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09-23-2005, 07:33 PM
The New York Times
September 23, 2005
In Hurricane Relief Efforts, Some Pro Leagues Dig Deeper
By DUFF WILSON
The National Football League has far surpassed other professional sports leagues in giving for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, according to a review of what has been donated by the millionaire athletes and, in many cities, the billionaire owners of sports franchises.
In total, owners, clubs, unions, athletes and fans in the three largest professional sports have donated more than $40 million to Katrina relief to date. Every penny is appreciated; the Red Cross estimated that it needed more than $2 billion to help the nearly one million Katrina survivors, the costliest effort in its history, even as another hurricane was bearing down on the Gulf Coast.
Many teams declined to disclose what individual players had donated for hurricane relief, and some teams are still conducting fund-raising drives.
The N.F.L. has led in Katrina giving with more than $21 million, or about 1 percent of its annual payroll. By comparison, the National Basketball Association has raised more than $10 million toward the hurricane and flood relief, and Major League Baseball is raising more than $9 million, league spokesmen said. These totals include donations by owners, clubs, unions, players and fans. Explanations for the disparity include the fact that baseball does not have a franchise in New Orleans and the N.B.A., which does, is in its off-season.
In Houston, where many had fled the hurricane and flooding, fund-raising by the N.F.L.'s Texans has reached about $3 million, while baseball's Astros reported donating about $200,000.
Kenny Smith, a TNT analyst and former N.B.A. player who organized a fund-raising game in Houston, said in a recent statement, "These are the types of communities where we come from, and this is one way we can help take care of our own."
The average player's pay is $4.9 million in the N.B.A., $2.6 million in baseball, and $1.3 million in the N.F.L., but the leagues' total payrolls are comparable - roughly $2 billion a year - because of the different number of players in each league.
The National Hockey League and its players association said they would donate $1 million to the Red Cross.
The N.F.L. figure includes about $4 million that fans donated at stadiums and fund-raising events; the three N.F.L. team owners who gave $1 million apiece; two other owners who gave at least $500,000; and N.F.L. Relief Weekend Telethon, completed Monday night, which raised more than $5 million.
Warrick Dunn, a Louisiana native and Atlanta Falcons running back, led all football players with a $250,000 donation. An N.B.A. player is giving by far the most in cash from any pro athlete: Stephon Marbury of the Knicks, who pledged $500,000 to $1 million.
Among the other large N.B.A. donations was the $800,000 raised by a foundation set up by Chicago's Chris Duhon, a Louisiana native. Cleveland's LeBron James bought $120,000 in supplies for stricken areas. His teammate Larry Hughes and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant each gave $100,000 cash. The National Basketball Players Association pledged to give $2.5 million, equal to its donations to 9/11 relief.
The N.B.A plans to have fund-raising events when the preseason begins in October and throughout the season, said Michael Bass, an N.B.A. spokesman.
Baseball's donations for Katrina relief include roughly $6 million from players, clubs, executives and fan donations; $1 million from an initial pledge by the union and the league, $1 million from the league matching other donations; and $1 million expected from donating a dollar for every item purchased at MLB.com.
Among baseball players, Boston's David Ortiz, Florida's Carlos Delgado and the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero gave the most, $50,000 apiece. All are from the Caribbean, which has often been affected by hurricanes. Every player and coach on the Cincinnati Reds donated his salary for one game, totaling about $230,000, the only such group effort.
In an interview Tuesday, Delgado agreed that the fact baseball had no franchise in New Orleans might have contributed to its smaller total.
"Baseball isn't more important than people's lives," he said, "but we're in the middle of the season and some teams are in pennant races. Basketball players are off and football players are just getting started. That might not be the answer, but that they just have more time. I don't want to make it sound like what we're doing is that much more important than people losing their homes and their loved ones."
George Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees, stepped up with $1 million for the Salvation Army two days after Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. Among Yankee players, Gary Sheffield donated $10,000, and Jason Giambi gave $20,000 directly to Ron Washington, a coach for the Oakland Athletics whose house was destroyed in New Orleans. Several A's players also made private donations to Washington, an A's spokesman said. The Mets have donated a total of about $625,000.
Sheffield, in an interview at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, said he had not considered the issue of race in the different levels of giving for Katrina victims. About 75 percent of the N.B.A.'s players are black; that figure is about 70 percent in the N.F.L. and about 10 percent in baseball. Two-thirds of New Orleans residents are black.
