Reed Doughty Facebook page - The owners have decided not to continue players health insurance past march 4.

[mikemac9]

Aren't players basically contractors? Not employees, right? Therefore, why do they get health insurance benefits anyway? And even with their min. salaries, don't they make enough to buy their own? These days the players are rich, the owners are rich; they need to just make an agreement so us poor suckers can pay hand over fist to watch the games. Not so sympathetic for either side, lol.

[DieselPwr44]

Players are going to get locked out faster than Fred at the end of the Flintstones.

How dumb can both sides be? I mean, didn't they see what happened to MLB?

[Riggo#44]

Players are going to get locked out faster than Fred at the end of the Flintstones.

How dumb can both sides be? I mean, didn't they see what happened to MLB?

I don't think it'll be a MLB/NHL protracted lockout...the NFL is not that stupid...

[Dirt]

Uhh, not to sound insensitive, but I'm pretty sure every NFL player 'who makes a team in september' can afford the time and money to get the best insurance thats out there. Much better than mine. Reed needs to not act so surprised. I'm sure they were all aware this would/could happen. He's playing it off as such to make the NFL look bad so he and other players can end up with more money when this is all said and done. Pretty weak, IMO.

I've leaned away from the players on this whole thing ever since I saw them do that little 'finger in the air' thing week 1. Those guys are making a lot of money, and the NFL is not. Seems simple to me. I think the players are trying to push this whole health care thing up to the front because they don't really have any other argument. They're changing the subject by trying to demonize the NFL for 'not caring about it's players.' Yea, Reed, this IS about money. You're making plenty and the NFL is not. It needs to balance a bit more, and it really doesn't have anything to do with an 18 game season.

[SlinginSammy HOF '63]

These players make a lot of money and have known for a couple of years that a potential work stoppage was going to happen. If they couldn't alter their lifestyle to shove back some rainy day money I really don't have a lot of sympathy for them.

[The Tris]

Those guys are making a lot of money, and the NFL is not.

Uhh, not so sound insensitive, but are you mentally disabled?

The NFL is not making money??? What planet are you living on?

You know that have a $20 BILLION dollar TV deal that will pay the owners THROUGHOUT the lockout?

If they aren't making money, why aren't they bending over backwards to open up their books and show their P&Ls? That would massively swing public opinion to their side.

Your depth of knowledge on this issue is staggeringly shallow.

[Mahons21]

Appalling, but this is the business side of football. Anyone who honestly thought the owners truly cared for players health was kidding themselves, these are logical human beings in our capitalist society, driven by money.

[Dirt]

Uhh, not so sound insensitive, but are you mentally disabled?

The NFL is not making money??? What planet are you living on?

You know that have a $20 BILLION dollar TV deal that will pay the owners THROUGHOUT the lockout?

If they aren't making money, why aren't they bending over backwards to open up their books and show their P&Ls? That would massively swing public opinion to their side.

Your depth of knowledge on this issue is staggeringly shallow.

I worded that wrong/too quickly.

A TV deal is fine and well, but you don't use it to justify any decisions in your business. That's seperate from the issue. Just because it's BILLIONS doesn't mean the business should run any more slack, or different. They're not showing their books because that's just something you don't do? I believe if they did, it wouldn't necessarily show anything in the negative, and the majority of the public wouldn't understand and would just say "oh oh, see, you are making plenty". In fact, I think it's odd how professional athlete's salaries are everyones business. They shouldn't be.

It's widely known that the last deal was too player-friendly. The depth of knowledge here for both of us is low, because, like you said, they won't open up their books for anyone. The NFL owners are businessmen, and I think know far more about where the numbers should be IN a business. Right now, they're saying the numbers aren't right, and even if the NFL is making BILLIONS with TV deals, it would seem they're not making what they should. The only thing the players have to say is "oh you don't care about your players health."

So if neither of us can see the books, and if I have to take a side here, I'm taking the side of the successful businessman, not because he's greedy, but because he knows what he's talking about. Of course the NFL is making money, sorry, but it would seem they're not making what they're supposed to be making, and any business would make changes in that situation.

[ConnSKINS26]

Uhh, not so sound insensitive, but are you mentally disabled?

...

Your depth of knowledge on this issue is staggeringly shallow.

Gotta love Tris, giving it straight.

[bikie]

I'm sympathetic for reed considering his son and his health history, it's a tough time for such a situation...

[ashlynskins]

wow..Obama's free health care would really work now then right? sarcasm.......

[Popeman38]

Exactly. The last deal said that insurance would continue until March 4. There isn't a new deal. True, the owners could advance some extended coverage as a showing of good faith, but the players decided to mount a smear campaign last year. If it has the money, the union could also obtain coverage for its members, but it doesn't look like it is planning to do so. In any event, the players and union should have seen this coming a mile away. Hell, discontinuing health coverage has been in the headlines for months.

If the millionaire players need health insurance, they should contact their local agents. This could be a while . . .

COBRA will be available to all players for 180 days, just live every other union member when a CBA expires. At the members expense, and for the high end NFL plan, we are probably talkin $2500-3500/month.

[ConnSKINS26]

wow..Obama's free health care would really work now then right? sarcasm.......

Keep this out of the Stadium.

[SkinsFTW]

wow..Obama's free health care would really work now then right? sarcasm.......

Yeah, the players don't really need the insurance anyway. The Feds and Obama have it covered.

[ashlynskins]

Keep this out of the Stadium.

excuse me then......sorry to have upset you