"You little piece of crap!"

[The Senator]

 

Always high on my list of favorite Bills alums, HOF right guard Joe DeLamielleure just moved to the top of my list...

 

DeLamielleure's passion, though, is his fight on behalf of retired NFL players, specifically those who retired before the landmark 1993 collective bargaining agreement that led to an economic structure that sets up the league's biggest stars for life financially. DeLamielleure is among the hundreds of former players who don't enjoy that financial security. He draws a monthly pension of $1,247 -- before taxes -- barely above the federally-defined poverty line, has held jobs steadily since his retirement and insists he will need to continue to work "until I'm dead."

 

As a result, DeLamielleure has become among the most outspoken of the NFL's vast alumni...

 

The former leader of the Bills' "electric company" offensive line that paved the way for O.J. Simpson's 2,003-yard season in 1973, DeLamielleure takes particular exception to a 2010 quote by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Asked if he felt an obligation to provide financial help for retirees, Brees made it clear he felt little sympathy for former players coming forward and asking today's stars to "please make up for my bad judgment."

 

"You little piece of crap," DeLamielleure said of Brees. "You haven't done anything. You get to throw the ball and no one hits you."

 

 

 

 

Link - Never one to back down, DeLamielleure fights on

 

 

 

[Danny]

"Always three sides to a story. Your side, their side, and the truth."

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Kramer-8217-s-disgust-over-Brees-8217-remarks?urn=nfl-wp3419&active_dimension=carousel_ept_sports_nfl_experts&ysp_frm_woah=1

[The Senator]

"Always three sides to a story. Your side, their side, and the truth."

 

http://sports.yahoo....&ysp_frm_woah=1

 

 

Yea, that's often (not always) true...but I'm not seeing your point - nor another side to the story - at least not from the link you've provided.

 

What you've provided is basically former Packers' great Jerry Kramer saying the exact same stuff about Brees that Joe D. said...

 

 

"Drew Brees is stupid. He's young, ignorant, has no experience and doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. Life brings a lot of different things at you, and Drew hasn't seen any of the bad ones yet. He's been fortunate, but there are a lot of different reasons out there why guys can't hold on to their money and it's not really our position to judge whether they should have held on to their money or not. They need help. Let's try and help them turn it around and get them going again. Let's not say, 'Hey, go bury yourself or climb in a hole because we don't owe you anything.' There is a lot of reasons why guys need help, and if a guy needs help, I think, it's my responsibility to try and help, not figure out what he should have done or where he should have gotten a different education or what his momma should have told him a long time ago. If I were as smart as Drew Brees I would know all of that stuff, but I don't."

 

 

Sounds pretty much like Kramer thinks Brees is a piece o' crap too

[T master]

"Always three sides to a story. Your side, their side, and the truth."

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Kramer-8217-s-disgust-over-Brees-8217-remarks?urn=nfl-wp3419&active_dimension=carousel_ept_sports_nfl_experts&ysp_frm_woah=1

 

I can't really say in some ways that i can blame the older players for being a bit pissed when you see jack asses like Jerry Jones spending $1.3 BILLION on a stadium or the New Jersey Giants spending 1.6 billion on a new stadium that was 5 years newer than the Ralph ..

 

But i disagree with what the Green Bay guy said !! There is one player for the Eagles i think it may be Deshon Jackson that is wanting a new contract b/c he is broke & blew through all of his money . So are the rest of the players suppose to bail him out b/c of his ignorants ??

 

Sounds to me like Kramer may be of the liberal cloth , like he thinks the spread the wealth Obama thing is the way to go ..

 

If nothing else the league & for that matter the educational institutions should put in place education to learn how to make better money decisions so they don't end up in a bad place .. And i should practice what i preach !!!

[Jauronimo]

I can't really say in some ways that i can blame the older players for being a bit pissed when you see jack asses like Jerry Jones spending $1.3 BILLION on a stadium or the New Jersey Giants spending 1.6 billion on a new stadium that was 5 years newer than the Ralph ..