"The important thing is not to look at black and white right now because it's a tragedy, what took place," Sheffield said. "I think now is the time to look at what you're going to do for the cities, for the states and for the country, and after it's all over, everybody can look at it and say you did enough or not. But you don't do it now."
Among franchise owners, the N.F.L. again pledged the largest amounts. Robert C. McNair of the Texans was the first N.F.L. owner to pledge $1 million to Katrina relief in matching gifts to other fund-raising in Houston. Paul Allen, owner of the Seattle Seahawks, is also giving $1 million, as are Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Arthur M. Blank, owner of the Falcons, is giving $600,000, and Daniel M. Snyder of the Washington Redskins $500,000.
The Falcons' total exceeded $1 million, including contributions from players and the team foundation.
Baltimore Ravens players, after hearing pleas from their teammates Ed Reed, Alan Ricard, Jamal Lewis and Deion Sanders, donated $165,000 to the Red Cross. The players' figure was matched four times, by the Ravens organization; the former owner Art Modell and his wife, Pat; his son David Modell and his wife, Michele; and the current owner, Steve Bisciotti and his wife, Renee. Other fund-raising in Baltimore brought the Ravens' total to $855,000.
The N.F.L. has also reported three $1 million donations: from the league, the players association, and gate receipts from the Saints-Giants game on Monday night at the Meadowlands.
The Texans appear to have contributed more than any other franchise for hurricane relief. Fans donated $1.7 million, and additional money was given by McNair, the players and team staff. More than 3,100 people and companies contributed during a five-hour telethon sponsored by the Texans, the team spokesman Tony Wyllie said.
Of the Astros' $200,000, players and coaches raised about $50,000. That total was matched by Roger Clemens through his foundation, and then that total was matched by Drayton McLane Jr., team chairman and chief executive, the team spokesman Todd Fedewa said.
The Texas Rangers donated about $64,000, including $25,000 from owner, Tom Hicks, to buy school uniforms for children who fled the storm to Dallas.
Half of the 30 major league baseball's teams responded to an inquiry by The New York Times about their hurricane relief fund-raising. Of them, Yankees gave the most. The Minnesota Twins gave the next largest amount, more than $800,000.
Ray Glier, Tyler Kepner and Ben Shpigel contributed reporting for this article.
* Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
September 23, 2005
In Hurricane Relief Efforts, Some Pro Leagues Dig Deeper
By DUFF WILSON
The National Football League has far surpassed other professional sports leagues in giving for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, according to a review of what has been donated by the millionaire athletes and, in many cities, the billionaire owners of sports franchises.
In total, owners, clubs, unions, athletes and fans in the three largest professional sports have donated more than $40 million to Katrina relief to date. Every penny is appreciated; the Red Cross estimated that it needed more than $2 billion to help the nearly one million Katrina survivors, the costliest effort in its history, even as another hurricane was bearing down on the Gulf Coast.
Many teams declined to disclose what individual players had donated for hurricane relief, and some teams are still conducting fund-raising drives.
The N.F.L. has led in Katrina giving with more than $21 million, or about 1 percent of its annual payroll. By comparison, the National Basketball Association has raised more than $10 million toward the hurricane and flood relief, and Major League Baseball is raising more than $9 million, league spokesmen said. These totals include donations by owners, clubs, unions, players and fans. Explanations for the disparity include the fact that baseball does not have a franchise in New Orleans and the N.B.A., which does, is in its off-season.
In Houston, where many had fled the hurricane and flooding, fund-raising by the N.F.L.'s Texans has reached about $3 million, while baseball's Astros reported donating about $200,000.
Kenny Smith, a TNT analyst and former N.B.A. player who organized a fund-raising game in Houston, said in a recent statement, "These are the types of communities where we come from, and this is one way we can help take care of our own."
The average player's pay is $4.9 million in the N.B.A., $2.6 million in baseball, and $1.3 million in the N.F.L., but the leagues' total payrolls are comparable - roughly $2 billion a year - because of the different number of players in each league.
The National Hockey League and its players association said they would donate $1 million to the Red Cross.
The N.F.L. figure includes about $4 million that fans donated at stadiums and fund-raising events; the three N.F.L. team owners who gave $1 million apiece; two other owners who gave at least $500,000; and N.F.L. Relief Weekend Telethon, completed Monday night, which raised more than $5 million.
Warrick Dunn, a Louisiana native and Atlanta Falcons running back, led all football players with a $250,000 donation. An N.B.A. player is giving by far the most in cash from any pro athlete: Stephon Marbury of the Knicks, who pledged $500,000 to $1 million.
