The Justice Retired Players Demand

Subject: The justice retired players want and are battling to obtain.

Guys: I sent this to you a month or so ago and I sent it to many congressional staffers, Representatives, and Senators. I am about to send it again so if you have anything to add or change let me know.Guys: If I haven't expressed our thoughts in a way you agree with let me know or the Congressional staff members.I understand you folks (the Congressional Committee staffers) are asking "around" again about what the retired NFL players want other than justice.

Here is what we want:

1A: Retired players do not want to be represented in any way by Gene Upshaw or the NFLPA. Upshaw states it is illegal for the NFLPA to represent retire players in collective bargaining then violates the law he cites by representing retired players to their detriment like making a "best effort" increase of $1.63 per day pension benefit increase. We want Upshaw and the NFL owners prosecuted by the Dept of Labor and Dept of Justice for violating the labor law that Upshaw and the owners flaunt while making their collective "best effort" benefit increase of $1.63 per day in his dictatorial role empowered by the owners promotion of the scam that includes giving Upshaw a $10,000 per day increase in compensation. So there is no misunderstanding the retired players simply want nothing to do with Upshaw or the NFLPA.

1) Adjust the Bert Bell Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan to match Major League Baseball's retirement plan. [In addition fix the benefits of the 350 players, who on the bad and misleading advice of the NFLPA, took their pensions early.]

2) Re-write completely the disability plan using the input of retired players and the attorneys who have represented them against the Groom Law Group. Our industry is unique having unique problems and the solutions should meet those unique problems especially those that deal with the injuries sustained by the players who play the game extending into the problems those injuries cause throughout player's lives.

3) Establish a means for the retired players to protect their interests and control their own retirement Plan now and in the future so future corrupt union leaders cannot exploit the active player, retired player's divergent interests. One option is to give the retired players a vote in the union, which gives active players a vote for life in the union, both on a one man one vote basis. A unique industry must have unique solutions. Another solution is to form and operate an independent retired players “organization” without any ties or involvement with the NFLPA or its leadership or the active players.

4) A GAO audit of the retirement plan finances and operations, as well as the union’s financial operations, and the operation of the league office and all its legal entities. And a GAO audit that shows the true income and the true percentages of the benefits and compensation that goes to the active players, the retired players, and the owners. This is needed for several reasons including to establish a base line from which to operate in the future.

5) Award the retired player’s retribution in retirement benefits and disability benefits owed them as a result of the leadership of the NFLPA acting in collusion with the NFL office and owners. Sever all ties between retired players and Gene Upshaw and the active players and their union as well as give the retired players control over their own Bert Bell Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan which owns the disability plan. We want no relationship whatever with Groom Law Group or any of those who have administered any part of the fiasco of a retirement or disability plan in the past. Retired players were far better off before NFLPA’s Gene Upshaw arrogantly broke the law after recognizing it and unilaterally began representing retired players in collective bargaining when nobody asked or wanted him to except the owners.

6) The owners opting out of the CBA means nothing to correcting these problems because any solutions, changes that involve the CBA can be made using the NFLPA's infamous "side letter" agreements. But the changes can be legislated and need not have anything to do with the CBA since its illegal to collectively bargain for retired players anyway.7) A sports Commission or Commissioner to oversee the antitrust abuses by NFL franchise owners of the players and the public from employment to stadium construction, TV contracts, and franchise location issues seems obvious.

Bernie Parrish 202-386-6400