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-- DRUGS WAS THE MOTIVE, MONEY,
OR BOTH.
>>> WE WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE
YOU TO FEE DEE MARCUS -- AND I
WANT TO SAY YOUR NAME CORRECT.
>> DEMAURICE.
>> WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE OF
ASSEMBLY BILL 1309 WHICH WOULD
OSTENSIBLY CLOSE THE LOOPHOLE
FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION
CLAIMS BY NFL PLAYERS.
OWNERS APPARENTLY ARE FOR THIS
BILL, BUT THE PLAYERS ARE
AGAINST IT.
THAT'S FAMILIAR TURF FOR YOU,
ISN'T IT?
>> THE OWNS OF THE NATIONAL
FOOTBALL LEAGUE HAVE AN
OBLIGATION TO TAKE CARE OF THE
PLAYERS WHO GET HURT AT WORK.
THIS DOESN'T CLOSE A LOOPHOLE
AS MUCH AS IT CUTS OFF WORKERS'
COMPENSATION RIGHTS FOR PLAYERS
WHO WERE INJURED IN CALIFORNIA.
DREW BREES, FOR EXAMPLE.
WONDERFUL PLAYER WITH THE NEW
ORLEANS SAINTS.
WAS FIRST WITH THE SAN DIEGO
CHARGERS.
TORE UP HIS SHOULDER.
THIS BILL WOULD BAR A PLAYER
LIKE DREW BREES FOR FILING FOR
WORKERS COMP IN THE STATE WHERE
HE WAS INJURED BECAUSE HE HAS
PLAYED THE BALANCE OF HIS
CAREER SOMEWHERE ELSE.
TO US THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY
CLOSING A LOOPHOLE AS IT IS AN
OWNER AND IN THIS CASE THE SAN
DIEGO CHARGERS OWNER SHIR KING
HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO DO WHAT?
TAKE CARE OF THE PLAYERS WHO
GET HURT AT WORK.
>> IN OTHER STATES IS THAT AN
OPTION FOR PLAYERS SORE IT THE
SAME WRITING, THE SAME
LEGALESE?
>> YEAH.
IN OTHER STATES IT'S COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT.
IN OTHER STATES, A PLAYER HAS
TO DEMONSTRATE THE CONTACTS TO
THAT STATE, DEMONSTRATE THAT HE
GOT HURT IN THAT STATE, AND
UNDER OUR OWN SYSTEM OF THE
COLLECTIVE BAG INNING AGREEMENT
-- HERE'S THE REAL QUICKER --
THE PLAYERS OF THE NATIONAL
FOOTBALL LEAGUE ACTUALLY
COMPENSATE THE OWNERS OF THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FOR
THEIR WORKERS' COMPENSATION
INSURANCE.
SO EVERY FAN OUT THERE SHOULD
KNOW ONE THING.
THAT THIS BILL IS BASED ON
SOMETHING THAT'S TERRIBLY
FALSE.
WHEN I HEAR KURT HAGMAN SAY OUR
PLAYERS GET LIFETIME MEDICAL,
YOU KNOW, HE NEEDS TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT THE TRUTH IS.
BUT HE ALSO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND
THAT UNDER THE CBA, WE ACTUALLY
COMPENSATE THE OWNERS FOR THE
COST OF WORKERS COMP.
SO NOT ONE CALIFORNIA CITIZEN
WILL EVER WRITE A CHECK TO THE
PLAYER OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL
LEAGUE.
>> ALSO, TECHNICALLY, THE
OWNERS ARE PAYING INTO THE
SYSTEM, ALBEIT MONEY FUNDEDED B
THE PLAYERS?
>> YEAH.
WELL, WHEN IT'S MONEY COMING
FROM THE PLAYERS, I DON'T EVER
SAY THAT THE OWNERS ARE FUNDING
ANYTHING.
>> SURE.
>> NOW, YOU RECOGNIZE
CALIFORNIA IS UNDER DIFFICULT
TIMES ECONOMICALLY.
>> YEAH.
>> BUT YOUR STANCE IS THIS
ISN'T COSTING THE STATE ANY
MONEY.
>> HENRY PEREIA HIMSELF
TESTIFIED THIS DOESN'T COST
TAXPAYERS ANYTHING.
WHAT THIS BILL IS DESIGNED TO
DO IS TO MAKE OWNERS RICHER.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE A SYSTEM
WHERE I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT
OUR GUYS LOVE PLAYING, THEY
LOVE PLAYING HERE, THEY LOVE
PLAYING IN CALIFORNIA.
BUT IF YOU ARE A JIM PLUNKETT
FAN, A MARCUS ALLEN FAN, A DREW
BREES FAN, AN ERIC DICKERSON
FAN, IF YOU ARE A JACK
YOUNGBLOOD FAN, YOU WANT TO
KNOW AS A FAN THAT OUR GUYS
WHEN THEY ARE PLAYING NOTLE
ONLY PLAY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
BUT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND
YOU TRULY WANT TO KNOW THAT THE
TEAM IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF
THEM WHEN THEY GET HURT.
