Throughout the NFL owners’ lockout, fans have experienced a range of emotions: disappointment, uncertainty and frustration, to name a few. Luckily, a group of fans in Boston was able to cross confusion off that list thanks to an event hosted by offensive lineman Matt Light and Sports Illustrated writer Peter King.
“The Matt Light and Peter King Lockout Breakfast: Inside the CBA, Free Agency and the 2011 NFL Draft” served as a fundraiser benefiting the Light Foundation. Sponsored by Sullivan & Worcester LLC, it took place at Boston’s Liberty Hotel.
The panel featured Light and King, and also included ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss and former NFL player Pete Kendall. The panelists spoke about the labor situation and answered questions from attendees. The capacity crowd was joined by several members of the media, all of whom were eager to get some face time with the players in attendance.
Light’s teammates while with the New England Patriots, such as Vince Wilfork, Logan Mankins and Brian Hoyer, were joined by Russ Hochstein of the Denver Broncos at the players’ table. Fans were thrilled to have their questions answered as players explained the Collective Bargaining Agreement to them from a player’s perspective. Topics ranged from free agency and the NFL Draft to rookie contracts and the CBA negotiations.
Since 2009, co-hosts Light and King have teamed up for several football-themed events to benefit the Light Foundation and King’s charity of choice, the Greater Boston Food Bank. When King invited the left tackle to fill in as a guest writer for his popular “Monday Morning Quarterback” column, Light was honored and extended King an invitation to his annual “Celebrity Shoot-Out” event. The two have become friends and have been raising money for charity together since.
“Once I heard about Matt’s foundation, I was happy to help him advance it in any way I could,” King said. “I’m around so many players who throw money at various causes, but what Matt does is help kids the way they need it most, through personal interaction with someone they can be proud to look up to.”
The players in attendance offered unique insight into the labor dispute for different reasons: Light is a free agent and in career limbo without a contract; Wilfork is a starter on the defensive line when football finally resumes; and Mankins was given the franchise tag by the Patriots last year and consequently is not currently under contract.
The event raised more than $15,000 for the Light Foundation, Light’s philanthropic organization dedicated to helping troubled teens get back on the right path. On September 20 in Rhode Island, the Light Foundation will be hosting its next fundraiser, the 7th annual “Matt Light Celebrity Shoot-Out.” For more information on this event or the Light Foundation’s mission and objectives, visit MattLightFoundation.org.
