# should the nfl and teams clamp down on these 10k or more "rookie dinners"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 18, 2019, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021 "2019-12-18T09:06:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/21 "2019-12-18T18:02:29Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > While I applaud your willingness to have the government step in to protect these unfortunate souls 😉 perhaps the player’s union could do something like… I dunno… act in the best interest of their rank and file? > > Enact work rules to protect the players, not just from the owners, but from the poor behavior of other players, and ensure they obtain the financial skills necessary to deal with both their current good fortune, and the inevitable end of their careers. I agree. Everyone should boycott the NFL until they do something about this horrible travesty. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/22 "2019-12-18T18:10:16Z")
This is rookie hazing pure and simple. What are the NFL rules on hazing and if they exist they should be enforced. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/23 "2019-12-18T18:10:57Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > You mean like the “NFL Player Retirement Program”? They already have that. No, obviously what I’m proposing is very different from that. A pension is nothing like an investment program. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/24 "2019-12-18T18:13:00Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > So what? If someone offered you $500k as a salary for one year, the only stipulation was you had to buy one dinner for $13k, you’d turn that down? > > Doubtful. If someone offered me a $500k job with the stipulation that they’d get to punch me in the dick, I’d take it. I’d still think mandatory dick punching should be stopped though. Not really a difficult concept. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/25 "2019-12-18T18:16:34Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > If someone offered me a $500k job with the stipulation that they’d get to punch me in the dick, I’d take it. > > I’d still think mandatory dick punching should be stopped though. Not really a difficult concept. No MMA career for you then. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/26 "2019-12-18T18:30:33Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > No, obviously what I’m proposing is very different from that. A pension is nothing like an investment program. Like a 401k plan that they already have? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/27 "2019-12-18T18:30:53Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > So what? If someone offered you $500k as a salary for one year, the only stipulation was you had to buy one dinner for $13k, you’d turn that down? > > Doubtful. Sure, but: 1. in this case the job involves playing football, not buying people dinner. 2. why the middle man? Just pay the player $487k and, as the employer, spend the $13k directly buying the others a meal. No matter how ‘trivial’ the sum seems, it’s still represents a sum that is a major portion of a first year teacher’s salary. The NFL wants to encourage responsible money management among players. This sort of thing is antithetical to that drive. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/28 "2019-12-18T18:31:40Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > If someone offered me a $500k job with the stipulation that they’d get to punch me in the dick, I’d take it. > > I’d still think mandatory dick punching should be stopped though. Not really a difficult concept. Strange, I wasn’t aware that paying for dinner was mandatory. Is that like, in their contracts, or part of the Union agreement? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/29 "2019-12-18T18:33:12Z")
I don’t really know what the NFL or the teams can do about this. I’m sure there’s very much a snitches get stitches attitude on NFL teams so even if these dinners were banned, they’d still happen. And, NFL coaches aren’t like college coaches, they don’t really have the ability to punish players by having them sit a half against West Arkansas State or whatever. I’m sure even during the rookie financial education forums, the players are on their phones and dreaming of everything they’re going to buy. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/30 "2019-12-18T18:38:49Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > So what? If someone offered you $500k as a salary for one year, the only stipulation was you had to buy one dinner for $13k, you’d turn that down? > > Doubtful. Not the only stipulation, now, is it. Comes with risk of significant injury, including brain injury. Also comes after dedicating your life to even getting to that point where any kind of offer is made, often to the exclusion of building skills that could provide a living after the NFL chew you up and spits you out. Now, that is a choice, and n my opinion a poor one, but the notion that 500k is easy money when made by an NFL rookie is ridiculous. “Oh, well, he has/makes more money than me so fuck what happens to him” is an unappealing line of reasoning. But most important, hazing has no place in adult society, and often the biggest hazers are the ones who earned the right (if such is even possible) the least. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/31 "2019-12-18T18:39:59Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I agree. Everyone should boycott the NFL until they do something about this horrible travesty. Hey, I’m a Giants fan… don’t tempt me. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/32 "2019-12-18T18:52:38Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Strange, I wasn’t aware that paying for dinner was mandatory. Is that like, in their contracts, or part of the Union agreement? :rolleyes::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/33 "2019-12-18T19:02:46Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I don’t really know what the NFL or the teams can do about this. I’m sure there’s very much a snitches get stitches attitude on NFL teams so even if these dinners were banned, they’d still happen. And, NFL coaches aren’t like college coaches, they don’t really have the ability to punish players by having them sit a half against West Arkansas State or whatever. Coaches and staff still have considerable power over players. They can threaten to sit a player (though that’s really rare, especially if a player is critical to the team’s success), but they can fine them. That’s how they’ve managed to eradicate a lot of preseason hazing, or at least limited it to the trivial (i.e. carrying the veterans’ bags, singing a song before video reviews, providing snacks for the team or squad, etc.). They could very easily levy fines that would stop this immediately. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/34 "2019-12-18T19:06:55Z")