>> IS THIS BEING SPEARHEADED BY
JUST NFL OWNERS?
I SAW IN ONE OF THE RELEASES
IT'S BACKED BY THE OWNERS OF
ALL 16 CALIFORNIA TEAMS.
IS THIS UNIVERSAL BASEBALL,
BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE LIKE TO LOOK AT IT AS MANY
THINGS WE NEGOTIATE OUT AS THE
OWNERS IN RICHMOND OUT.
I GET IT.
I AM A FULL BLOODED CAPITALIST.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME WHEN YOU
KNOW THAT PLAYERS ARE LEAVING
THIS GAME BROKEN, YOU SAW
PICTURES OF REGGIE WILLIAMS'
KNEE, IT'S A SHAME THAT THE
CINCINNATI BENGALS AREN'T
TAKING CARE OF REGGIE WILLIAMS.
IT'S A SHAME WHEN OUR PLAYERS
HAVE TO FILE FOR WORKERS CORM
THEY HAVE TO TIED FOR SOMETHING
THEY ARE ENTITLED TO AND, MOST
IMPORTANTLY, SOMETHING THAT THE
PLAYERS OF THE NATIONAL
FOOTBALL LEAGUE HAVE ALREADY
PAID FOR.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW
THIS.
IF YOU PLAY FOR THE CINCINNATI
BENGALS IF YOU PLAY THE 49ers
OR RAIDERS OR CHARGERS, YOU ARE
PAYING TAXES HERE, AREN'T YOU?
>> MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
EVERY ONE OF OUR PLAYERS HAS TO
PAY TAXES IN THE LOCATION WHERE
THEY PLAY.
THIS ISN'T A WORLD -- AS I SAID
TO THE ASSEMBLYMAN WHEN I MET
WITH THEM.
WHAT'S THE THERE THERE?
WE KNOW OUR PLAYERS PAY TAXES
IN CALIFORNIA.
WE KNOW THAT NO CALIFORNIAIAN
WILL PAY FOR WORKERS COMP?
WE HAVE KNOWN FOR THE LAST FEW
YEARS THAT THE OWNERS OF THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
HAVEN'T LIVED UP TO THEIR
OBLIGATION OF TAKING CARE OF
OUR PLAYERS AND THIS IS YET ONE
MORE STEP OF REMOVING
THEMSELVES FROM THE
ACCOUNTABILITY THAT, FRANKLY,
YOU AND I AS A FAN WOULD LOVE
TO SEE.
>> THAT'S THE BIG PICTURE
BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE AN
ONGOING DISCUSSION FOR YEARS TO
COME.
TAKING CARE OF THE PLAYERS WHO
GAVE SO MUCH.
>> WHEN I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED
THAT WE DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY
A HEALTH AND SAFETY PROBLEM IN
THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
WE HAVE AN ACCOUNT ABILITY
PROBLEM.
I MEAN, OUR PLAYERS KNOW THAT
THE YOUR RATE IN THE NATIONAL
FOOTBALL LEAGUE IS 100%.
THEY KNOW THAT THE AVERAGE
PLAYER IS GOING TO PLAY FOR 3.5
YEARS.
AND THERE ISN'T A PLAYER IN THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, YOU
MEET SOMEONE WHOSE BROTHER JUST
JOINED THIS GREAT GAME, HE
KNOWS THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF
HIS INJURY IS EXTREMELY HIGH.
>> JUST BECAUSE THEY KNOW
DOESN'T MEAN THEY SHOULDN'T
HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
LIKE EVERYBODY HERE, IF
SOMETHING FELL ON YOU IN THIS
ROOM, WHO WOULD OUTLOOK TAKE
CARE OF YOU?
YOUR EMPLOYER.
>> WHAT'S THE TIME FRAME?
>> I HAVE BEEN IN THIS JOB FOR
FIVE YEARS BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S
A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE.
WHETHER THIS PLAYS OUT IN A WAY
THAT THE OWNERS WANT, DENYING
OUR GUYS MEDICAL CARE, WE
CONTINUE TO FIGHT.
AND FOR OUR PLAYERS, THAT'S WHY
I LOVE THEM.
THAT'S WHY I LOVE THEIR
LEADERSHIP AND WE'LL FIGHT THIS
TO OUR DYING DAY.
>> YOU NEVER PLAYED FOOTBALL,
DID YOU?
>> NEVER DID.
>> DeMARCUS, YOU COULD HAVE.
YOU SOUND LIKE A COACH.
YOU'RE FIRED UP.
>> I COACHED.
OTHER THAN GETTING HIT AND THE
PAIN, I WASN'T REALLY --
>> YOU'RE NOT A BIG GUY, SO I