Is this an example of the union putting the root to the American people or the little man fighting the power? Which one is it?
Take a step back and look at what's going on. Look at what the players are asking for and what the owners are asking for. And it's the owners that locked the players out, not vice versa. It seems that Roger Goodell has clearly taken a side in this also. If you are an NFL player, you look at the fact that the average NFL player lives to be 55. Why aren't these players medically covered for the rest of their lives? Why do the owners and commish insist on making the season 18 games? I understand the rookie wage cap, that I don't have a problem with, and I bet the NFLPA doesn't either. The owners need to make concessions because this league is not broke, it's not close to being broke, and it never will go broke. The Detroit Lions are making tons of money. Owners are greedy, and that's what this is all about.
Players aren't greedy? Adrian Peterson is whining about his $4.2M/yr contract making him a "slave" on the NFL's plantation. Players already get a 60% cut of the revenue. How about they take some of those "slave wages" and invest them in their own health care? Players are not entitled to a golden parachute playing a game for a living. Are owners greedy too? Absolutely. I can't think of anyone outside the owners who think an 18-week regular season is a good idea. But the players and the NFLPA are not innocent babes in the woods on this. And they're counting on winning the public relations game to get what they want. It's easy for fans to love the players they watch and idolize every week. And by the same token, it's easy for those same fans to hate billionaire owners sitting in their luxury boxes sipping champagne.
The whole thing is quite simple. The owners are the employers. They have offered jobs to these spoiled brats. No one is making them play. They agreed to work for a given wage. Now they are jealous that they don't make as much as their employers. Fire em all and get people who want to work. Easy.
It's not quite that easy. You'd be taking a serious step down in talent, diminishing the product on the field, probably along with ratings and revenue.
Both sides are greedy. But I don't feel sorry for the players. They receive a salary that most would dream of. The drawback is the risk to their bodies. But members of the military and firefighters/police officers face greater risks to their bodies, at a measely fraction of the compensation. NFL athletes have won the physical attribute lottery. And they have a way to make a life-changing amount of money, an amount that will change the course of the lives of their family--for generations. They shouldn't complain.
Most people bitch so much about players of any sport making too much money. What they fail to understand is that players have been training for their sport ever since they were in high school, through college, and a huge majority of the year. They don't just work Sunday. Sports is a 365 day a year job just like any other. Whether it's lifting weights, studying scouting reports or film, practicing, or whatever, that's all work that they put in. I would guess that they probably work more than an average person. They arrive at a stadium in the morning and don't leave well after the game is over, whether to answer interview questions, ice down muscles, or whatever. Not only that, injury is a part of sports that a lot of jobs don't have. We've seen in the past years players get paralyzed never to play again. I don't blame them for not wanting to play 2 more games, especially since the owners don't seem to want to pay them fairly for playing in more games. Not to mention that in some sports, players are on the road for long stretches out of the year. Lastly, players have a limited amount of years they can work. Sure, they could get a job somewhere else after. But who's going to hire a sore 40 year old inexperienced worker for a full time job? Even if they have a degree, a fresh out of college intern is going to know more than the player and be a better hire. The players need to make more during a career to support themselves when they won't have a job.
poor fellas. most of us workout for free in our own free time. mma guys work out way harder than these chumps and their careers are even shorter. cry us a river. the fat white dudes with all the money can wait out the dudes living paycheck to paycheck. its always been that way and always will be. until you are the one signing the check theres not a lot you can do.
or, they can manage what they receive a little better instead of pissing it all away. planning for retirement is something everyone has to do. nfl players are not exempt from that bit of common sense. i have no love for the owners, and i think they are greedy, but i dont feel sorry for someone that fails to be responsible when given the good fortune of making that kind of money (the players).
