A Short Lesson For Jeff Faine
December 21st, 2010
Joe wants to take a moment to introduce Bucs center Jeff Faine, a Notre Dame grad and a proud multibusiness CEO, to a little something called the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.
Most regular working folks know it very well as COBRA, the federal law that allows workers to pay out the nose to continue their health insurance coverage after leaving a job that provided said coverage.
It seems Faine, the Bucs representative to the players’ union, isn’t aware of this little thing that should give his teammates peace of mind if there’s a short lockout and players no longer have medical coverage paid for by the NFL. Simply put, these players would be able to pay monthly to continue their health coverage that would be lost.
Apparently, Faine was fanning the flames of stupidity during an interview today on The King David Show on 1010 AM, which is hosted Shaun King and Toby David and not the ancient Hebrew king.
Per the show’s Twitter feed, Faine said players are worried about doctor bills during a lockout.
Jeff Faine on the lockout- Health insurance is a concern for some players who’s wives will be having babies during the time of the lockout
Joe has to think Faine knows better. He’s got hundreds and hundreds of employees. He’s got to know that players can fork over a few grand a month tops to keep their families insured. Surely, they all make enough money to stash that cash away now.
The babies can be born in hospitals with the best care. No need for that $40-an-hour, cross- dressing midwife on Craigs List with good references.
Joe doesn’t typically write about the lockout. Frankly, Joe can’t imagine the NFL and its players would be stupid enough to miss real games like they did in 1987. The draft will go on regardless, and the billionaires won’t be interested in losing money.
But Joe was annoyed that Faine was trying to pass on this crap to fans. Either Faine isn’t advising the players he represents properly, or he’s throwing some BS out there to gain sympathy.
December 21st, 2010 at 10:02 pm
If Faine thinks health insurance for the is bad now, just wait to ObamaCare takes over. Team doctors will be forced to ration health care to players, it will be better to get injured during the 1st qtr then the 4th when rations may be out. And players with serious season-ending injuries will have to go in front of a death panel where a government bureaucrat will decide if they are worthy of life saving surgery.
December 21st, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Faine better get to know these things espically since he will be let go next year .Cant see the bucs paying for a guy that cant finish the season
December 21st, 2010 at 11:05 pm
As a broker of group health insurance, I could not agree more with theodore’s comments. I don’t know how the NFL collective bargaining agreement deals with COBRA, but as an independent businessman, Faine should know better…
December 21st, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Wah…wah…wah…
Sorry but some of us pay our insurance premiums already and we don’t make millions of $$$ either Jeff.
Shut up.
You sound like you went to the AB school of contracts – remember the guy with the bum knee who complained about 1-year 9.7 million contract?
December 21st, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Joe, are you basing this post off the show’s twitter feed or did you hear the whole interview??
December 22nd, 2010 at 2:59 am
I LOL’d, Theodore.
December 22nd, 2010 at 7:51 am
Hey Jeff you know what? There are actually people out there who don’t have any insurance. Yeah seiously and when they go to the doctor’s office they pay in CASH.
think about it dude!
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:02 am
Joe stop with the class envy B.S.
Health insurance is a benefit they are given under the current CBA. The owners could choose to continue that health insurance in good faith but instead they are trying to squeeze the players by holding it out on them. I don’t think the concern is with guys like Faine but instead with younger players. Undrafted guys and practice squad players etc.
Still It doesn’t matter how much they make. Its in poor taste for the owners to use something like health insurance as leverage against the players.
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:22 am
@d-money, agreed.
Enough with the Obamacare people, stick to football, not politics.
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:29 am
Joe here,
d-money – There is no class envy BS in this post, though some commenters have taken it there. JOe’s only writing that Faine’s trying to pass off a pile of BS saying guys are worried about health insurance. He’s got to know there’s nothing to worry about since they can all buy it by the month via COBRA.
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:33 am
Joe,
Gotcha and Good point.
I have a feeling all the team player reps have been given talking points by the head of the union. I’ve heard players from other teams make similar statements.