6/22/2011
Thank you to all the participants at the Washington D.C. conference
Thank you for your participation in the Press Conference on Monday at the Press Club in Washington D.C.
As each of you told your story I saw something great emerging. I saw men who have courage and men who are willing to give of themselves to make life better for their fellow teammates. I know those stories were hard for you. Each of us felt the others pain. George, Paul, Lem, Joe, Elvin, Conrad, Dave, Greg, Shawn each story more compelling than the next. And the current players. Wow! How great was that. As I write this I realize how far we have come.
Men without a doubt we have been mistreated and forsaken. What I saw Monday were men who got their dignity back. I saw men who have faith in their ability to do the job. I may be wrong but somewhere along the way I think we lost that. I do not know where. Maybe it was just from knocking your heads up against a giant. A huge giant. The NFL. You the guys who were there on Monday know this giant well. We have eaten with it, Slept with it won with it. Lost with it. Laugh with it and cried with it. Some have even died with it.
Tuesday Morning after our press conference I met with Roger Goodell and three of the owners, Mara, Rooney and Murphy. Kraft came in as the meeting was ending. Mainly I wanted the owners to show us some respect and not just feel like they could just disregard us and go on about their business as if we didn ' t count. But I also wanted to tell them that we were concern about these meetings and that it did not look good for them to be meeting in secret without us.
I told them that the Retired Players did not want a fight with the league and that I thought that if they satisfied the retired players needs and resolved the Pension, Medical Benefits and Disability Claims that a year from now the Retired Players could be one of their best assets. And I truly do believe that. I also told them that I thought that the Retired Players were no longer the Retired Players of old. I said: "I did not think that these players would return to the NFLPA. I thought that the wounds were to deep and they had not heeled. Also that the NFLPA would say anything under the pretense that they were different and that they would do so to win the Retired Players back but would not mean it. I added that I also thought that they, The NFLPA would be happy to not have that responsibility.
Additionally, I assured them that every possible avenue had been open to all of the groups more than once and that we wanted to include the voice of every retiree, large and small, famous and not so famous and that I thought we have done an outstanding job of making that clear and the results speak for themselves. We are here and we are united. You, men who have carried the struggle for a long, long time I salute you and I am grateful for your dedication and your commitment. You and I are as close to a victory that we will see in our lifetime. It may not seem like that much of a deal now. But in years to come this day will be remembered. You will remember it in your heart and in your souls. You will remember this day as the day we said we have had enough and we will not take it any more. Or the day we said "Ok do it to us one more time.
Sincerely
Carl Eller
President and Founder
Retired Players Association
