Is There Life After Football? (45 page)

63
. Ibid.

64
. Research interview #20.

65
. Besinger, Ken. September 5, 2013. “Deion Sanders, Critic of NFL Concussion Settlement, Seeks Workers' Comp.”
LATimes.com
.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-deion-sanders-brain-20130906
; Schwarz, Alan. April 7, 2010. “Two Ex-players Leverage Connections in NFL Workers' Comp Cases.”
NYTimes.com
.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/sports/football/08lawyers.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
; both retrieved 10/18/13.

66
. “Total Knee Replacement Cost.” N.d.
Kneereplacementcost.com
.
http://www.kneereplacementcost.com/
; Kliff, Sarah. February 12, 2013. “How Much Does Hip Surgery Cost?”
Washingtonpost.com
.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/02/12/how-much-does-hip-surgery-cost-somewhere-between-10000-and-125000/
; both retrieved 10/19/13.

67
. Brownhill, Stacy. February 2, 2011. “Aches and Games.”
Wweek.com
.
http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-16892-aches_and_games.html
, retrieved 10/19/13.

68
. Player Care study.

69
. Ibid. A significant portion of former players' insurance plans don't cover prescription medications, and even fewer have dental insurance. See Appendix 2, “Retirement Benefits.”

70
. Ibid.

71
. Segura, September 10, 2012.

72
. For accounts of illicit self-medication, see
Broke
, Favre and Havel 1997.

73
.
Broke
.

74
. Jenkins, Sally, and Rick Maese. April 13, 2013. “Pain and Pain Management in NFL Spawn a Culture of Prescription Drug Use and Abuse.”
Washingtonpost.com
.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/pain-and-pain-management-in-nfl-spawn-a-culture-of-prescription-drug-use-and-abuse/2013/04/13/3b36f4de-a1e9-11e2-bd52-614156372695_story.html
, retrieved 5/21/13.

75
. Ibid.

76
. Ibid.

77
. Dryden, January 28, 2011.

78
. Player Care study.

79
. Ibid.

80
. Ibid.

81
. Guskiewicz, Kevin M., et al. 2007. “Recurrent Concussions and the Risk of Depression in Retired Professional Football Players.”
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
39(6): 903–9. Also see
League of Denial
.

82
. The observed conversation took place
before
discussion of the 2013 concussion lawsuit and settlement reached a fever pitch, so the voiced concerns weren't simply a matter of timing.

83
.
Mike and Mike
. October 21, 2013. ESPN Radio and ESPN2-TV. The segment was rebroadcast repeatedly in the following days.

84
.
League of Denial
, pp. 79–80.

85
.
SportsCenter
. November 19, 2013. ESPN-TV.

86
. See Eitzen 2009, Messner 1992.

87
. J. Coakley 2008.

88
. Smith, Michael David. October 24, 2013. “Richard Sherman: I Played through a Concussion and It Paid Off,”
NBCSports.com
.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/24/richard-sherman-i-played-through-a-concussion-and-it-paid-off/
, retrieved 10/24/13.

89
.
Mike and Mike
. October 11, 2013. ESPN2-TV.

90
. Finley, n.d.

91
. Schlereth, Mark. January 5, 2004. “Schlereth: It Was All Worth It.”
ESPN.com
.
http://espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1718301&type=story
, retrieved 3/27/13.

1
. Feinstein 2005, p. 204.

2
. “Former Pro Bowl CB Chris McAlister: I'm Broke.” September 15, 2011.
Sporting-news.com
.
http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-09-15/former-pro-bowl-cb-chris-mcalister-im-broke
, retrieved 4/17/14.

3
. Jessop, Alicia. October 13, 2012. “Not Broke: How NFL Players Stay Financially Stable after the Game Ends.”
Forbes.com
.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2012/10/31/not-broke-how-nfl-players-stay-financially-stable-after-the-game-ends/
; Dickey, Jack. April 6, 2012. “Warren Sapp Is Broke.”
Deadspin.com
.
http://deadspin.com/5899896/warren-sapp-is-broke
; both retrieved 8/6/13.

