Peyton Manning, Bernie Kosar and the Ends of Eras
March 6, 2012Zydrunas Ilgauskas to Spend Offseason with Tristan Thompson
March 6, 2012According to a story by Peter King of Sports Illustrated, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita contributed money for extra incentive while a member of the New Orleans Saints. Here is the relevant piece on Fujita-
“On Sunday, Fujita said, “Over the years I’ve paid out a lot of money for big plays like interceptions, sacks and special teams tackles inside the 20. But I’ve never made a payment for intentionally injuring another player.” Fujita said he didn’t think he ever put money into a collective pot; rather when a teammate made a play, Fujita handed him the money he’d promised.”
King continued-
“Fujita’s name in the investigation is noteworthy. After signing with the Browns as a free agent a month after the Super Bowl win, he accepted a nomination to the NFL Players Association’s executive board. During the 2011 negotiations on the new 10-year collective bargaining agreement, he and former Cardinals and Steelers special teams star Sean Morey pushed hard for improvements in working conditions, including fewer full-contact practices during the season. It was Fujita’s emphasis on health care for former players who have debilitating illnesses, such as close friend and former Saints safety Steve Gleason, who suffers from ALS, that helped persuade the two sides to include lifetime care for ex-players with that disease. It’s hard to reconcile Fujita’s being part of the problem in 2009 and part of the solution in 2011.”
“You don’t spend time with guys like Sean Morey and other former players, or have close friends whose health fails them, possibly because of this game, and not be affected by that,” Fujita said. “I wanted to be part of the paradigm shift.”
The investigation by the NFL is ongoing.
[Related: Bounties are wrong, but it doesn’t really bother me that much]
1 Comment
wow, this just keeps getting better