Who do you support

[Dan B.]

I grow tired of the "but, but, their contract isn't guaranteed. They can be let go at any time..." Is your job guaranteed? Mine's not. Maybe they should actually try and learn something while in college instead of going through the motions just to get to where they are. "But the average career of an NFL player is only 3 years and can have lasting damage to their bodies.." That's weak, because they know this when they take the job. These are the 15 most dangerous jobs in America. Football isn't one of them, but a job I once held is.

It is a privilege to play a sport for a living, not a right. Music groups/bands/artists/etc don't go asking what kind of profits the record companies are making. I sure don't, either. If the players feel they are treated unfairly they can always find new jobs that apply to their degree(probably communications or physical education). Bring in the scrubs, I say. Sign UFL players, Arena, whomever and get back to playing. I pay to watch a team, not a player.

Are the owners right in asking for more money? I don't know, probably, and don't really care anymore. Just bring football back, regardless of who the players are.

You can also quit working for your employer and go to one of their competitors at any time. An NFL player can't because they signed a contract agreeing to play for one time for a specified length of time. NFL teams don't honor that same timeframe. The problem is that contracts in the NFL are one way.

 

[Double Barrel]

It is a privilege to play a sport for a living, not a right. Music groups/bands/artists/etc don't go asking what kind of profits the record companies are making.

Actually, my friend, they do:

Artists Sue Major Record Labels For Pirating Music & Get Back Millions

2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike

£80 million Robbie spearheads artists strike in protest at EMI takeover

Obviously different situations, but still the same with entertainment figures holding those they work for accountable.

We simply cannot compare professional athletes to average workers without distorting the situations. Pro athletes are entertainers, much like television/movie stars and musicians/singers. These industries are not the same as plumbers, or truck drivers, or home repair men, or any other regular job.

Entertainers are the product, and there is a reason whey they are the ones being watched and we are the ones watching them. I could find thousands of folks to do my job with proper training, but the fact is that not many people can do what an elite athlete can do on the football field.

 

[b0ng]

I voted neither but you people who think your run of the mill 9 - 5 jobs or your small time business that barely break 6 digits a year are even close to NFL owners or players are really out there. Your skills aren't highly specialized that only a small single digit percentage of the population can perform, and you don't have a wealth of cash to buy your own NFL team. I know you have this urge deep down to try to compare your life to Peyton Mannings, or Mike Brown, but you aren't even in the same galaxy as either of those two guys. And how many companies are out there with limited anit-trust exemptions? How many of you earn a percentage of the revenue generated by your business? How many of you are going to end up physical vegetables because your work basically breaks your body if you do that work for any decent period of time? It's not the same, it's not ever going to be the same, and you will never be apart of it.

Both sides have made really stupid blunders through this, but in the end, if they stupid enough to kill this golden goose then neither side deserves to be apart of the most popular sport in America.

 

[HoustonFrog]

I voted players. Easily players. These guys have a average career of 2-3 years. Their life expectancy is shorter than the average male due to the punishment they take for the sake of entertainment. The owners run the teams, yes, but they also make a ton of money and aren't putting their bodies on the line. The whole safety/18 game schedule was a joke.

I also don't buy this argument that "if you own a business you can do what you want to make money." Their business and your business aren't even close. The owners MADE the argument that they need 1 Billion of the cut because of expenses and decreasing profits. So if they broach the subject then the matter needs to investigated...opening the books. It isn't like the union is split on this. Guys like Brees, Manning, Brady and Jeff Saturday aren't idiots. They are going hard line on this because they aren't dumb enough to just hand over 1 Billion on the owners word. I'm not sure how owners even got a vote.

I don't know why people don't get this.


Way too much misinformation out there by both sides.

Because it was a BS, last second offer. According to most sources this wouldn't even give the players the information they needed to ascertain where the money was going etc....family on payroll, boats, use of private jet for non-business use, etc. The players need to know these things so owners can't cry wolf while needlessly throwing away cash.

 

[infantrycak]

First off I go with neutral. I don't have a dog in this fight other than wanting football played. With that said...

These guys have a average career of 2-3 years.

This has to be one of the most over used arguments. The vast majority of players are out of the league in 3 years because of a lack of talent. Very few are forced out of the league by injury in that time period.

Their life expectancy is shorter than the average male due to the punishment they take for the sake of entertainment.