4
. See Appendix 2, “Retirement Benefits,” and Player Care study. The Player Care study makes no mention of cumulative assets, and no systematic data on former NFL players' current net worth is apparently unavailable.

5
. Research interview #02. Blackburn lived off his side income, signing bonuses, and postseason game checks.

6
. Indeed, many players vastly overestimate the extent of their own assets. See
Broke
; Torre, March 23, 2009; Chadiha, May 31, 2012.

7
. See O'Toole, p. 136;
Broke
; Koebler, July 21, 2011. Of course these estimates vary according to how players shelter their incomes from taxes and deductions, how they invest, how much they accrue in sales tax, and the various state and municipal income taxes they may have to pay.

8
. Research interview #40.

9
. Katzowitz, Josh. May 15, 2013. “James Harrison: I Spend $400K–$600K on My Body per Year.”
CBSSports.com
.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/22247097/james-harrison-i-spend-400k-600k-on-my-body-per-year
, retrieved 7/27/13.

10
. Rosenthal, Gregg. July 2, 2012. “Adam Jones Recounts Spending $1 Million in Weekend.”
NFL.com
.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82a463aa/article/adam-jones-recounts-spending-1-million-in-weekend
, retrieved 7/25/13. That's quite a reaction from Owens, who is known for outlandish spending. See Evans, Sean. April 12, 2012. “Money to Blow: A Recent History of NFL Players Going Broke.”
Complex.com
.
http://www.complex.com/sports/2012/04/money-to-blow-a-recent-history-of-nfl-players-going-broke/owens#gallery
, retrieved 8/2/13.

11
. Tober, Will. July 24, 2011. “Seven Most Ridiculous Purchases by Athletes in NFL History.”
Bleacherreport.com
.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/775852-7-most-ridiculous-purchases-in-nfl-history
; Whitley, David. November 2, 2012. “Warren Sapp's Sad Bankruptcy Auction Not the First—or Last—Tale of Jocks Gone Broke.
Sportingnews.com
.
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-11-02/warren-sapp-broke-fired-nfl-network-bankrupt-athletes-list
; both retrieved 7/25/13.

12
. Torre, March 23, 2009. Emphasis added.

13
. Best, Joel. 2014.
Stat-Spotting: A Field Guide to Identifying Dubious Data
, 2nd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press.

14
. Mr. Torre has not responded to multiple e-mail inquiries about the story and the statistics he cites.

15
. While detailing former players' current income, the Player Care study fails to report data on former players' current assets. Double the poverty level amounted to $20,800 for a single person or $42,400 for a family of four in the contiguous 48 states and Washington, D.C., when the survey was administered in 2008. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. January 29, 2010. “The 2008 HHS
Poverty Guidelines.”
ASPE.hhs.gov
.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/08poverty.shtml
, retrieved 7/25/13.

16
. Whitley, November 2, 2012; Brooks, Matt. April 9, 2012. “Warren Sapp: The Latest Millionaire Athlete to File for Bankruptcy.”
Washingotnpost.com
.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/warren-sapp-the-latest-multimillionaire-athlete-to-file-for-bankruptcy/2012/04/09/gIQAErXz5S_blog.html
; Stone, Jeff. October 4, 2012. “Warren Sapp, Michael Vick Just the Latest NFL Players to Go Broke and Bankrupt; But Why?”
IBTimes.com
.
http://www.ibtimes.com/warren-sapp-michael-vick-just-latest-nfl-players-go-broke-and-bankrupt-why-817369
; both retrieved 1/12/13.

17
.
Broke
.

18
. Eisen 2007.

19
.
Broke
.

20
. Lambert, Pam. March 15, 2004. “The High Cost of Winning.”
People.com
.
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20149566,00.html
, retrieved 7/29/13.

