Is There Life After Football?

by James A. Holstein

  21. The USFL worked under a salary cap to restrict spending, but also signed many high-profile players including three consecutive Heisman Trophy winners (Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, and Mike Rosier) and a number of future Hall of Famers, including Reggie White, Jim Kelly, and Steve Young.

  22. Oriard 2007.

  23. Ibid.

  24. Taylor, Jim. 2010. The Fire Within. Chicago: Triumph, pp. 70–72.

  25. Davis, Willie. 2012. Closing the Gap. Chicago: Triumph.

  26. Research interview #03.

  27. This was generally reported to be a three-year deal. “Joe Namath Fast Facts.” May 29, 2013. CNN.com. http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/29/us/joe-namath-fast-facts, retrieved 6/4/13.

  28. Oriard 2007; Anderson’s deal was for three years and was guaranteed. See “Donny Anderson Signs Pro Football’s Richest Pact.” 2008. Lubbockcentennial. http://www.lubbockcentennial.com/Section/1959_1983/donnyanderson.shtml, retrieved 6/4/13.

  29. Oriard 1982.

  30. Oriard 2007, Broke.

  31. Research interview #23.

  32. Oriard 2007, O’Toole 2006.

  33. Contrary to popular wisdom, nothing in the NFL CBA forbids guaranteed contracts. It is simply standard practice, enforced in unison by NFL owners and endured by the NFLPA. See Oriard 2007.

  34. Porter, Austin. February 21, 2012. “How Far Does an NFL Contract Really Go?” Bleacherreport.com. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1074216-how-far-does-an-nfl-contract-really-go, retrieved 5/29/13; O’Toole 2006; Sando, Mike. March 7, 2013. “How Do Contracts Often Work?” ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/73449/how-do-contracts-work-glad-you-asked, retrieved 5/30/13; Oriard 2007. Contracts are described in terms of being “front-loaded” or “back-loaded.” Front-loaded contracts call for large signing bonuses that are guaranteed, and may also include large salaries in the early years. Front-loaded contacts generally assure a player a substantial share of the total amount a long-term contract calls for. Teams generally resist such contracts, but for salary cap reasons, it’s sometimes advantageous for teams to offer large signing bonuses because the amount counting against the salary cap will be spread out over the entire length of the contract, even if it is paid up front. Back-loaded contracts call for escalating salaries, with the later years on a contract promising extremely high rates of pay. The problem for a player comes in those later years, when he can be asked to restructure his contract or simply be released. This is especially likely if the player’s on-field contributions decline due to injury or age. One technique used to serve both the interest of the player and the team is to negotiate a long-term contract with a large signing bonus or first-year salary (money that the player is virtually certain to get), then reduced salaries over the subsequent seasons. The final years of the contract may then be “back-loaded” with high salaries. This provides the player with a huge contract total, but, after the initial outlay, allows teams to delay paying high salaries and gives the team the option of cutting players who may not be worth what the team deems prudent in the later years of a contract. The middle years of the contract end up being more modestly priced. See Vinton, Nathaniel. February 1, 2011. “Shannon O’Toole, Wife of NFL Coach, Pens Tome to Debunk Perception of ‘Gold-digging’ NFL Wives.” NYdailynews.com. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/shannon-o-toole-wife-nfl-coach-pens-tome-debunk-perception-gold-digging-nfl-wives-article-1.137752, retrieved 3/4/13; Oriard 2007.

  35. “Nnamdi Asomugha Signs with Eagles.” July 30, 2011. ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6816873/nnamdi-asomugha-agrees-five-year-60-million-deal-philadelphia-eagles, retrieved 4/15/14.

  36. McGinn, Bob. March 18, 2013. “Less for A.J. Hawk’s Nest Egg.” JSOnline. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/less-for-hawks-nest-egg-9k979sl-198900081.html, retrieved 5/30/13. One might wonder if Hawk and his agent made a terrible mistake in signing his original contract, which was heavily back-loaded. Such contracts, however, are not necessarily detrimental to the player. In this case, Hawk was betting that, as the fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft, he would become an indispensable impact player for the Packers. Thus, when his large paydays were due in the later years of his contract, he figured to be in his playing prime, and the Packers would be reluctant to release him. Hawk became a solid starter, but not an impact player, so his market value was more limited than he originally foresaw. With a non-guaranteed contract, he lost bargaining leverage.

  37. Research interview #42.

  38. “Wizard of Oz Quotes.” N.d. IMDB.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/ quotes, retrieved 4/14/13.