 

But i disagree with what the Green Bay guy said !! There is one player for the Eagles i think it may be Deshon Jackson that is wanting a new contract b/c he is broke & blew through all of his money . So are the rest of the players suppose to bail him out b/c of his ignorants ??

 

Sounds to me like Kramer may be of the liberal cloth , like he thinks the spread the wealth Obama thing is the way to go ..

 

If nothing else the league & for that matter the educational institutions should put in place education to learn how to make better money decisions so they don't end up in a bad place .. And i should practice what i preach !!!

DeSean Jackson wants a new contract because his rookie deal has now expired. Yes he blew all of the money he had, but that is hardly relevant to his current negotiation except that it gives the Eagles a little more leverage in the ongoing negotiation. Bad example, and the word is ignorance.

[Buftex]

I can't really say in some ways that i can blame the older players for being a bit pissed when you see jack asses like Jerry Jones spending $1.3 BILLION on a stadium or the New Jersey Giants spending 1.6 billion on a new stadium that was 5 years newer than the Ralph ..

 

But i disagree with what the Green Bay guy said !! There is one player for the Eagles i think it may be Deshon Jackson that is wanting a new contract b/c he is broke & blew through all of his money . So are the rest of the players suppose to bail him out b/c of his ignorants ??

 

Sounds to me like Kramer may be of the liberal cloth , like he thinks the spread the wealth Obama thing is the way to go ..

 

If nothing else the league & for that matter the educational institutions should put in place education to learn how to make better money decisions so they don't end up in a bad place .. And i should practice what i preach !!!

 

 

I think the point that Joe D and Jerry Krammer are making is that guys that played in their time, didn't make near the money, relative to the success of the league, that guys like Brees do. Many players in the 60's and 70's had off-season jobs, just to support their family. The owners were keeping a far higher percentage of the profits than they are in the modern era. The popularity of the leauge was built on the backs of those older players.

[Danny]

 

Yea, that's often (not always) true...but I'm not seeing your point - nor another side to the story - at least not from the link you've provided.

 

What you've provided is basically former Packers' great Jerry Kramer saying the exact same stuff about Brees that Joe D. said...

 

 

"Drew Brees is stupid. He's young, ignorant, has no experience and doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. Life brings a lot of different things at you, and Drew hasn't seen any of the bad ones yet. He's been fortunate, but there are a lot of different reasons out there why guys can't hold on to their money and it's not really our position to judge whether they should have held on to their money or not. They need help. Let's try and help them turn it around and get them going again. Let's not say, 'Hey, go bury yourself or climb in a hole because we don't owe you anything.' There is a lot of reasons why guys need help, and if a guy needs help, I think, it's my responsibility to try and help, not figure out what he should have done or where he should have gotten a different education or what his momma should have told him a long time ago. If I were as smart as Drew Brees I would know all of that stuff, but I don't."

 

 

Sounds pretty much like Kramer thinks Brees is a piece o' crap too

 

Good post, very interesting. I was adding a little to it.

The link I posted added a quote from brees;

 

"To be fair to Brees, he did outline that responsibility later in his interview:

"They shaped the game for us," Brees said. "Because of those guys, we have an opportunity to play this game, to make the money that we make, to get the benefits we get. We will always, always, always reach back to give to those guys. But there's a way to do it." "

 

People may automatically jump all over Brees without realizing there was more to what he said. He obviously doesn't want to just wipe his hands completely of the situation.. But he doesn't want to reward guys who carelessly and foolishly squandered their opportunity either. Thus his, "But there's a way to do it".

 

As T Master pointed out in his post (which I agree with) there are different ways to look at this problem and more importantly, various angles to address it by as well.

[Joe Miner]

He sounds like he's got a lot of sour grapes in that article, not just towards Brees either.

[Rico]

"I like (current general manager) Buddy Nix, but why don't you get someone who's actually played the game?" DeLamielleure said. "I think Denver did a good job hiring (John) Elway. There are plenty of guys out there.

