12/03/24
May 17, 2010
CFLers’ work is never done: ....for most Canadian Football League players, there’s nothing off about the off-season. With teams paying an average salary of about $60,000 a year, most players want or have to augment that with another job. “We’re not getting paid millions of dollars, so it’s important to have a second career to go to,” says Mike Bradwell (Toronto Argonaut receiver), who graduated from McMaster University last year with a degree in civil engineering.
posted by tommytrump to football at 12:29 PM - 4 comments
My main man in this topic of consideration since forever has been Richie Hebner.
Gravedigger in the offseason.
He's the first guy I thought of when I saw the Bengie Molina hissy fit post on SpoFi the other day. I don't want to hear from any of these mama's boys until after they go talk to Richie.
Poor Dyakowski - an interior lineman wrecking his pro career by picking up valuable conflict resolution skills in the offseason. There goes his chance to become the next Conrad Dobler.
posted by beaverboard at 02:45 PM on May 17, 2010
Times apparently don't change much, up north. Check out "Kill 'Em, Crush 'Em, Eat 'Em Raw," an essay from 1971 by John McMurtry:
"I got out of football in 1962. I had asked to be traded after Calgary had offered me a $25-a-week-plus-commissions off-season job as a clothing-store salesman. ("Dear Mr. Finks:" I wrote. [Jim Finks was then the Stampeders' general manager.] "Somehow I do not think the dialectical subtleties of Hegel, Marx and Plato would be suitably oriented amidst the environmental stimuli of jockey shorts and herringbone suits. I hope you make a profitable sale or trade of my contract to the East.")"
The whole thing's a good read--a staple of college composition-oriented anthologies. (But my a lot of my students didn't buy it, because he was "only" in the CFL.)
posted by Uncle Toby at 04:54 PM on May 17, 2010
I know this is a little off topic but my high school football coach and grade nine and ten algebra teacher was traded from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to the Calgary Stampeders for a box of sock tape. He took it as a sign that his teacher's degree was probably a better option than being a football player.
Back to the topic at hand...
In places like Saskatchewan, the fact that even team stars work in the community has built an extremely strong bond with the fans. These aren't multi-millionaires out there, they are guys making similar paychecks to the fans in the stands. It's a big deal.
posted by jc at 12:44 AM on May 19, 2010
This sounds like what the NHL was "back in the day" of the Original 6. Much was made of the off-season careers of the players. I remember, albeit vaguely, one player who supported himself as a carpenter. During a game, something happened to one of the doors (penalty box or bench) that required repairs. When the bull gang proved to be lacking in skills, he grabbed the hammer and had everything squared away in a jiffy. I don't think there's a player anywhere in a high-paying league who would change things, but there's something to be said for having your players know what it is to do productive work other than sports for part of your time.