  39. Research interview #42.

  40. See any NFL player biography or autobiography for at least one chapter on training camp, and another on the daily grind. See Feinstein, John. 2005. Next Man Up. New York: Little, Brown.

  41. See Favre and Havel 1997, Oriard 1982.

  42. Quarterbacks and other players required to direct the offense and defense, and call signals, are especially prone to long hours of film study—often taking game film home with them at the end of the day. See Feinstein, 2005.

  43. Brandt, Andrew. May 9, 2012. “Why Life after Football Can Be Bumpy.” ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7908563/nfl-why-life-football-bumpy, retrieved 5/12/12.

  44. See Feinstein 2005; Freeman, Mike. 2003. Bloody Sundays. New York: William Morrow; Oriard 1982. Dawidoff 2013 describes how the NFL has come to be known as the “No Fun League.”

  45. Brandt, May 9, 2012.

  46. Murphy, Joel. October 18, 2012. “Phillip Daniels Discusses His New Role, Hopes to Coach.” Homermcfanboy.com. http://www.homermcfanboy.com/2012/10/18/phillip-daniels-discusses-his-new-role-hopes-to-coach/, retrieved 10/18/12; Green Bay Packers. 2006. Green Bay Packers Player Development Manual 2006–2007 (hereafter Packers Player Development Manual).

  47. Nickel, Lori. June 4, 2013. “Johnny Jolly Gets a Second Chance.” JSOnline.com. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/johnny-jolly-gets-a-second-chance-b9926301z1-210193011.html, retrieved 4/15/14.

  48. See Eitzen 2009 for a discussion of sports, conservative ideology, and social control.

  49. Freeman 2003. Also see Feinstein 2005, Dawidoff 2013.

  50. Borden, Sam. October 4, 2012. “Standing Out after the Game.” NYTimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/sports/football/after-the-game-nfl-players-set-their-own-rules-on-style.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0, retrieved 6/9/13.

  51. See Official Playing Rules and Casebook of the NFL 2012, Section 4. 2012. NFL.com. http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/2012%20-%20Rule%20Book.pdf, retrieved 6/9/13.

  52. See Feinstein 2005. In an ironic test of allegiance, some teams employ their player development directors or other former payers as their uniform inspectors. See Murphy, October 18, 2012.

  53. Social theorist Michel Foucault puts it slightly differently: “There is no power relation without the correlative constitution of a field of knowledge, nor any knowledge that does not presuppose and constitute at the same time power relations. . . . [Subjects’] visibility assures the hold of the power that is exercised over them. It is this fact of being constantly seen, of being able always to be seen, that maintains the disciplined individual in his subjection.” Foucault, Michel. 1979. Discipline and Punish. New York: Vintage, pp. 27, 187.

  54. Taylor 2010, pp. 70–72.

  55. Oriard 2007, p. 68.

  56. O’Toole 2006.

  57. Favre and Havel 1997, p. 193. Instances like this are standard fare for some players.

  58. See Pearlman, Jeff. 2008. Boys Will Be Boys. New York: Harper, p. 166.

  59. O’Toole 2006.

  60. White, Reggie. 2004. Reggie White in the Trenches. New York: Thomas Nelson, p. 121. For some women, the pursuit of NFL players is an art form, but for others it’s serious business. There’s even a web site—“Baller Alert”—devoted to tracking male celebrities, prominently including NFL players.

  61. Associated Press. May 24, 2013. “Brett Favre Sexting Suit Se
ttled in NYC.” Newsday.com. http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/brett-favre-sexting-suit-settled-in-nyc-1.5334742, retrieved 4/23/13.

  62. Also see Taylor 2010 for discussion of punishments for transgressions.

  63. For more on domestic violence in the NFL, see Freeman 2003, O’Toole 2006, or recent accounts of the way the NFL has dealt with the case of Ray Rice.

  64. Freeman 2003, pp. 165–66.

  65. O’Toole 2006, p. 165.

  66. From the beginning of his earliest troubles, the Packers have closely monitored Jolly’s behavior, and he’s received considerable attention from the player development staff. After his release from prison in 2012, the Packers kept tabs on him through periodic telephone calls from teammates and coaches, plus calls to his mother, trying to make sure he was staying on the path to recovery and return to football. (See Nickel, June 4, 2013.) The team’s interest was at least partially altruistic—looking out for Jolly’s best interest as well as keeping track of a valuable team asset. But any form of surveillance—as benign as it may seem—is nevertheless a means of exercising power and discipline, of expanding control over all aspects of players’ lives. As Michel Foucault (1979) argues, constant and ubiquitous supervision and forced discipline are used to capture the will of those under surveillance, to produce “docile bodies”—that is, subjects more easily managed and controlled by authorities—all the while giving the impression that this is in the best interest of those under surveillance. Here we see the two sides of the player development coin in practice.