> [@Isosleepy](#): > > “Oh, well, he has/makes more money than me so fuck what happens to him” is an unappealing line of reasoning. No, it’s more like “He makes $500,000 a year. I really don’t care about one measly dinner. Boo Hoo” I mean, that’s really it. Can’t believe that people here are really worried about a guy who makes $500,000 a year having to buy one $13,000 dinner. You know he will have to pay almost $200,000 in taxes, right? Probably should worry about that more if you think he deserves any sort of worry. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/35 "2019-12-18T19:26:59Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Can’t believe that people here are really worried about a guy who makes $500,000 a year having to buy one $13,000 dinner. No, we’re worried about the hypocritical silence from the NFL on an issue that they pretend to say they care about. As many have pointed out, the NFL has rookies go through financial responsibility programs and classes, then turns a blind eye to their veteran players pressuring rookies to be financially irresponsible. > [@](#): > > You know he will have to pay almost $200,000 in taxes, right? Probably should worry about that more if you think he deserves any sort of worry. So you bitch at people for suggesting that the NFL create some sort of self-funding deferred compensation retirement program, and THEN bitch at them for not worrying about their tax situation enough? Someone got a Jelly of the Month Club membership from work instead of that big year-end bonus, didn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/36 "2019-12-18T19:43:29Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > Ok I know this isnt that big of a deal but every year you hear tales of the NFL team rookie dinner where the rookie(s) takes the whole team out to a dinner … > > Now sometime in thr 80s/90s when rooks started to get millions of guaranteed money to find the most expensive restaurant and take him/them to the cleaners and laugh about it saying " he just got 5 mil as a singing bonus which they get to keep even if they never play a game " and treated as a practical joke but then you get things like this …[MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/this-titans-rookie-got-stuck-with-a-dollar10000-dinner-bill-by-his-teammates/ar-BBY5oLf) I don’t see this as being taken to the cleaners. You or I might see a $10,000 bill and realize we might have to sell a vehicle or take out a loan to cover something like that. But, 10,000 out of $5,000,000? That’s like an average person that makes $50k per year (or getting a 50k bonus) having to spring for a $100 dinner. It’s not going to break you. I also assuming they’re not being forced to do it so it doesn’t rise to the level of hazing. I could see this being a bigger issue if, say, when the rookie signs, someone steals his credit card and then the team goes out for dinner. Ignoring for a moment the legal implications of it, the $10,000 tab is being forced on him. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/37 "2019-12-18T19:48:52Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > No, we’re worried about the hypocritical silence from the NFL on an issue that they pretend to say they care about. As many have pointed out, the NFL has rookies go through financial responsibility programs and classes, then turns a blind eye to their veteran players pressuring rookies to be financially irresponsible I’m shocked that the NFL is hypocritical and really only cares about wringing every last dollar out of treating players like slaves with no regard for their personal or financial well-being. When did this start?? :rolleyes: You gonna stop watching football because of it? (if you do watch football) > [@](#): > > So you bitch at people for suggesting that the NFL create some sort of self-funding deferred compensation retirement program, and THEN bitch at them for not worrying about their tax situation enough? This is a strange statement because nowhere have I “bitched” at people for suggesting something that the NFL already has. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/38 "2019-12-18T20:06:13Z")
While we’re at it, we should really do something about the guy that drinks two beers that someone else paid for, then “has to hit the road” before buying a round. In fact, I think this is more important than the football dinner thing. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/39 "2019-12-18T20:10:23Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I’m shocked that the NFL is hypocritical and really only cares about wringing every last dollar out of treating players like slaves with no regard for their personal or financial well-being. When did this start?? :rolleyes: > > You gonna stop watching football because of it? (if you do watch football) You sound exactly like the “if you don’t like the country then live somewhere else” crowd. You can enjoy a sports organization and still criticize aspects of the way it is run. You’re implying that anything other than a boycott is hypocrisy. That’s childish. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021/40 "2019-12-18T20:10:51Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I’m shocked that the NFL is hypocritical and really only cares about wringing every last dollar out of treating players like slaves with no regard for their personal or financial well-being. When did this start?? :rolleyes:] I don’t believe anyone has expressed anything resembling shock that the NFL is full of shit and doesn’t entirely have their players’ best interests at heart. > [@](#): > > You gonna stop watching football because of it? (if you do watch football) Doing/saying nothing or enacting a complete boycott aren’t quite the only options here. I’m going to be a rebel and walk this razor thin gray line of “attempt to have a civil discussion on the internet about an issue I mildly care about this afternoon”. > [@](#): > > This is a strange statement because nowhere have I “bitched” at people for suggesting something that the NFL already has. The NFL has a 401k plan. That’s great, but a $19,500 annual contribution limit is pretty low (it won’t even pay for 2 dinners with you and your friends from work!). The NFL has a player pension, paid for by the individual teams. This is also great, but not what I was talking about. The NFL has an Annuity Program with both Qualified and Non-Qualified components, paid for by the individual teams. This is pretty nice, but it’s also not what I was talking about. The NFL also has a Capital Accumulation Plan, which is a defined contribution plan. As you may have figured out, this is also not what I was talking about. But since you keep saying that the NFL has a self-funded deferred compensation option, please - tell me all about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-nfl-and-teams-clamp-down-on-these-10k-or-more-rookie-dinners/845021.md?page=3)