21
. Landau, Elizabeth. January 7, 2011. “Winning the Lottery: Does It Guarantee Happiness?”
CNN.com
.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/07/lottery.winning.psychology/index.html
, retrieved 7/29/13.

22
. Dahl, Melissa. N.d. “$550 Million Will Buy You a Lot of . . . Misery.”
NBCnews.com
.
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/550-million-will-buy-you-lot-misery-1C7291165
, retrieved 7/29/13.

23
. Roberts, Daniel, and Pablo Torre. April 11, 2012. “Jerry Maguire Aspires to Be You.”
SI.com
.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/magazine/04/10/steinberg/index.html
, retrieved 4/18/14; Torre, March 23, 2009.

24
. See Fedotin, Jeff. August 13, 2006. “George Koonce Goes from Leading Players on the Field to off the Field.”
Packers.com
.
http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/George-Koonce-Goes-From-Leading-Players-On-The-Field-To-Off-The-Field/94cc5822-5aa4-11df-a3b6-528cc843f916
; Murf, B. October 8, 2012. “Phillip Daniels Discusses His New Role, Hopes to Coach.”
Homermcfanboy.com
.
http://www.homermcfanboy.com/2012/10/18/phillip-daniels-discusses-his-new-role-hopes-to-coach/
; “NFL Introduces Four New Bootcamps for Current and Former Players.” December 8, 2012.
Wordpress.com
.
http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/fournewbootcamps.pdf
; “Specialized Resources for the NFL Family.” N.d.
NFLlifeline.org
.
http://nfllifeline.org/resources/programs-and-benefits/
; all retrieved 8/15/13. See also
Packers Player Development Manual
.

25
. Hack, Damon. June 16, 2011. “Playing for Profit: Ex-NFL Corner Succeeds in Business after Football.”
SI.com
.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/damon_hack/06/16/eugene.profit/index.html?xid=cnnbin&hpt=hp_bn10
, retrieved 4/4/13.

26
.
Broke
.

27
. Torre, March 23, 2009.

28
. Research interview #3.

29
. Chadiha, May 31, 2012.

30
. Research interview #20.

31
. Anderson, Elijah. 1999.
Code of the Street
. New York: Norton.

32
. Oliver, Melvin L., and Thomas M. Shapiro. 1997.
Black Wealth/White Wealth
. New York: Routledge.

33
. Research interview #40.

34
. Research interview #20.

35
. Research interview #24.

36
. Research interview #23.

37
.
Broke
.

38
. Torre, March 23, 2009.

39
.
Broke
.

40
.
Broke
, Eisen 2007, Feinstein 2005.

41
.
Broke
.

42
. Chadiha, May 31, 2012.

43
. Festinger, Leon. 1954. “A Theory of Social Comparison Processes.”
Human Relations
, 7(2): 117–40.

44
. Research interview #23.

45
. Research interview #02.

46
. Torre, March 23, 2009.

47
. Research interview #30.

48
. Player Care study.

49
. These tend to be the investments of choice of individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, especially African Americans. See Oliver and Shapiro 1997.

50
. Jessop, October 13, 2012.

51
.
Broke
.

52
. NFL Players Association. N.d. “Agent Regulations.”
NFLplayers.com
.
https://www.nflplayers.com/About-us/Rules—Regulations/Agent-Regulations/
; NFL Players Association. N.d. “NFLPA Financial Advisor Registration Program Regulations.”
NFLplayers.com
.
https://www.nflplayers.com/About-us/Rules—Regulations/Financial-Advisor-Regulations/
, retrieved 8/2/13.

53
. NFL Players Association, n.d., “NFLPA Financial Advisor Registration Program Regulations.”

54
.
Broke
; Freeman 2003; Torre, March 23, 2009.

55
. Torre, March 23, 2009.

56
.
Broke
.

57
. Ibid.