 

 

 

 

"I would have worked with the Bills. I would have walked to Buffalo to get a job years ago, and I think I'm a pretty good evaluator of talent. But most guys who haven't played never listen to you because they're intimidated by the guys who played."

Good luck, Norma Rae.

[The Senator]

I can't really say in some ways that i can blame the older players for being a bit pissed when you see jack asses like Jerry Jones spending $1.3 BILLION on a stadium or the New Jersey Giants spending 1.6 billion on a new stadium that was 5 years newer than the Ralph ..

 

But i disagree with what the Green Bay guy said !! There is one player for the Eagles i think it may be Deshon Jackson that is wanting a new contract b/c he is broke & blew through all of his money . So are the rest of the players suppose to bail him out b/c of his ignorants ??

 

Sounds to me like Kramer may be of the liberal cloth , like he thinks the spread the wealth Obama thing is the way to go ..

 

If nothing else the league & for that matter the educational institutions should put in place education to learn how to make better money decisions so they don't end up in a bad place .. And i should practice what i preach !!!

 

I don't disagree that guys stupid enough to blow all their money foolishly - i.e., former Bills RB Travis Henry who fathered 11 children (that we know of), needed to renegotiate his contract because he was literally flat broke and needed another $multi-million$ signing bonus to 'make ends meet', and is currently serving a 3-year sentence for cocaine trafficking - can go pound sand, but you're talking about something entirely different than Kramer & Joe D.

 

They are fighting for players who get next to nothing because they retired prior to 1993 and the lucrative collective bargaining agreement that takes good care players who retired after that agreement.

 

 

Citing the original article yet again...

 

Can you imagine one of today's well-paid, me-first stars making the personal sacrifice DeLamielleure made last week?

 

His mother-in-law died three days before the Charity Sports Banquet. He and Gerri hopped in their 2006 Honda and drove to Detroit to make final arrangements, and DeLamielleure caught a flight to Erie Wednesday, then flew back to Detroit the next day for the funeral Mass.

Why not make a phone call and cancel?

 

"I'm getting like $1,200 for this," DeLamielleure said of the banquet appearance. "I couldn't afford to turn it down."

 

Good post, very interesting. I was adding a little to it.

The link I posted added a quote from brees;

"To be fair to Brees, he did outline that responsibility later in his interview:

"They shaped the game for us," Brees said. "Because of those guys, we have an opportunity to play this game, to make the money that we make, to get the benefits we get. We will always, always, always reach back to give to those guys. But there's a way to do it." "

People may automatically jump all over Brees without realizing there was more to what he said. He obviously doesn't want to just wipe his hands completely of the situation.. But he doesn't want to reward guys who carelessly and foolishly squandered their opportunity either. Thus his, "But there's a way to do it".

 

As T Master pointed out in his post (which I agree with) there are different ways to look at this problem and more importantly, various angles to address it by as well.

 

JMO, but I think it's likely that Brees added that 'explanation' afterwards - and most likely only at the advice of his PR 'handlers'.

 

 

 

"You little piece of crap!" - Joe D.

Edited February 20, 2012 by The Senator

[SelmonSmith6378]

I love Joe too. He's a Michigan State Alum! Go Spartans! :D

[NoSaint]

I don't disagree that guys stupid enough to blow all their money foolishly - i.e., former Bills RB Travis Henry who fathered 11 children (that we know of), needed to renegotiate his contract because he was literally flat broke and needed another $multi-million$ signing bonus to 'make ends meet', and is currently serving a 3-year sentence for cocaine trafficking - can go pound sand, but you're talking about something entirely different than Kramer & Joe D.

 

They are fighting for players who get next to nothing because they retired prior to 1993 and the lucrative collective bargaining agreement that takes good care players who retired after that agreement.

 

 

Citing the original article yet again...

 

Can you imagine one of today's well-paid, me-first stars making the personal sacrifice DeLamielleure made last week?

