Brandon_graham
Tremendous story by Tim McManus this morning over at Philly Sports Daily. The looming NFL lockout appears to be nothing more than a fight between millionaires and billionaires. But when you consider that many NFL players will play in the league for far less than a decade, sign one lucrative contract (at best), and have no other discernible skill in life, what you're left with is a handful of set-for-life players and a bunch of guys who are going to be broke just a couple of years after they hang it up (78% of them).

It's guys like that who sought assistance from Brandon Graham, who signed a $14 million contract and has a group of trusted advisors:

This makes him attractive to the needy and the greedy seeking some liquid – including his own teammates. By Graham’s count, at least two fellow Eagles have asked him for substantial loans to get them through the lockout.

The most he’s gotten hit up for?

“100K,” said Graham.

“They try not to make it awkward. They’ll come to you like they’re joking, but they’re serious. They’re trying to feel you out, to see what you’ll say.”

Graham always has the same reply: No.

“I’ll be like, ‘What are you going to do with it, other than blow it?’ I don’t want to be beefing with guys on my team because they owe me money,” said Graham.

 

Besides the obvious chuckle that comes with hearing an NFL player asked a teammate for a loan, situations like this allow us to see just how much of a gap exists between the owners and the players.

Pretty much a must read from T-Mac.