In one of the smarter moves the NFLPA has made in the past few years, they have announced a partnership between the NFL players and the car service (Uber) which will hopefully cut down on drunk driving incidents. The partnership will give players an initial $200 in credits to be used towards their rides. The question that I still have is what else is part of the deal? Anyone in the world can use Uber who has a smartphone, so is the $200 the main incentive to use the service? Given players’ salaries, $200 seems like a drop in the bucket, but maybe not. Hopefully it works, and it is at least a step in the right direction. Currently Uber is only operational in 17 of the 31 cities which have NFL teams.
According to the NY Times:
The service, which is available in more than half of the N.F.L.’s cities, will allow players and their families to hail a ride in minutes with a few taps on their phone. Uber’s service would complement an existing program run by the union in which players can summon a car by placing a phone call. Because Uber relies on G.P.S., players will not need to know the precise address of their location to get a ride home. “This generation is more tied to having a mobile device,” said DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the players association, who has used Uber for more than a year. “If we can move to a world where we are using the phenomenon to increase the safety of our players, then the partnership with Uber is a no-brainer.”
“We’re working to educate city governments that this reduces drunk driving and gets people out of their cars,” said Travis Kalanick, an Uber co-founder and the chief executive. “Sometimes, pro players’ lives are unscheduled, and that’s where Uber can be helpful.”
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