Lockout hits home for Atlanta linebacker

[atljbo]

Lockout hits home for Atlanta linebacker

By Pat Yasinskas
A lot of people are calling the NFL labor situation a battle of billionaires versus millionaires. There’s some truth in that, and it can be hard to feel much sympathy when you’re talking about a league that has made billions of dollars in recent years and many players who have made millions of dollars.

But there are some “little’’ people involved in this and those are the ones who deserve sympathy. With that in mind, I just called Atlanta Falcons linebacker Stephen Nicholas. As you may recall, he’s got a unique family situation. His son, Stephen Jr. had a heart transplant as an infant. Stephen Jr. is 3 now and doing just fine -- I could hear him loud and clear in the background as his father and I talked.

When the league locked out players last week, benefits, including insurance, stopped. That might not be all that big a deal for many players who are young, healthy and single. But think about getting insurance for your family when you have a child who has had major medical issues in the past?

“It’s a challenge,’’ Nicholas said. “But my wife and financial advisor did a good job preparing for this, because we knew for a long time there was the possibility of a lockout. We’ve got insurance. It’s expensive, but it’s not unbearable.’’

Nicholas didn’t want to get into the exact cost of the insurance and said the lockout has yet to fully hit home.

“If you just go by the calendar, there aren’t a lot of big differences right now,’’ Nicholas said. “This is the time of year when you usually work out on your own and spend time with your family. The end of March is when the (organized team activities start) and it will be weird if there still is a lockout. It will be even more weird if they have a draft and there’s still a lockout. How can you draft and not know what you have on your team?’’

Nicholas said he’s optimistic a labor agreement can be reached before long, but he admits he -- and a lot of other players -- are facing uncertain futures. Nicholas has four years of service in the NFL and doesn’t have a contract for 2011. Depending on the structure of any potential labor agreement, Nicholas could be an unrestricted free agent, which would allow him to sign with any team, or a restricted free agent, meaning the Falcons would have a chance to match offers from other teams.

Nicholas said his agent was told the Falcons were placing a restricted tender on him. But it remains to be seen if that tender will be valid in a new labor agreement.

“It’s out of my control,’’ Nicholas said. “All I can do is work out and wait and hope that things get worked out before too long.’’

[The Falcon Jedi]

Thats a great article. Thanks for posting this. This is Reality for most players who dont make millions, and this hits home for a lot of real people.

[BullRush]

(03-15-2011 07:16 PM)The Falcon Jedi Wrote:  Thats a great article. Thanks for posting this. This is Reality for most players who dont make millions, and this hits home for a lot of real people.

People rarely think about the staff members, the practice squads, the 3rd stringers, and venue employees whom of which dont make millions

[Beef]

By GA law, all these people are eligible for COBRA health benefits for at least 18 months. It's essentially the same as paying 100% of the normal health insurance costs and you can't be denied for pre-existing conditions until it runs out after the 18 months & you would then have to get something new. But that's moot since they'll surely have regular employer sponsored coverage again after the lockout.

This is a bullshit sympathy piece aimed at the ignorant.

[papachaz]

(03-16-2011 11:13 PM)Beef Wrote:  By GA law, all these people are eligible for COBRA health benefits for at least 18 months. It's essentially the same as paying 100% of the normal health insurance costs and you can't be denied for pre-existing conditions until it runs out after the 18 months & you would then have to get something new. But that's moot since they'll surely have regular employer sponsored coverage again after the lockout.

This is a bullshit sympathy piece aimed at the ignorant.

wow beef that came off kind of harsh. not sure all states have the same laws as ga, and yeah cobra is a possiblity, at 100% of the cost, have you priced health insurance lately? he said with the help of a financial advisor they'd made plans for this.

i'm thinking the article was meant to put in mind that A) not all the players have the multi million dollar contracts B) the 'little people' are the ones who lose out the most.

I still say I'm putting most of the blame on the NFLPA, it looked liked negotiations were at least making SOME progress, until they demanded the owners open their books. as employees, they don't have the right to demand to see the books, no employee who isn't a part owner has that right. If any of my employees came to me and demanded they see the books, i'd show them their job and the door and tell them to make their choice

[monoxide]

(03-17-2011 11:23 AM)chazmataz Wrote:  wow beef that came off kind of harsh. not sure all states have the same laws as ga, and yeah cobra is a possiblity, at 100% of the cost, have you priced health insurance lately? he said with the help of a financial advisor they'd made plans for this.

i'm thinking the article was meant to put in mind that A) not all the players have the multi million dollar contracts B) the 'little people' are the ones who lose out the most.

I still say I'm putting most of the blame on the NFLPA, it looked liked negotiations were at least making SOME progress, until they demanded the owners open their books. as employees, they don't have the right to demand to see the books, no employee who isn't a part owner has that right. If any of my employees came to me and demanded they see the books, i'd show them their job and the door and tell them to make their choice

I know that in Missouri we do not have it, or at least we didn't when I was employed. It wasn't a bullshit article at all, just a bullshit follow-up post by Beef.

[TeamPlayer1]

COBRA is a federal law not a state law and it is nationwide.

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

Throughout a career, workers will face multiple life events, job changes or even job losses. A law enacted in 1986 helps workers and their families keep their group health coverage during times of voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs and in certain other cases.

The law — the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) — gives workers who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by the plan under certain circumstances.


COBRA generally requires that group health plans sponsored by employers with 20 or more employees in the prior year offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health coverage (called continuation coverage) in certain instances where coverage under the plan would otherwise end.

The law generally covers group health plans maintained by employers with 20 or more employees in the prior year. It applies to plans in the private sector and those sponsored by state and local governments. Provisions of COBRA covering state and local government plans are administered by the Department of Health and Human Services.

[Beef]

(03-17-2011 03:06 PM)monoxide Wrote:  I know that in Missouri we do not have it, or at least we didn't when I was employed. It wasn't a bullshit article at all, just a bullshit follow-up post by Beef.

You're wrong, it's a national law. Every one of these football players is eligible for COBRA.

And I really don't wanna hear someone try to tell me that a player making league min can't afford COBRA because that's a load of BS. I work with plenty of self-employed folks who don't qualify for group plans & have to pay for individual family coverage (which is more expensive than group/COBRA), & they don't make close to league min yet they can afford their health coverage easily.

If you make $200k+/yr & can't afford $1k/month for something, then there's something wrong with you.

This article was written to make it sound like the players have it rough with regards to healthcare now, clearly trying to sway sympathy for them, & it's not true. Which is why it bothers me.

[Drathdon]

(03-17-2011 04:55 PM)Beef Wrote:  This article was written to make it sound like the players have it rough with regards to healthcare now, clearly trying to sway sympathy for them, & it's not true. Which is why it bothers me.

Beef does have a point... even if he first tried to make it with the bluntness of a hammer to the head.