Among the other large N.B.A. donations was the $800,000 raised by a foundation set up by Chicago's Chris Duhon, a Louisiana native. Cleveland's LeBron James bought $120,000 in supplies for stricken areas. His teammate Larry Hughes and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant each gave $100,000 cash. The National Basketball Players Association pledged to give $2.5 million, equal to its donations to 9/11 relief.
The N.B.A plans to have fund-raising events when the preseason begins in October and throughout the season, said Michael Bass, an N.B.A. spokesman.
Baseball's donations for Katrina relief include roughly $6 million from players, clubs, executives and fan donations; $1 million from an initial pledge by the union and the league, $1 million from the league matching other donations; and $1 million expected from donating a dollar for every item purchased at MLB.com.
Among baseball players, Boston's David Ortiz, Florida's Carlos Delgado and the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero gave the most, $50,000 apiece. All are from the Caribbean, which has often been affected by hurricanes. Every player and coach on the Cincinnati Reds donated his salary for one game, totaling about $230,000, the only such group effort.
In an interview Tuesday, Delgado agreed that the fact baseball had no franchise in New Orleans might have contributed to its smaller total.
"Baseball isn't more important than people's lives," he said, "but we're in the middle of the season and some teams are in pennant races. Basketball players are off and football players are just getting started. That might not be the answer, but that they just have more time. I don't want to make it sound like what we're doing is that much more important than people losing their homes and their loved ones."
George Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees, stepped up with $1 million for the Salvation Army two days after Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. Among Yankee players, Gary Sheffield donated $10,000, and Jason Giambi gave $20,000 directly to Ron Washington, a coach for the Oakland Athletics whose house was destroyed in New Orleans. Several A's players also made private donations to Washington, an A's spokesman said. The Mets have donated a total of about $625,000.
Sheffield, in an interview at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, said he had not considered the issue of race in the different levels of giving for Katrina victims. About 75 percent of the N.B.A.'s players are black; that figure is about 70 percent in the N.F.L. and about 10 percent in baseball. Two-thirds of New Orleans residents are black.
"The important thing is not to look at black and white right now because it's a tragedy, what took place," Sheffield said. "I think now is the time to look at what you're going to do for the cities, for the states and for the country, and after it's all over, everybody can look at it and say you did enough or not. But you don't do it now."
Among franchise owners, the N.F.L. again pledged the largest amounts. Robert C. McNair of the Texans was the first N.F.L. owner to pledge $1 million to Katrina relief in matching gifts to other fund-raising in Houston. Paul Allen, owner of the Seattle Seahawks, is also giving $1 million, as are Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Arthur M. Blank, owner of the Falcons, is giving $600,000, and Daniel M. Snyder of the Washington Redskins $500,000.
The Falcons' total exceeded $1 million, including contributions from players and the team foundation.
Baltimore Ravens players, after hearing pleas from their teammates Ed Reed, Alan Ricard, Jamal Lewis and Deion Sanders, donated $165,000 to the Red Cross. The players' figure was matched four times, by the Ravens organization; the former owner Art Modell and his wife, Pat; his son David Modell and his wife, Michele; and the current owner, Steve Bisciotti and his wife, Renee. Other fund-raising in Baltimore brought the Ravens' total to $855,000.
The N.F.L. has also reported three $1 million donations: from the league, the players association, and gate receipts from the Saints-Giants game on Monday night at the Meadowlands.
The Texans appear to have contributed more than any other franchise for hurricane relief. Fans donated $1.7 million, and additional money was given by McNair, the players and team staff. More than 3,100 people and companies contributed during a five-hour telethon sponsored by the Texans, the team spokesman Tony Wyllie said.
Of the Astros' $200,000, players and coaches raised about $50,000. That total was matched by Roger Clemens through his foundation, and then that total was matched by Drayton McLane Jr., team chairman and chief executive, the team spokesman Todd Fedewa said.
The Texas Rangers donated about $64,000, including $25,000 from owner, Tom Hicks, to buy school uniforms for children who fled the storm to Dallas.
Half of the 30 major league baseball's teams responded to an inquiry by The New York Times about their hurricane relief fund-raising. Of them, Yankees gave the most. The Minnesota Twins gave the next largest amount, more than $800,000.
Ray Glier, Tyler Kepner and Ben Shpigel contributed reporting for this article.
* Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company