NFL Hall of Famers threaten boycott

SOME of the most iconic names in NFL history have vowed to boycott the sport’s annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony until they are given health insurance and an annual salary, reports said on Tuesday.

In a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and Pro Football Hall of Fame’s David Baker, players said they would stay away from the ceremony unless their demands were met.The letter was sent by former Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson, the chairman of the newly created Hall of Fame Board.

It was signed by nearly two dozen members that included legendary former players such as Joe Namath, Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Kurt Warner and Lawrence Taylor.

‘We sacrificed our minds’

The letter detailed the health challenges faced by many former players in the NFL, which has been battling a concussion crisis that forced the league to make a $1 billion settlement in 2015.

“We, the undersigned Pro Football Hall of Famers, were integral to the creation of the modern NFL, which in 2017 generated $14 billion in revenue,” the letter states.

“But when the league enshrined us as the greatest ever to play America’s most popular sport, they gave us a gold jacket, a bust and a ring – and that was it.

“People know us from our highlight reels. They see us honored and mythologised before games and at half-time, and it would be reasonable if they thought life was good for us. But on balance, it’s not.

“As a group we are struggling with severe health and financial problems. To build this game, we sacrificed our bodies. In many cases, and despite the fact that we were led to believe otherwise, we sacrificed our minds. We believe we deserve more. We write to demand two things: health insurance and annual salary for all Hall of Famers that includes a share of league revenue.”

The letter said many Hall of Fame players “can’t walk and many can’t sleep at night”.

“More than a few of us don’t even know who or where we are. Our long careers left us especially vulnerable to the dangers of this violent sport, especially those intentionally hidden from us,” it said.

The letter said the total cost to provide health insurance to every member of the Hall of Fame would be less $4 million, less than the cost of a 30-second Super Bowl television ad.