Vladimir Konstantinov Gofundme
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obey86
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- Jun 9, 2009
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As sad as this situation is/was for Konstantinos, just also think about all the other people out there who didn't make millions of dollars prior to the accident, don't have celebrity name recognition, don't/didn't have the support of a business/organization like the Red Wings, and are in a similar situation with medical bills and whatnot.
Life is depressing sometimes.
Life is depressing sometimes.
Steve Yzerlland
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- Jul 18, 2018
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Shaman464
No u
The fact he's on public assistance is really messed up. The Illitches should have ensured he was taken care of.
Steve Yzerlland
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I agree and don't agree. I love Vladdy and everything he did for this team. You start entering a slippery slope when a team takes care of one player and not the other. Vladdy and other team personnel were hurt in a non-team organized event (correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe the charity golf thing was a mandatory Red Wing event and the limo wasn't a Red Wing provided vehicle). Should the Thrashers/Jets pay for the family of Dan Snyder because one of their players killed him? If D-Mac relapses should it be the Wings that fork over the money to see him through rehab? If Larkin goes out this summer and parties with Zadina and Zadina loses an arm, should the Wings pay for all of his medical bills the rest of his life?
It's sad, it sucks, and I'm heartbroken.
The Wings could donate for great PR and nice tax rebate, but they unfortunately aren't evil if they don't.
Henkka
Registered User
My god he was physical.
Only highlights from one playoff year and that looks like Kronwall career highlights.
Shaman464
No u
Its pretty evil to not help someone who helped them cement a brand that made the Illitches hundreds of millions of dollars since that cup run. I can tell you that as a portion of my wealth, me giving 100 dollars to his care would be more burdensome than the Illitches ensuring a life time of care. And way beyond that, after how much the city has just given that family (an arena they can't even fill up, and has their god awful logo on it), they have no excuse to send some breadcrumbs to a man who means so much to the Detroit sports community.
Hammettf2b
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obey86
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It's not evil at all.
There are thousands of families out there who didn't make millions of dollars working in their careers who are in similar situations as Konstantinov is now. I don't expect their places of work to play for all of their health care and I wouldn't expect the Red Wings to.
Shaman464
No u
The thousands of other families are a red herring and have nothing to do with this. Vladdy helped build a Red Wings brand that made the Illitches hundreds of millions. Its objectively evil to have the ability to do the right thing and not do it. Especially for a team that made such a big deal of honoring hand shake deals with a certain player, and that touts itself as an organization that takes care of its own.
Shaman464
No u
A lot of the Russians got bilked by predatory agents. Fedorov is a famous example of this, but it wasn't uncommon for players who came over from the USSR, and didn't speak the language, or know the sports-entertainment industry to attract the wrong sort of people.
I have no idea where his strength came from, but he was a human wrecking ball. Great memories.
It is a NHL, NHLPA, and Red Wing issue to help players.
I'm with you man, I really am. This is such a touchy subject and not everyone will share the same point of view. I 100% understand where you're coming from.
We don't know how much the Wings have already helped Vladdy financially, too.
I hope you understand where I was coming form in my initial post, like I said, I see your point of view, I hope you were able to at least see mine.
Hammettf2b
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newfy
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- Jul 28, 2010
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Before we start calling them evil, do we know that the Illitches didnt help him? I have a feeling they've provided plenty of money towards Vladdy. I was reading that this gofundme is organized outside of what the team is also providing to him. I mean you better have dollar figures if youre going to start calling a family evil and claim theyre only sending him bread crumbs
It does not say he is on state assistance. The purpose of a special needs trust is to make him eligible for state assistance while exempting these assets.
He could have $1m in his name and be spending $20k a month on care. (50 months of runway). When the $1m runs out the state picks up the tab to the tune of lets say $10k and the SNT could pay the second $10k. ($250k would last another 25 months of runway). Ie twice as long per dollar as if he spent his own money.
$20k is somewhat excess but just to prove a point. If you are going to donate to the man, doing so in the trust allows him to live at his current level of care for twice as long. It is not a loophole or anything it just a federal regulation that recognizes we really suck as a society at taking care of disabled people. This is Congress's way of making up for it.
