Former players now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame are threatening to boycott celebrations are a little misguided in the pursuit of what they want.
Terrell Owens was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer as part of the 2018 class of inductees — and he decided to skip the ceremony to have his own, because he felt the selection process is a joke. Now others are following suit in a boycott, but for a different reason.
The Hall of Fame will celebrate its 100th anniversary of the NFL in 2020. In doing so, it should mark a joyous occasion.
However, a Hall of Fame board of directors have announced they will boycott all celebrations until the former players in the Hall of Fame get salaries and lifetime health insurance — even though two of the men said to have signed the letter, Jerry Rice and Kurt Warner, have said they disagree with the actions taken.
Kurt Warner shared his sentiments on Twitter on Tuesday, and he’s right:
My comments on HOF benefits letter being circulated today: pic.twitter.com/JKU2X5lCIs
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) September 18, 2018
Just like T.O., the Hall of Famers are misguided in their attempts for what they want. First and foremost, while some are on television and getting paid for analyzing football, they don’t deserve a blanket check for helping the NFL become a multi-billion dollar company. That’s like saying the families of those who helped billionaires like the Waltons deserve to reap the benefits for the Wal-Mart chain.
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However, I do agree with the second sentiment. All former NFL players should get health benefits, because they knowingly put their bodies on the line, and many didn’t know the full ramifications of what they were doing to themselves.
It’s not only misguided but slightly hypocritical, because many of the Hall of Fames stood against TO when he did his boycott, and now they are threatening to do the same.
This is not the right way to go about doing business. Boycotts only work when there’s enough knowledge of the situation at hand for people to actually take your side. The board members need to rethink their strategy, because it’s a little bit flawed. Time to go back to the drawing table.