A number of current Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees claim they will not attend future induction ceremonies until they receive health insurance and an annual salary that includes a share of the league's revenue, they state in a letter sent to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell Tuesday, according to ESPN's Arash Markazi.
The letter was sent by Hall of Fame Board director Eric Dickerson on behalf of NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and Pro Football Hall of Fame president C. David Baker. It was signed by 20 board members, which include Marcus Allen, Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, and Kurt Warner.
"We, the undersigned Pro Football Hall of Famers, were integral to the creation of the modern NFL, which in 2017 generated $14 billion in revenue," the letter states. "But when the league enshrined us as the greatest ever to play America's most popular sport, they gave us a gold jacket, a bust and a ring - and that was it.
"To build this game, we sacrificed our bodies. In many cases, and despite the fact that we were led to believe otherwise, we sacrificed our minds. We believe we deserve more."
The letter says it costs less than $4 million for every Hall of Fame member to have health insurance - a cheaper price than a 30-second Super Bowl ad.