It is a standard legal strategy for helping people with lifetime special needs to ensure they can afford to get the care they need. The average cost of a nursing home can be as high as $15k a month. You need to be pretty rich these days to be disabled and cared for well. SNT's help lower that burden somewhat.
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The Zetterberg Era
Ball Hockey Sucks
This is a tough topic, but I would remind people we do have Libel rules around here. We don't have a whole lot of details to go on other than it is very sad Vladdy has fallen on hard times financially in terms of how he needs to get care. The reality of the state he was left in after the accident too is very costly, his care isn't inexpensive and has likely exploded in terms of cost like most of the medical profession.
For those questioning that need for public assistance or ward of the state status that is also fairly common place with adults that need Vladdy's level of care. Often divorce is necessary to keep financial situations in order and there are a myriad of other issues that must be considered. One of my father's best friends had a skiing accident that left him in a somewhat similar status and you would be surprised how complex it gets to take care of somebody in this level of care, the trusts needed and the separation of some of the things we would think would be normal that must be changed in our system in my opinion. But we shall see where this particular case goes. But not everything in life is cut and dry. The Ilitch family hasn't forgotten him from what I can tell and before they are attacked keep in mind they were thanked on the very page asking for assistance.
Hopefully this can help him get the care he needs though.
For those questioning that need for public assistance or ward of the state status that is also fairly common place with adults that need Vladdy's level of care. Often divorce is necessary to keep financial situations in order and there are a myriad of other issues that must be considered. One of my father's best friends had a skiing accident that left him in a somewhat similar status and you would be surprised how complex it gets to take care of somebody in this level of care, the trusts needed and the separation of some of the things we would think would be normal that must be changed in our system in my opinion. But we shall see where this particular case goes. But not everything in life is cut and dry. The Ilitch family hasn't forgotten him from what I can tell and before they are attacked keep in mind they were thanked on the very page asking for assistance.
Hopefully this can help him get the care he needs though.
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Dotter
THE ATHLETIC IS GARBAGE
When 61 people own as much as 50% of humanity, it's not obscene to think that we just might be able to provide for all that fall on unfortunate circumstances.
So yea, I agree, the Wings shouldn't be expected to pay for Vlad.
Steve Yzerlland
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- Jul 18, 2018
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How can we be so sure the money isn't going to his handler/family member instead? Is Konstantinov in any metal state to understand and manage his finances? All you have to do is look at what happened to Stan Lee in his final years to know this is not a great cause to donate to.
I simply don't trust GoFundMe or any other charities. Too much corruption and other false acts.
$250,000 isn't that much money for the players and this organization. I'd rather just see the Red Wings family step up and pay for his expenses.
I simply don't trust GoFundMe or any other charities. Too much corruption and other false acts.
$250,000 isn't that much money for the players and this organization. I'd rather just see the Red Wings family step up and pay for his expenses.
Oddbob
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- Jan 21, 2016
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While I feel bad for what happened to Vlad and absolutely loved him as a player, I don't think members of the general public should need to, or even be asked to contribute to this cause. As Obey said, there are so many non celebrity people who are struggling with these kind of problems, that don't have money and wouldn't likely be able to get it through means like this. The other thing is, it wasn't like Vladdy and his family weren't well compensated during his playing career, as he wasn't exactly making chump change. If his wife/financial handlers wasted all that money, that is on them, as he should have had more than enough to cover him the rest of his life. Not blaming Vladdy as clearly he wasn't the one in charge of the money, but he made more than enough to cover this and many other expenses.
He looks like he weighs 500 pounds when he hits. Guys just bounce off him.
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Lil Sebastian Cossa
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It’s not evil.
It’s actually far more disgusting how you are trying to turn this into more than it is with incredibly specious arguments. What the city has given or whatever that nonsense is has nothing to do with anything.
If the Wings or some of Vladdy’s teammates wanted to kick into support him, it would be fantastic. It would be amazing. But the fact that they aren’t fronting the money for living expenses or health care over twenty years after the fact when he got injured in a very very unfortunate accident while celebrating with some of the team isn’t an example of evil.
It sucks that Vladdy and his family are in such dire straits. It really sucks. But the Wings, the NHL/NHLPA, and even Vladdy’s old teammates aren’t somehow lesser men or organizations because they don’t foot the bill for him
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