Thread: Bronco Great Kicked to Curb

An independent arbitrator ruled in favor of the Denver Broncos in a medical grievance filed against them by ex-team captain and former Pro Bowl linebacker Al Wilson.



Wilson suffered a neck injury in December 2006 in a game against Seattle. He was removed from the field on a stretcher after being temporarily paralyzed and was hospitalized for several hours. Wilson came back and played in Denver's final three games. However, three months later, Wilson failed a physical for the New York Giants, nixing a trade from Denver to New York.


Wilson was cleared to play earlier this year but decided to retire at the age of 31.

Wilson was seeking up to $7.5 million from Denver for lost wages for the 2007 season. His agent, Peter Schaffer, said Wilson lost the grievance, which has been in the works for nearly eight months, on a timing technicality, but he declined to elaborate. The arbitrator was Rosemary Townley of Larchmont, New York.


"I'm very disappointment that the ruling wasn't judged on its merits but on a very questionable technicality that we completely disagree with," Schaffer said. "The arbitrator took the easy way out."


However, Schaffer said it was Wilson's goal to make players and teams aware of serious injuries and make subsequent communication between team physicians and players better.

"We accomplished our goal of requiring teams to submit significant medical information to players moving forward," Schaffer said.


As part of the CBA, players and teams agree that such grievances are heard by independent arbitrators. There is no available appeal process.



Bill Williamson covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3681187

Gay thread title. He wasn't kicked to the curb. He suffered and injury that is part of the game and couldn't come to grips with it. Instead he chose denial and blame and filed a lame grievance because no team would let him play with his injury.

He wasn't kicked to the curb he was given a reality check. He was a great Bronco but he was in the wrong to seek 7.5 million.

Physicals are subjective on the doctor. While he may have been cleared to play other teams didn't want to take the chance. Its the facts of life, shit happens, move on.

I understand how the Rod Smith case looks like a double standard. But Al Wilson left blaming the team and was in denial. Rod Smith understood what was wrong and tried his damnedest to come back. Two different situations.

Originally Posted by ApaOps5

I understand how the Rod Smith case looks like a double standard. But Al Wilson left blaming the team and was in denial. Rod Smith understood what was wrong and tried his damnedest to come back. Two different situations.

Dude, the fricking guy was paralyzed and came back and played, and never uttered a public bad word about the organization, ever after they tried to trade him while he was damaged goods.

Crappy crappy crappy.

Originally Posted by Bief Stue

Dude, the fricking guy was paralyzed and came back and played, and never uttered a public bad word about the organization, ever after they tried to trade him while he was damaged goods.

Crappy crappy crappy.

I think he was cleared to play but like I said a physical exam is subjective and there is no real clear cut judgement.

Remember when we traded our WR to Dallas only for him to fail their physical? They said his knee was bunk but Denver didn't think so.

Then take the case of Robertson. He failed the Bengals physical only to be picked up by Denver. Fact is physicals don't mean jack.

I gotta agree with Bief on this one...Al gave it his all for the team that has a money tree growing in every seat. The least they could have done is try to gain respect in the locker room, by buying it. Not even that?

Originally Posted by Benetto

I gotta agree with Bief on this one...Al gave it his all for the team that has a money tree growing in every seat. The least they could have done is try to gain respect in the locker room, by buying it. Not even that?

yeah, i don't know how it would have affected the cap and all, but it's clear the Broncos could have handled the departure of a future ring of famer
better.

Because this grievance was dismissed on a timing tech, we will never know the merits of Al's argument.

Look I apologize for calling the thread title gay. I just disagree that Al was jobbed in this.

The bottom line is Al gave his all for this team and they did not return the favor. It is the ugly side of sports and I hate to see it.

Be well, Al...

I'm stepping in between two members I consider friends here, and I'm telling
you both to back off. You are both respected members on more than one
board, and you need to respect each other.

Starting now.

-----

Originally Posted by topscribe

I'm stepping in between two members I consider friends here, and I'm telling
you both to back off. You are both respected members on more than one
board, and you need to respect each other.

Starting now.

-----

Roger, totally understand. This is a firecracker topic so its easy to get carried away. But I will back off and agree to disagree. Sorry you had to delete parts of our threads.

Although the gas cap post was funny as all get out so don't think that bothered me. Its funny because its true.

Can someone with a brain and motivation find all the players we have placed on the IR instead of getting an injury settlement done?

Al should be bronzed and given a gay harem.

I wish Al's exit from the team would have gone better.

I would love for us to extend the olive branch to him by giving him the Mike Singletary position of Dude Who Gives Badass Speeches To The Locker Room Without Actually Calling Any Plays that he held before getting the head job in San Fran.

Wilson's a great leader, a terrific man, and a guy whose heart was never in question.

And for those qualities Bowlen paid him tens of millions of dollars.

Every football player knows their time is short. I wish Al's had been longer, but I have trouble with terms like "disrespect" and "kicked to the curb."

Al doesn't like the way things went here with his injury, and I understand that. With the rash of injuries currently crippling us and the microfracture that Boss will likely need I think both our training and medical staffs could use a long, hard look, and the Al Wilson case is another example of that.

But Bowlen hired a man to do a job and paid him more money to do it than I will ever see in my lifetime.

Al can still walk, he can still talk, he can still hug his wife and kids and carry on with his life as a multi-millionaire in his mid 30s.

There are worse fates.

~G

Originally Posted by Bief Stue

Can someone with a brain and motivation find all the players we have placed on the IR instead of getting an injury settlement done?

Al should be bronzed and given a gay harem.

Unfortunately thats the nature of the NFL. Its the result of the salary cap and free agency. Its a business where human beings are the product and expendable.

What always gets me is the NFL is the most violent league in all professional sports yet they have contracts that aren't guaranteed.

Originally Posted by G_Money

I wish Al's exit from the team would have gone better.

I would love for us to extend the olive branch to him by giving him the Mike Singletary position of Dude Who Gives Badass Speeches To The Locker Room Without Actually Calling Any Plays that he held before getting the head job in San Fran.

Wilson's a great leader, a terrific man, and a guy whose heart was never in question.

And for those qualities Bowlen paid him tens of millions of dollars.

Every football player knows their time is short. I wish Al's had been longer, but I have trouble with terms like "disrespect" and "kicked to the curb."

Al doesn't like the way things went here with his injury, and I understand that. With the rash of injuries currently crippling us and the microfracture that Boss will likely need I think both our training and medical staffs could use a long, hard look, and the Al Wilson case is another example of that.

But Bowlen hired a man to do a job and paid him more money to do it than I will ever see in my lifetime.

Al can still walk, he can still talk, he can still hug his wife and kids and carry on with his life as a multi-millionaire in his mid 30s.

There are worse fates.

~G

Okay, he was supposed to make $7.5 million. Bowlen tells him, "Dude you are done, lets reduce your cap hit to like $4 million and all you have to do is hang out until we put you on the IR.

It is not about the money. It is how you treat longtime leaders on their way out.