This one is true. Maybe fans shouldn't ***** so much about efforts to make the game safer.

The owners run the teams, yes, but they also make a ton of money and aren't putting their bodies on the line.

No, they put a billion dollars on the line and they had other options for making a ton of money. For the most part, the players do not.

The owners MADE the argument that they need 1 Billion of the cut because of expenses and decreasing profits. So if they broach the subject then the matter needs to investigated...opening the books.

Reports are the number was down to $700 mil. In addition, the owners offered up five years of financial information to be reviewed by an independent auditor.

 

[HoustonFrog]

First off I go with neutral. I don't have a dog in this fight other than wanting football played. With that said...



This has to be one of the most over used arguments. The vast majority of players are out of the league in 3 years because of a lack of talent. Very few are forced out of the league by injury in that time period.



This one is true. Maybe fans shouldn't ***** so much about efforts to make the game safer.



No, they put a billion dollars on the line and they had other options for making a ton of money. For the most part, the players do not.



Reports are the number was down to $700 mil. In addition, the owners offered up five years of financial information to be reviewed by an independent auditor.

Disagree on the first point. The union is around to protect ALL players. From multi-millionaires to scrubs. The average is the average because not alot of guys get a cup of tea in the league and not many last too long, whether it be talent, injuries, etc. Look at Spencer from the Texans. Overall there is the falsehood that these players are spoiled rich guys when in reality you have 32 53 man rosters with a majority of guys who won't last too long and who probably will get a total of about 3 years of $350,000. Not shabby but not set for life and not a huge chunk in the scheme of things. It isn't like the NBA or baseball where I guy can get payed 15 million a year being a stiff because he takes up space in the lane.

Agree on safety rules because of their shorter life span

I addressed the financials above. Showing a bottom line for 5 years isn't transparency to me. Why reward an owner who is wasteful and not losing out because of business expenses. Heck it might help the owners if what they say is true. Seems like they are hiding how they are blowing their profits to me.

 

[infantrycak]

Disagree on the first point. The union is around to protect ALL players. From multi-millionaires to scrubs. The average is the average because not alot of guys get a cup of tea in the league and not many last too long, whether it be talent, injuries, etc. Look at Spencer from the Texans. Overall there is the falsehood that these players are spoiled rich guys when in reality you have 32 53 man rosters with a majority of guys who won't last too long and who probably will get a total of about 3 years of $350,000. Not shabby but not set for life and not a huge chunk in the scheme of things.

I don't even see those as arguments against what I said. Those guys that make $350k per year and can't get off the bench or special teams make that money because the union has gotten a floor put in on salaries. More important the implication is often there that football is so tough people only play 3 years when it is really almost always lack of talent. I have a hard time working up a ton of sympathy for the poor 3 year player who got a free education to supposedly get a college education and a million dollars to start life off with at 24-25 years old. And yeah starting off life with hundreds of thousands in the bank (if you were on the bench you shouldn't be out making it rain like you are a superstar) is a huge leg up on life. Want to start a small business? - why sure. Want to go to school for a couple years and emerge with no debt? - cool.

I addressed the financials above. Showing a bottom line for 5 years isn't transparency to me. Why reward an owner who is wasteful and not losing out because of business expenses.

Not sure where you get bottom line only out of that. In fact the implication of an independent audit is background information will be provided to audit.

 

[Dan B.]

There's more than one NFL owner that has yet to demonstrate any talent at their job. When do we get to kick them to the curb for a younger owner that would cost less? Only when they make back their investment ten times over?

 

[drewmar74]

Who do you support? Hell, I don't know. I do know that I don't trust either side and I find the whole thing incredibly frustrating. What I'm finding, though, is that my frustration is rapidly turning into apathy.

I'm an average guy trying to make ends meet. I go to work all day and I have a side gig to help pay off some medical debt. My wife has health issues and can't work. We have two kids to feed and care for. We have our mortgage, utility bills, etc. I'm looking at $3.50 per gallon gas and $4.00 per gallon milk. Because of my workload, I don't have a lot of time for outside interests but I've been a diehard NFL fan for about 25 years.

Also, I've found that with marriage and kids, as the man of the house, what is actually "yours" diminishes with time. I have the garage, my grill, and football in the fall. That's about it. I'm not complaining, just stating fact.

