I work for an organization that asks me to put myself in a situation where I could be permanently disabled I would like to know that I will be taken care of in the event such an injury were to occur.
Especially when we’re talking about a multi-billion dollar industry that has a history of not taking care of it’s retired players…

By: CapsLockKey

CapsLockKey — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:44:33 +0000

I’d rather see more of money go to the lesser and unknown players than the billionaire owners. It’s not the millionaire stars that are the ones in need, it’s bubble guys who barely make the roster or a practice squad, then get a career ending injury that affects them the rest of their lives while only making a few thousand bucks in the process that need the help. Those are the guys Brady is trying to represent, at least I hope that’s who he’s talking about. Although mentioning Drew Bledsoe sure didn’t help his case any so I can see why people are blasting him.