National Football League: From Hard Times to Bizarre Times

I’m not sure the present economic crisis will hit the National Football League or its players. Just as it’s hard to relate to executives who earn millions a year, it’s hard to relate to professional athletes, some of whom also earn millions a year. It’s getting harder.

As employees struggle to keep their heads above water and retirees do the same, the Wall Street Journal reports that 2,056 NFL retirees have won a verdict of $28.1 million against their union, the NFL Players Association. It seems the union failed to properly market the retirees’ images in favor of active players when it came to video games, trading cards, and other sports products.

Even in these difficult economic times, we can rest a little easier now, knowing that at least one group of retirees is being taken care of. But gosh, I hope this doesn’t mean that the active players will be hurt by this court ruling. I mean, they’ve got their lifestyles to maintain, too.

Maybe, retired movie stars should sue their union. Maybe, retired business moguls should sue a union for not even trying to represent them. Maybe, John Grisham and J.K. Rowling should retire and then sue the people who never bought their books. I guess I shouldn’t complain. This gives lawyers something to do.