Report: Retired NFL Players Plan to Sue EA, Madden
His days of calling NFL games on T.V. may be over, but John Madden's retirement might not be as idyllic as he had hoped.
According to a report on former Oakland Raiders lineman Dave Pear's Blog, NFL retirees are planning to go after Madden and Electronic Arts, publisher of the best-selling pro football game which bears the former coach's name.
GamePolitics readers may recall that retired players won a staggering $28 million verdict against the National Football League Players Association last fall when evidence showed that the union suggested to EA that identities of retired players on historical teams be "scrambled" to avoid paying them royalties. E-mails revealed in the trial also showed that the NFLPA acted to block Take-Two Interactive from acquiring rights to former NFL players, thus preserving EA's monopoly position with regard to pro football games.
But militant NFL retiree Bernie Parrish writes that EA and Madden himself are squarely in the players' legal sites:
The retired NFL players who were used in Madden EA video games will be suing Madden and EA for using us in those games without compensating us. Madden’s agent Sandy Montag boasts he and Madden collected over $100,000,000 in royalties while paying the retired NFL players used in those games absolutely nothing. Madden knows that the ugly truthful litigation is coming and is probably factoring that into his retirement. I doubt he wants to answer all those fans who will be asking, “Why, John Madden? Why did you screw all those retired players over, you seemed like such a friendly, good-natured buffoon?”...
No deals are going to be made because John Madden is moving his act to his home office where he will continue to screw over the retired players without having to face the fans around the country. Madden and Montag plan to continue licensing Madden without compensating retired players...
This is complete BS. These retired players are greedy pigs. WTF are they suing for? a game that featured their likeness back in 95? Are they scared of a NORMAL JOB?
And where does Madden get even involved except for doiing commentary and lending his name to the game?
Also doesnt every new NFL player have to go into EA's studios to get their bodies digitized into the game to update rosters? You dont see the new guys complaining they arent getting compensation for this. They are just plain happy they get their face in a video game and can play as themselves.
All I have to say is the retired players, and the NFLPA, is the exact reason there is no completitiveness in the game and jackasses for no understanding they are old news. Unlike Baseball where you have real legends like Baby Ruth, their names are worthless after a few years.
/rant
