Players Inc. Changes Website to Reduce the Number of Retired Players Served

Dear Alumni:

Since my posting on October 20, 2006 regarding the number (3,500) of
retired players that Players Inc. says it represents on its website,
they have now reduced the number to (3,000). I'm not sure why they
made such a small reduction in the number. Maybe they were just
checking to see if anyone would notice. I should note that the NFLPA
website still states that Players Inc. represents 3,500 retired
players. I guess someone at Players Inc. forgot to cover their tracks
over at the NFLPA website.

Now..... down to business!

As I mentioned in my original posting, Players Inc. only compensated
375 retired players last year, based on what we were told and shown at
the Players Convention in Phoenix. I am still unclear as to how they
arrived at the total number of retired players they say they represent,
but based on the emails I have received, there are a lot of you out
there that don't get diddly squat, even if you have signed a licensing
agreement. That includes some Hall of Fame Players!!!!

Who makes the decisions on who gets invited to special events? If
you've been critical of the NFLPA is your license agreement in a dark
closet providing food for moths? Wouldn't it be nice if Players Inc.
provided all retired players with a guaranteed bonus at the start of
each year, similar to what they do with current players that receive
anywhere from 7 to 8 thousand annually. None of those players ever had
to go on strike to get the benefits they now enjoy. Many of the players
receiving these checks will warm the bench and never start for an NFL
team. Out of approx. 60 players on a teams roster (not including
practice squad) only 25 start! A perennial benchwarmer's current and
future market value to the NFL is zero, but yet they are still getting
a check from Players Inc. every year they make the team.

My rookie football card is probably not worth the gum that came with
it, but I did set 2 Buffalo Bills records that are still on the books;
3 interceptions in a game, and 5 consecutive games with an
interception. Nonetheless, father time has slowly driven my market
value to the NFL down to zero. Even so, that's still the same market
value of quite a few current players, so wouldn't it be nice if Players
Inc. made a policy decision to guarentee every retired player a small
piece of the "net" pie for helping them market the NFL ! Think about
it, they are Still showing game clips of many of the retired players in
order to market and sell the History of the NFL. They are using your
image! Fans that love the game are Still buying our football cards!
They are using your image! They are parading us out in front of the
fans at home games to pay homage to our era and what we accomplished.
(They do this in Buffalo and I assume they are doing this in other NFL
cities too)

Based on the information I received from Players Inc. at the
Convention, and doing the math, it looks like the total Players Inc.
annual expense of paying approx. 2,000 current players for their
licensing agreements is anywhere from 14 to 16 Million dollars
annually!

This money allows the NFL to market the players image. What about
retired players images! The Television footage of great games from the
past, Football Cards that are still in circulation. They are still
using us to market the NFL but very few of us are getting any
compensation.

I would love to see our Retired Players Steering Committee look at this
whole issue of Players Inc. providing ALL Retired Players with a
licensing agreement that provides compensation for ALL retired Players.
Even if the amount is small, it would make a huge statement to the NFL
Alumni that we are Still a big part of the history of the NFL and that
our leaders really care about the guys that put it all on the line to
make it what it is today!

The Mission statement for the NFLPA says the NFLPA ....pays homage to
our predecessors for their courage, sacrifice and vision. Most of us
are tired of getting payed homage and would rather just get paid.


Jeff Nixon
Vice President
Buffalo Bills Retired Players Chapter