NFLPA Report Cards

[George Cantstandya]

I'm not sure how much on the topic was covered already but here is an article from ESPN dated today with some anonymous quotes from some Bengals players on the topic of family related issues:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45550875/nfl-teams-react-nflpa-survey-grade-family-treatment

One issue I think is rather valid is for the security of family members at games.  Unfortunately these days with all the information on the Internet people do have the ability to recognize family members easier.  As we all know fans can be rather hostile at times and act on their anger over a game or season in rather unfortunate ways.

[TecmoBengals]

(06-23-2025, 06:50 PM)ERIC1 Wrote: The players are treated like kings when it comes to the important stuff..first class..they are millionaires let them buy their own food and tickets..chad johnson did rather well with a steady diet of Mickey Ds

(06-23-2025, 06:53 PM)ERIC1 Wrote: Again..chad johnson did rather well on Mickey Ds

[Nicomo Cosca]

(06-23-2025, 06:53 PM)ERIC1 Wrote: Again..chad johnson did rather well on Mickey Ds

Yeah, the cramps he used to constantly get during games were always super fun.

*for the record Chad is my all time favorite player, but he certainly could have taken better care of himself when it came to nutrition and diet.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(06-23-2025, 07:15 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Bullshit.

https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/we-re-worried-about-them-anonymous-bengals-players-offer-more-insight-on-team-s-family-treatment-01jye7kncyr4

Another player is worried about his young family having to be in long lines in public without him to watch over them.

"Just different things where they can make it more convenient for our families, especially when the husband's not there," the veteran noted to ESPN. "We're worried about them. I think it would be easier for us if we had certain things for families, we don't have to worry about it."

I think any good father would be worried about his family when he is not there no doubt. To act like there aren't weirdos out there in now of all 
times is about as ignorant as it gets.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(06-23-2025, 07:40 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I think any good father would be worried about his family when he is not there no doubt. To act like there aren't weirdos out there in now of all 
times is about as ignorant as it gets.

Yep. Not only weirdos (like the goof who just accosted Ja’Marr on that flight), but also all the DRUNKS that are at these games.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(06-23-2025, 07:53 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Yep. Not only weirdos (like the goof who just accosted Ja’Marr on that flight), but also all the DRUNKS that are at these games.

For sure. I always try to be respectful when I am drinking but even my friends and family get all weird when drinking at times in public.

[*bfine32*]

Your husband's making $500,000 to play in this game; we're going to give you secure child care


You spent a week's pay on 2-tickets, find a sitter

[Nicomo Cosca]

(06-23-2025, 08:26 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Your husband's making $500,000 to play in this game; we're going to give you secure child care


You spent a week's pay on 2-tickets, find a sitter

Mike’s Militia!

[*bfine32*]

(06-23-2025, 08:33 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Mike’s Militia!

Oh I get it, it's a business and you have to be competitive or your employees will go elsewhere, but the whole thing seems kinda absurd.

"I'm scared to let my family go to the bathroom without me"

[*rfaulk34*]

(06-23-2025, 08:33 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Mike’s Militia!

"Back in my day..."



"Up hill! Both ways!!"

[JaggedJimmyJay]

Every weird behavior a fan can exhibit is amplified in the presence of a player’s family if that identity is discovered. They should definitely be protected from that.

[SunsetBengal]

(06-23-2025, 06:40 PM)ERIC1 Wrote: The Browns have shown extraordinary compassion and support for not only players and families..but coaches throughout ...As far as acoomodating family members on game day etc...most of these players are multimillionaires..they can afford tickets and food..there are no safety concerns from family members on game day

That's quite an imagination and knack for storytelling that you have. Have you ever considered a future in fiction?

[SunsetBengal]

This fits well in here.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/cincinnati-bengals-dysfunction-goes-way-beyond-current-contract-standoffs/ar-AA1HgKxm?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=181a6555d648418f942af7f7db16d666&ei=20

Quote:The Cincinnati Bengals might be one of the most poorly-run franchises in the NFL, and it doesn't appear to be getting better.

Right now, the team is dealing with multiple contract standoffs with Trey Hendrickson and Shemart Stewart. Hendrickson is due a massive extension, and Stewart is their unsigned first-round draft pick. It's getting to a point where something has to give, right?

