Umpires Leave With More Cash in Their Tennis Bag Than the Tennis Players

Money for NothingSome major athletes have made millions by showcasing their talent in public arenas, leaving matches stuffing loads of cash into their tennis bags. Roger Federer, for instance, is the top paid tennis competitor with about 41.8 million in prize winnings.  Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick and the Williams sisters have also made a pretty penny  by playing in some of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournaments.  Although the lucky few earn a living that would be hard to spend in a lifetime, the payoff for some athletes is surprisingly small. At Futures tennis events, for example, the players may leave with less than the chair umpires.

The USTA Pro Circuit can easily be compared to the minor leagues of tennis. The circuit is composed of 88 events; “Futures” events with the prize money totaling around $10,000 to $15,000 and “Challenger” events with the total prize money running in the $50,000 to $100,000 range.

Recently, in Vero Beach, Fla. there was a $10,000 futures event where Australian player, John-Patrick Smith won the title over Brazilian, Pedro Zerbini. The crowd consisted of more than 300 tennis fans that each paid either $10 or $20 for their seat.

Smith`s prize money … Read more at FryingPanSports

The devil of the new NFL CBA is in the details for retired players

NOTE:  This is a reprint of Mr. Hogan’s editorial.

We thank him for his efforts and encourage each reader to sign the petition for the independence of the retired players from the NFLPA.

By John V. Hogan, Esq.

The new CBA contains a provision that on its face appears to be of benefit to some retired NFL players receiving Total and Permanent disability benefits under the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan. Article 61, Section 2 (a) (i) provides that a player will be permitted to receive up to $30,000 per year of earned (i.e. “work”) income without affecting his disability benefits. Presumably this was enacted to allow guys to be paid some appearance fees or earnings from card signings and other events without jeopardizing their “total disability” eligibility.

However, I’m sure than many – if not most – retired NFL players who receive T&P disability from the Bell/Rozelle Plan also receive Social Security disability. If so, having earned income up to $30,000 per year would most likely cause a cessation of their SSA benefits. In general, a person receiving Social Security disability benefits may work and earn up to a maximum of $1,000 per month gross ($12,000 per … Read more at FryingPanSports

The Retired players declare independence from the NFLPA.

The history of how the NFL and NFLPA have treated the retired players is replete with cases of indifference and neglect.  It was great players like Hall of Fame DE Carl Eller that built the league to the point that the players and owners were able to argue over 9.3 billion dollars in revenue.

And yet most men that built the game are struggling economically.  Even Hall of Fame players that retired before 1979 get just $ 200 per month from their pension.   The pension is based on a percentage of what the player earned while active.  Before 1979 most players were paid very little.  Unlike Social Security, there was no adjustment for inflation in those pensions.  As a result, they did not change despite the declining buying power of the dollar.

To make the situation worse, virtually all of these men have lingering physical problems as a result of the injuries sustained by violence of the game.  Just in the last few years the public has become aware of the mental issues resulting from multiple concussions, a very widespread problem with players that affect their entire lives. 

To make the situation worse, the process of claiming medical benefits has Read more at FryingPanSports

Limp Losers or Gourmet Greats

As you walk in to a fast food establishment you’re likely to be enticed by the alluring advertised images on the menu.  But in fact what you actually get in reality is a limp, flaccid imitation based on over ambitious promises and over-pricing.  In many ways the fast food industry reflects the story of many misjudged signings by Premier League clubs since its inception 1992. Only time will tell if mega-signings Fernando Torres and Roy Carroll will be limp losers or gourmet greats. Here are the five worst signings made in the history of the Premier League.

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Thomas Brolin

The former Swedish international was a complete and utter flop during his spell with Leeds. As a promising youngster, his superb goal sent England out of Euro 92. At the peak of his powers, Brolin was strong, graceful and technically gifted.  But Brolin’s powers ebbed away as quickly as he piled on the pounds as many wondered if he was in fact the long lost twin brother of golfer Jon Daly. However, despite the striker’s demise, Howard Wilkinson saw him as the perfect foil for the club’s top scorer Tony Yeboah, paying Parma £4.5 million for the Swedish striker’s services in … Read more at FryingPanSports

There is a major fraud in College football but it is not the OSU players

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The NCAA announced today that 5 Ohio State players will be suspended for 5 games in 2011 for selling Big 10+1 Championship rings, the Gold pants they get for beating Michigan and some other items. There is a HUGE fraud here but it has nothing to do with the 5 players. The FRAUD is the NCAA itself.

First, the 20 year old juniors assumed that the rings and other jewelry they won on the field and were presented were their property! The OSU AD Gene Smith (no relation) said that exact thing in a press conference.

My question for him and the NCAA is this. Who the hell are you to tell anyone what they can do with their own property!

We are not talking about the players selling a ring for 500K. These transactions were at a realistic value for the items sold but it is not about that. The majority of kids used the money to help their families, but it is not about that either.

At one time, this country was a republic. Private property was private and the owner could do with it WHATEVER he or … Read more at FryingPanSports