 

His mother-in-law died three days before the Charity Sports Banquet. He and Gerri hopped in their 2006 Honda and drove to Detroit to make final arrangements, and DeLamielleure caught a flight to Erie Wednesday, then flew back to Detroit the next day for the funeral Mass.

Why not make a phone call and cancel?

 

"I'm getting like $1,200 for this," DeLamielleure said of the banquet appearance. "I couldn't afford to turn it down."

 

 

 

JMO, but I think it's likely that Brees added that 'explanation' afterwards - and most likely only at the advice of his PR 'handlers'.

 

 

 

"You little piece of crap!" - Joe D.

 

Going out on a limb I'm going to guess drew is the more reasonable of the two and it wasn't just a pr move. He's ridiculously active in the community, super religious, etc... Very charitable. From my experiences with him and people that work closely with him reflects he'd do just about anything for someone who had a curve ball thrown by life but that, like the quote said, you have to find a way to do it right.

[jr1]

Knee and other surgeries were more primitive in Joe's day. They didn't have the benefits of modern surgery and CT scans etc like today's players

[The Senator]

Going out on a limb I'm going to guess drew is the more reasonable of the two and it wasn't just a pr move. He's ridiculously active in the community, super religious, etc... Very charitable. From my experiences with him and people that work closely with him reflects he'd do just about anything for someone who had a curve ball thrown by life but that, like the quote said, you have to find a way to do it right.

 

Yeah right...Brees sounds like just a super-nice guy...

 

Asked if he felt an obligation to provide financial help for retirees, Brees made it clear he felt little sympathy for former players coming forward and asking today's stars to "please make up for my bad judgment."

 

 

His sentiments toward players like DeLamielleure and fellow HOFers Lou Groza and Leroy Kelly make him sound even nicer...

 

"There's some guys out there that have made bad business decisions," Brees told USA Today in late May. "They took their pensions early because they never went out and got a job. They've had a couple divorces and they're making payments to this place and that place. And that's why they don't have money. And they're coming to us to basically say 'Please make up for my bad judgment.' In that case, that's not our fault as players."

 

 

 

Citing the original article yet again...

DeLamielleure is among the hundreds of former players who don't enjoy that financial security. He draws a monthly pension of $1,247 -- before taxes -- barely above the federally-defined poverty line, has held jobs steadily since his retirement and insists he will need to continue to work "until I'm dead."

 

And he's doing better than some. The father of six -- who lives in Charlotte, N.C., with his wife, Gerri, a nurse -- says fellow Hall of Famer Lou Groza received $500 a month, while Browns inductee Leroy Kelly earned $175 a month.

 

By comparison, St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford received a rookie contract that included $50 million in guaranteed salary.

 

Yeah, turns out that the little piece of crap Brees is a real 'Prince of a fellow'!

 

.

 

Edited February 20, 2012 by The Senator

[yungmack]

I can't really say in some ways that i can blame the older players for being a bit pissed when you see jack asses like Jerry Jones spending $1.3 BILLION on a stadium or the New Jersey Giants spending 1.6 billion on a new stadium that was 5 years newer than the Ralph ..

 

But i disagree with what the Green Bay guy said !! There is one player for the Eagles i think it may be Deshon Jackson that is wanting a new contract b/c he is broke & blew through all of his money . So are the rest of the players suppose to bail him out b/c of his ignorants ??

 

Sounds to me like Kramer may be of the liberal cloth , like he thinks the spread the wealth Obama thing is the way to go ..

 

If nothing else the league & for that matter the educational institutions should put in place education to learn how to make better money decisions so they don't end up in a bad place .. And i should practice what i preach !!!

Just in case you haven't as yet noticed, the NFL financial system is completely based on the socialist model. It's basic premise is, "Share the wealth." Of course, the lion's share goes to the owners.

[HuSeYiN1978]

Today's players are built not born... This IS the matrix...

[LabattBlue]

Joe D. is a bitter old man. A couple of years ago, WGR had him on regularly. Each time, it would turn into Joe D's personal soapbox.