  67. Nickel, June 4, 2013.

  68. See Feinstein 2005, Freeman 2003, Oriard 1982.

  69. Research interview #305.

  70. O’Toole 2006.

  71. See Oriard 1982.

  72. Ibid., p. 225.

  73. O’Toole 2006.

  74. Oriard 1982, p. 225–27. Also see O’Toole 2006.

  75. O’Toole 2006, p. 33.

  76. S. Coakley 2006, p. 67 (research interview).

  77. Brandt, May 9, 2012.

  78. Rhoden 2006, p. 177.

  79. Freeman 2003, p. 269.

  80. O’Toole 2006, p. 18.

  81. Ibid., p. 31.

  82. See O’Toole 2006; Vinton, February 1, 2011.

  83. Research interview #41.

  84. See Broke.

  85. This is a reflexive relationship. The bubble and the ethos are mutually constitutive. Neither is primordial or foundational. One can’t fully exist apart from the other. For more on reflexivity, see Garfinkel, Harold. 1967. Studies in Ethnomethodology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

  86. “Green Bay Packers 2007 Vision Statement.” Packers Player Development Manual.

  87. See Eitzen, Stanley, and George H. Sage. 2009. Sociology of North American Sport. Boulder, CO: Paradigm.

  88. The term’s use is especially common in British discussions of sport and society, but it also appears in American contexts. See Rosen, Joel. 2007. The Erosion of the American Sporting Ethos: Shifting Attitudes toward Competition. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.

  89. See Coakley, Jay. 2008. Sports in Society, 10th ed. New York: McGraw Hill.

  90. See Bernstein, Ross. 2009. The Code. Chicago: Triumph.

  91. See Clemmer, Donald. 1940. The Prison Community. Boston: Christopher Publishing; Anderson, Elijah. 1999. Code of the Street. New York: Norton.

  92. See Gubrium and Holstein 1997; Holstein, James A., and Richard S. Jones. 1992. “Short Time, Hard Time: Accounts of Short-Term Imprisonment.” Perspectives on Social Problems 3: 289–309.

  93. Eisen, Rich. 2007. Total Access. New York: Thomas Dunn, p. 7.

  94. Broke.

  95. Freeman, Mike. April 24, 2013. “NFL Draft Prospects Continue to Throw Money Around.” CBSSports.com. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/mike-freeman/22116358/nfl-draft-prospects-continue-to-throw-money-around, retrieved 4/25/13; Broke.

  96. Outside the Lines: “Athletes and Guns.” March 22, 2013. ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9086459, retrieved 4/15/14.

  97. Oriard 2007, pp. 208–9.

  98. Ibid, p. 209.

  99. Ibid, p. 200.

  100. Tuaolo, Esera. 2006. Alone in the Trenches. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, p. 22.

  101. Toughness and courage are predominant themes in just about all accounts of the NFL experience, regardless of historical era. See, for example, Davis 2012, Feinstein 2005, Freeman 2003, Oriard 1982, Richmond 2010, Taylor 2010.

  102. LeGere, Bob. N.d. “An Inspiration: Bears Past, Present Acknowledge Payton’s Legacy. Dailyherald.com. https://prev.dailyherald.com/special/payton/payton31.htm, retrieved 5/2/13. Also see Freeman 2003.

  103. See Eitzen 2009; Eitzen and Sage 2009; Messner, Michael. 1992. Power at Play: Sports and the Problem of Masculinity. Boston: Beacon; Messner, Michael. 2002. Taking the Field: Women, Men, and Sports. St. Paul: University of Minnesota Press; Messner, Michael. 2007. Out of Play: Critical Essays on Gender and Sport. Albany: State University of New York Press; Oriard 1993.

  104. S. Coakley 2006, pp. 107–8 (research interview).

  105. The notion of compulsory masculinity refers to the assumption that everyone is heterosexual. Assuming this as the norm, masculine identity is imposed by default. Sexuality and masculinity are thus conflated. See Rich, Adrienne. 1980. “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Experience.” Signs 5(4): 631–60. Recently, challenges to these assumptions have surfaced around the NFL. Commentary from insiders and gay former players is skeptical, even as many remain hopeful. See Freeman 2003; Freeman, Mike. November 6, 2013. “Ten Point Stance.” Bleacherreport.com. http://bleacher-report.com/articles/1838030-ten-point-stance-mike-freemans-nfl-notebook-heading-into-week-10, retrieved 11/10/13; Tuaolo 2006; “Gay NFL Players.” N.d. Huffingtonpost.com. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/gay-nfl-players, retrieved 4/15/14.

