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By Ron Grillo
Rocky Mount (N.C.) Telegram Correspondent

Monday, July 09, 2007

Bones are gnarled for a lifetime, knees are broken and bent and the toll the game has taken, from head trauma, on many is exploding like a Fourth of July fireworks exhibition. Players are suffering from amnesia, Alzheimer's, depression and slurred speech.

I'll go to my grave believing that football is the most grueling, punishing game known to man and those who play it at the highest level pay the most extreme price.

An atrocity is going on in the NFL and has been for years, leaving a number of former players in desperate straits.

The players, most of whom suited up in the league prior to 1980, are asking for increased pension payments and a far more compassionate medical benefits package.

They are, however, being opposed by the NFL Players Association and its executive director, former player Gene Upshaw, has either said, "No" to a startling number of requests or completely ignored them.

This is something that simply just never should have happened.

The highest profile entity in the history of sports didn't need this kind of publicity.

Revenue is overflowing the coffers of every NFL franchise in unprecedented fashion.

This abomination is not only the responsibility of Gene Upshaw and the NFLPA, but of everyone actively associated with the pro game today.

It's irresponsible, greedy and most of all unconscionable.

New commissioner Roger Goodell could have entrenched himself on par with Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue had he demanded that the former players be treated with dignity, compassion and fairness. It would have been the boldest move ever taken by any commissioner, NFL or otherwise.

One single billionaire owner could step forward on his own, and say, "I'll handle each and every issue" and become an instant hero, savior or legend - pick one.

The commissioner has said he is taking off-the-field behavior of current players very seriously. The manner in which the former players are being treated is infinitely more serious and important.

The vast majority of former players made wise business choices, did well, and are financially comfortable today.

The number of those seeking an increase in pensions and benefits has to be miniscule. Last year, benefits to those considered "needy" totaled less than 150 players.

Some of the benefits packages these players have wouldn't cover a tooth extraction in today's economy.

Upshaw has repeatedly cited the fact that over a million dollars for each of the the past two years has been doled out in medical expenses for former players.

That's not even 20 percent of the salary for one of the league's mega-stars. One star.

Imagine the impact the Tennessee Titans could make by taking the salary they're going to save alone because of pathetic Pacman Jones's year-long suspension and donating it to an old-timers fund.

Current NFL players average a staggering $1.3 million dollars a year.

The vast majority of those asking for help and assistance didn't see that kind of money in a career.

Picture the immense impact if the NFL could guarantee that any former player who needed assistance, received five percent of that figure annually?

These once-proud members of the NFL fraternity are broken in spirit because of the attitude taken toward them. They are in poor health, in need of assistance, and the sooner the better.

One sentiment the players from the distant past are so proud of expressing, is that they so loved the game, they'd have played for nothing.

The way they're being treated by Gene Upshaw and the NFL, it appears that many did.