 

Was he this outspoken about the veteran players who came before him when he was playing, or did it just became an issue when he became part of the alumni?

[Lurker]

"He pleaded with the current front office to draft Clay Matthews Jr. and Ben Roethlisberger, to no avail."

 

Something wacky about this statement--both guys were drafted before Nix became GM on December 31, 2009. And I assume the Matthews' he's talking about is "III," not Junior (who Joe D actually played with during his own career).

[Wiz]

Joe D. is a bitter old man. A couple of years ago, WGR had him on regularly. Each time, it would turn into Joe D's personal soapbox.

 

Was he this outspoken about the veteran players who came before him when he was playing, or did it just became an issue when he became part of the alumni?

Joe D. is obviously very opinionated, but I don't think he's shedding tears for himself. I think he sees alot of old vets that are having big time physical problems especially dealing with concussions and doesn't see the league or the Brees's stepping to the plate to help out.

[NoSaint]

Yeah right...Brees sounds like just a super-nice guy...

 

Asked if he felt an obligation to provide financial help for retirees, Brees made it clear he felt little sympathy for former players coming forward and asking today's stars to "please make up for my bad judgment."

 

 

His sentiments toward players like DeLamielleure and fellow HOFers Lou Groza and Leroy Kelly make him sound even nicer...

 

"There's some guys out there that have made bad business decisions," Brees told USA Today in late May. "They took their pensions early because they never went out and got a job. They've had a couple divorces and they're making payments to this place and that place. And that's why they don't have money. And they're coming to us to basically say 'Please make up for my bad judgment.' In that case, that's not our fault as players."

 

 

 

Citing the original article yet again...

DeLamielleure is among the hundreds of former players who don't enjoy that financial security. He draws a monthly pension of $1,247 -- before taxes -- barely above the federally-defined poverty line, has held jobs steadily since his retirement and insists he will need to continue to work "until I'm dead."

 

And he's doing better than some. The father of six -- who lives in Charlotte, N.C., with his wife, Gerri, a nurse -- says fellow Hall of Famer Lou Groza received $500 a month, while Browns inductee Leroy Kelly earned $175 a month.

 

By comparison, St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford received a rookie contract that included $50 million in guaranteed salary.

 

Yeah, turns out that the little piece of crap Brees is a real 'Prince of a fellow'!

 

.

 

 

 

Im not going to argue there isnt a greedy bone in his body, or that hes never made a poor/selfish choice but i will say that he is impressively generous and that he has done so much stuff that i have gotten to see first hand that hasnt made the press that it is ridiculous. he would be within the handful of nfl players that i would, without hesitation, stand up for in a situation like this.

 

His point isnt that these players should be hung out to dry completely, but that its a tough situation. many of them did dig their own financial graves. if you are going to be thiiiiis upset about it, it amazes me that you havent gotten atleast to the heart of the issue which is how much of the failed marriages, drug addiction, inability to hold jobs, and huge number of random kids around the country comes from the game they played and brain injuries. short of that damage to the brain, there really isnt an excuse for a group of guys that would have been entering the workforce in their mid 30s or younger, with college degrees often, to not have been able to widely support themselves. Its simply not as black and white as you make it out to be.

 

its a system that needs to be looked at, but to dismiss the fact that drew in that very interview acknowledges that they need to address the issue as being just a pr stunt that someone must have told him he needed to say to cover up the original comment, is in my opinion silly. when looking at the wider picture of the man drew brees has been on the field, in his community, etc.... i just dont get it. hes widely considered somewhere between an older brother and father to many of the players in his own locker room, has done massive amounts of work in the community, and is in fact respected by his peers enough to be put in a leadership role in these issues. joe de has on the other hand been a bit out in left field with a lot of what he has done over the years. forgive me if i dont totally fault drew for volunteering to sign just any check joe wants written. maybe the fact that he calls one of the people with a lot of sway over his financial future "a little piece of crap" has more to do with his financial present than hed like to admit.

Edited February 20, 2012 by NoSaint