After the NFL decided to cancel their annual rookie symposium, it left many wondering if that really was in the best interest of the league. After all many of these kids will be starting their first ever job, they'll have their first taste of real money (excluding former Ohio State Buckeyes), and along with the new found money will come new found problems. With the NFL so image conscious, you'd think they'd want to give these young men a good start to their professional future. Luckily for them the NFLPA has stepped in to fill the void.
Do we still call the disbanded NFLPA the NFLPA? Anyway... They are calling the event, "The Business of Football, Rookie Edition", and it is tentatively scheduled for June 28th and 29th near Washington D.C., which is home to their headquarters. Every single drafted rookie will be invited. Seeing as how the rookies aren't allowed contact with their new soon to be employers, this makes getting them some education even more important.
From NFL.com:
"We're doing this because it's the right thing to do," NFLPA spokesman George Atallah told The Associated Press. The forum will cover financial education and planning, proper behavior on and off the field, and other information to prepare rookies for the NFL.
Agent David Canter thinks the NFLPA's forum makes sense.
"I'm very happy that the former union made this decision," said Canter, who counts Syracuse linebacker Doug Hogue, a fifth-round pick of the Detroit Lions, among his clients. "The symposium is a great experience for all players. For this year's class, it's even more valuable because of the lack of information. And this will be the first time all of these players have been able to meet."
It's good to see something positive being done during this agonizing and annoying lockout.