  106. Feinstein 2005, p. 252.

  107. Freeman 2003, p. xix.

  108. Anderson 1999.

  109. Research interview #302.

  110. See Eisen 2007, Oriard 2007, O’Toole 2006.

  111. Broke.

  112. Of course, livin’ large has historical and generational parameters. In the beginning, NFL players had neither the opportunity nor the resources to pursue the kind of decadence seen today. By the 1970s, the Oakland Raiders had raised livin’ large to high art, but within the financial means of the time. Carousing and iconoclastic behavior were their “badass” calling cards (see Richmond 2010). By the 1990s, NFL salaries allowed for the kind of “stunting” and monetary madness that came to embody the contemporary version of livin’ large.

  113. Mike and Mike. February 5, 2013. ESPN2-TV.

  114. Research interview #20.

  115. For example, Packer Max McGee’s shenanigans and humorous defiance of Vince Lombardi’s locker room authority made him a folk hero around the NFL. See Taylor 2010. Taking locker room culture into the outside world in the “off hours” is a mark of livin’ large.

  116. See Oriard 1982.

  117. O’Toole 2006, p. 128.

  118. Research interview #22.

  119. Lapchick, Richard. October 22, 2013. “The Racial and Gender Report Card: National Football League.” Tidesport.org. http://www.tidesport.org/RGRC/2013/2013_NFL_RGRC.pdf, retrieved 4/15/14 (hereafter Racial Report Card). Quite remarkably, in light of the changing demographics of the U.S. and of other major professional sports, less than two percent of NFL players are Latino or Asian American, and just over one percent are “international.”

  120. See Oriard 2007.

  121. Ibid.

  122. Mike and Mike. November 5, 2013. ESPN2-TV.

  123. Research interview #05.

  124. The Racial Report Card indicates that the practice of “stacking” African Americans at particular positions by virtue of race is no longer an issue of concern. The physical demands of the various positions seem to dictate racial distributions more than discriminatory practices.

  125. Dunne, Tyler. November 29, 2011. “Lang Has Turned from Life of Party
to All Business.” JSOnline.com. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/wakeup-call-a838c6k-134726453.html; Dunne, Tyler. January 3, 2013. “Packers’ Dietrich-Smith Has Life in Order.” JSOnline.com. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-dietrichsmith-has-life-in-order-pv887oa-185622911.html; both retrieved 11/3/13.

  126. Research interview #305. Also see Feinstein 2005; Freeman, Mike. February 2, 1999. “Robinson’s Arrest Looms Large after the Falcons Defeat.” NYTimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/02/sports/super-bowl-xxxiii-robinson-s-arrest-looms-larger-after-the-falcons-defeat.html, retrieved 1/13/13.

  127. See Eitzen 2009.

  128. Oriard 1982, p. 25.

  129. Coser, Lewis. 1974. Greedy Institutions. New York: Free Press.

  130. See Adler and Adler 1991 for a discussion of other ways that organizations extract intense commitment and loyalty from their members.

  CHAPTER 3. THE END

  1. Research interview #42.

  2. The Late Show. January 7, 2013. CBS.com. http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/video/13E4461C-8715-459E-857B-18C29863F193/the-late-show-1-7-2013, retrieved 3/17/13.

  3. Material and quotations from this section on Koonce’s retirement come from research interviews #40, 42, and 50.

  4. Jerry Glanville, former coach of the Houston Oilers, is credited with coining the phrase during a 1988 discussion with a game official: “This is the N-F-L, which stands for ‘not for long’ when you make them fuckin’ calls. I’ll be selling groceries.” The use of the phrase has morphed into commentary on the fleeting nature of an NFL career for players and coaches alike. See Pick Six: “Glanville: NFL Means ‘Not for Long.’” August 5, 2011. NFL.com. http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d8213b6cb/Pick-Six-Glanville-NFL-means-Not-For-Long, retrieved 6/19/13.

  5. Research interview #30.

  6. As decisive as Chapman’s retirement seems, however, note that it came well after he had been released and was technically out of the game—but not necessarily of his own accord.

  7. Ellerson, Gary. May 16, 2012. “Life after Football.” SportsRadio1250.com. http://www.sportsradio1250.com/Gary-Ellerson/11779164, retrieved 8/16/13.