Without Hendrickson and Stewart in the picture, the Bengals defense is going to get even worse. Well, some new information seems to indicate that their dysfunction goes way, WAY beyond the current contract standoffs.

Can do the Bengals do anything right?
Here is Sarah Barshop of ESPN on the Cincinnati Bengals:

ESPN spoke with players about how they define "treatment of families" and the feedback that serves as the basis for the NFLPA's grades.

Multiple current Bengals players, who were granted anonymity to speak freely on the subject, referenced the lack of gameday amenities available to them and how difficult that can make it on their families.

One player noted that another AFC team had an indoor cookout-style meeting area in the stadium postgame. Up until last year, when the Bengals added a postgame area inside the stadium for families to meet, they had an outdoor area beneath a large white tent roughly 20 yards away from the players' parking lot.

One player described the tent as a "s--t show," especially when it was cold.

This is just flat-out insane, and I guess it's not really a surprise, is it? This team has been poorly run and managed for years now, and they honestly kind of lucked into Joe Burrow in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Earlier this offseason, the team managed to get contract extensions done with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and those deals a few months later honestly seem like miracles. If you ask me, it may have been better for Cincy to maybe trade Higgins and use that money to extend Hendrickson, but what do I know?

At the very top, the Cincinnati Bengals are flat-out embarrassing and just can't seem to adapt to the modern-day NFL. Some of their best players like Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are seeing their prime years wasted away.

Cincinnati has to figure something out quickly, or they'll again find themselves at the bottom of the AFC. This latest bit of reporting from ESPN really isn't surprising, but it does make your eyes roll. How hard can it be to not be a terrible franchise?

[*Synric*]

It's hard for me to reconcile "Food" and "treatment of families" as serious concerns. Even the lowest paying players are paid well enough to become self sufficient.


The Bengsls should spend money on more employees for their front office and scouting department.

[TecmoBengals]

Using a framework of our pedestrian lives and experiences to suggest the ultra pampered professional athletes don't get extra special amenities just doesn't make sense to me. They live and work in a completely different environment that I'm assuming most of us cannot relate to at all.

If any of the amenities or privileges from this report card exist at most of the other NFL organizations then the Brown family should ensure they can equal or better the player experience.

[SunsetBengal]

(Yesterday, 08:41 AM)Synric Wrote: It's hard for me to reconcile "Food" and "treatment of families" as serious concerns. Even the lowest paying players are paid well enough to become self sufficient.


The Bengsls should spend money on more employees for their front office and scouting department.

While I agree that there are fundamental parts of the organization that need more investment, it can also be reasoned that the entire franchise could use some upgrading across a spectrum of departments. For example, food quality and treatment of families could be a factor when attempting to sign free agents. Some of those guys hitting the market each year have come from some of the marquis franchises in the league and have become accustomed to what other teams were offering in those areas as being the NFL standard.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(Yesterday, 08:41 AM)Synric Wrote: It's hard for me to reconcile "Food" and "treatment of families" as serious concerns. Even the lowest paying players are paid well enough to become self sufficient.


The Bengsls should spend money on more employees for their front office and scouting department.

[*ochocincos*]

(Yesterday, 08:41 AM)Synric Wrote: It's hard for me to reconcile "Food" and "treatment of families" as serious concerns. Even the lowest paying players are paid well enough to become self sufficient.


The Bengsls should spend money on more employees for their front office and scouting department.

While I get your point, these "other" things impact player satisfaction with the organization, which may or may not impact whether they are interested (re-)signing with said team vs another.

These other things may also result in a player willing to sign for a bit less with Team A even if offered more from Team B.

[Sled21]

Same crap complaints every year, we aren't getting enough free stuff to go along with our millions of dollars salary. Cry me a river....

[TJHoushmandzadeh's Shiny Shoes]

(Yesterday, 10:25 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Same crap complaints every year, we aren't getting enough free stuff to go along with our millions of dollars salary. Cry me a river....

You’ll be crying when they decide to leave to a franchise who values them though.

The disappointing thing here is that this should be the low hanging fruit.

Enabling your players at eat heathily and at the right time seems like a win for the team. Making sure your players are focused on the game and not what some drunk Steeler fan is doing around their young kids or DeShaun Watson around their wife seems obvious.

Fixing the locker room was a much harder thing to organize.

All in all it smacks of the Bengals again lacking the bandwidth to tackle multiple issues simultaneously.