They already play those two games .... they just dont count twards the standings.
Many teams sell out those preseason games at the same prices as the regular season games ..... other than the games counting twards the standings I dont see much financial difference for either side.
As for who deserves more or less of said revenue - The players dont risk a single cent where the owners risk hundreds of millions of dollars. Sure the players assume some physical risk but they are paid handsomely in return.
They make a minimum of 15x the wage of an average American and many make hundreds of times that in a seven month span.
In 2010 the Rookie minimum salary is $325,000 with that number going up for each season under their belts ....
I cant feel sorry for the players when we pay our teaches , police , firefighters and the men and women who protect our rights in the military pennies on the dollar for services that are much more important to the fabric of society.
I don't care for your final argument because you and I are part of that problem. We are paying to watch it, so we are supporting it, which means we have only ourselves to blame. It's like blaming Coors for a family member's alcohol addiction. Football is here, it was here in the early 1900s and it isn't going anywhere. It's here.
Therefore, let's be sensible about it. These players are playing at an insane level, corrosion. I mean...every year they get bigger, faster, stronger, and push the limits of what we think is the norm. It's becoming the human equivalent of NASCAR out there. They get paid handsomely, I agree, but they are people too. Foxworth (the player for the Vikings) says they have a small window of time to be compensated for their efforts on the field before their bodies start breaking down. I agree with that.
When was the last time an NFL owner could say the same thing? They can't. They keep rolling along, as players come and go, and their revenue stream keeps flowing into their bank accounts. Those who do the work, IMO, should be rewarded handsomely. "The laborer is worthy of his wages" is a Biblical look at how it is unjust to withhold payment to those who have earned it. I'm a healthy tipper when we eat out. Now, if the service awful...I might leave a $1 tip. But 98% of the time, I am tipping waiters at least 20% and even more if it was out-of-this-world service. I learned, from growing up on a poor cotton farm near Lubbock TX, and watching my dad squeeze every penny out of people that he could, that you just don't get ahead in life by operating that way,
The players should be rewarded, but the rookie contracts have skewed everything. If the owners, over the past two decades, had donated HALF of what they gave rookies (especially the top 5 or so draft picks each year) can you imagine what this would do? What if it had been put in a special investment fund that accumulates and earns a return-on-investment, and then a portion of those funds are used to help retired NFL players who have serious health issues as a result of their playing days? THAT is a story that would be fascinating.
As it stands, there is some real absurdity, IMO, and most of it lies with the owners. They don't need two extra games. And the players don't need outrageous paydays on draft day when they haven't earned it yet. Money isn't evil, it's the love of money that is evil (and humans are the ones doing the "loving"). Wouldn't it be awesome if logic ruled the day in the NFL? So much good could be done, while us also having a great time as fans of the game.
