I was flipping through the channels this past weekend; trapped in doors by the weather like most of you. I stumbled onto ESPN’s 30 for 30 entitled “Broke”. As I watched I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic as most of the players were from my era and I knew a majority of them. Watching them brought up some stories of former Charger players from years gone by that I will share with you.

My first experience with great financial minds came when I was drafted by the Chargers and was attending their “summer school” basically just a shorts and shirts type 7 on 7 passing game practice. I had yet to actually sign a contract and went up to the financial office of the Chargers after practice to inquire about hotel and travel expenses. I could hear someone yelling down the hallway approaching the office and the door swings open and it’s Anthony Miller the Chargers All-Pro receiver. I standing there dumbfounded as I listened to him demand to see Mr. FICA ,in his mind a Charger executive stealing his money, not knowing it was social security, he then also informs everyone he already paid taxes last year so he can’t possibly owe any this year.

In the 1990’s before huge contracts, stories like these were common place and in the days before free agency many players like Anthony Miller were essentially controlled by their teams through pay advances and contract extensions at less than favorable terms. Due to their desperation for more cash to spend they would lock themselves into long-term contracts for a little upfront money or signing bonus, to keep themselves going for a few more months. I used to watch Chris Mimms go to the front office for advances even though he had just received a $1.5 million dollar signing bonus and $450,000 in salary within a six month period. This was his rookie year and it was all gone before the season had even started. Chris Mimms died last year weighing close to 500 lbs and living in poverty in a downtown LA flop house.

Every team, every year, has an Anthony Miller or a Chris Mimms. Look at the statistics, they suggest that on every team 40 to 45 men on a roster of 52 end up broke within 2 years of leaving the game; they are just making so much more now that it simply takes a little longer to lose it all and it’s not because Mr. FICA in the front office is embezzling it.

Whether gambling, child support, drugs or other vices the problem has escalated in line with the escalation of NFL salaries. Ryan Leaf through drugs and burglary is a well told, worn out story in this town so I won’t even get into that hot mess.

Recently it was San Diego Icon Junior Seau. I won’t go into the details about junior because I was his roommate with the Chargers as well as him being the Best Man at my wedding and one of my dearest friends; however we all have seen the piece in the Union Tribune of his rapid decline after leaving football from inner demons that most people didn’t see as well as alcohol or gambling.

The world is set to end 12.21.12 the day this article is to be published so maybe it was a prudent move not to save money for the future. Maybe it is the concussion syndrome everyone seems to be blaming as of late. Maybe it’s just too hard of a transition from the spotlight to darkness, regardless this is a problem that is escalating at an alarming rate.

I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend, the show “30 for 30” was depressing not for the stories of the players and their poor decisions as young men but for the memories, as well as a reminder of a lost friend that paid the ultimate self-inflicted price for this contemporary sports phenomenon.