So here I am - a 25 year fan who's busting tail for his family and really counting on the NFL as a nice little distraction from reality. That little distraction is all jacked up now and there is more finger pointing than I've seen around anything in years.

I could delve into the different angles of why things have gone down like they have. Why the union decertified.... why the owners locked them out... why DeMaurice Smith insists on wearing that goofy little hat. I could delve into those things but I just don't care. I don't care why its screwed up, I just want it fixed.

The longer this goes on and the more stupid things that get said by players and owners.... the more negative press that pops up..... Well, I find myself caring less and less. Maybe I should find a better outlet for my time on Sundays. Take my son fishing instead of cussing the Texans defense? Something more worthwhile?

They better get it fixed and quit acting like a bunch of azzholes. I know I'm not the only person who's rapidly getting fed up with the whole thing and, based on what happened with the NHL and MLB, a lot of fans won't come back once they walk off.

*sigh*

Can I just have my football back, please?

 

[HoustonFrog]

I don't even see those as arguments against what I said. Those guys that make $350k per year and can't get off the bench or special teams make that money because the union has gotten a floor put in on salaries. More important the implication is often there that football is so tough people only play 3 years when it is really almost always lack of talent. I have a hard time working up a ton of sympathy for the poor 3 year player who got a free education to supposedly get a college education and a million dollars to start life off with at 24-25 years old. And yeah starting off life with hundreds of thousands in the bank (if you were on the bench you shouldn't be out making it rain like you are a superstar) is a huge leg up on life. Want to start a small business? - why sure. Want to go to school for a couple years and emerge with no debt? - cool.



Not sure where you get bottom line only out of that. In fact the implication of an independent audit is background information will be provided to audit.

That is not what I read. I heard it was basic numbers on the bottom line for the 5 years with the auditors getting only a checklist of debts and expenses, etc. I also read that the specifics of where that money was going would not be included. Again, an owner can be taking 12 vacations on the jet but then have that built into his business losses.

Good article

http://www.thenation.com/blog/159211/nfl-labor-pains-and-press-release-redefined-chutzpah

DeMaurice Smith and the NFL Players Association wanted ten years of financial audits so they could see why the most successful sports league on earth was claiming to be financially embattled. They wanted to see how the owners could feel justified to ask for a rookie pay scale and 18 percent cuts in player compensation. They wanted to see how, despite all we now know about the brutal hazards of the sport, the owners could insist on adding two more regular season games. But the owners refused to open the books, offering instead “a single sheet of paper with two numbers on it.” This single sheet would only be available to the union after being vetted by an independent third party.

According to this after the Friday deadline newsconference by players the owners were full of crap the whole time. Considering their position I don't doubt it

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/sh...call-shows-players-with-solid-r?urn=nfl-wp186

The players on the call were former Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae(notes), New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees(notes), and Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday(notes). All three spoke convincingly and eagerly; the players at times taking questions over from Atallah to give their view

Brees put his name as a primary plaintiff on the Brady case because he wanted to do something meaningful for the players now, before, and in the future.

As to the NFL's portrayal that the last deal offered to the players split the difference, it's important to remember that the league was attempting to "split the difference" between the $2 billion the owners want off the top of gross revenue now, not the $1 billion they got off the top in the old CBA. Brees said that the last proposal was trying to get back $1.66 billion in the first four years, and "that was only a good deal to them."

Mawae said that of all the misrepresented statements by the NFL, the worst was the claim that the players walked away from the negotiations. Atallah tag-teamed on this as well, saying that the NFL's timeline view was ridiculous, and he half-sarcastically wondered if he should present time-stamped photos of the fax machine used to send the decertification papers so that people would know what happened when.

Mawae said that it was amazing to him that a paid attorney would be like that in public, obviously referring to NFL counsel Jeff Pash, who has been the league's primary mouthpiece through this most recent process. A slew of lawyer jokes immediately hit Twitter when I put that up.

Brees said more than once — this seemed to anger him in particular — that the owners' last proposal was a sham and that the NFL intended to lock the players out all along. He said that the owners were just setting it up so that they could say they tried to act in good faith when that wasn't the case.

The audited financials continue to be the main sticking point. Brees said that because the salary cap is based off revenue, it's like no other business — the players have access to revenue, but not to cost, and even in a horrible economy, the NFL grew 7.5 percent last year. Costs outstripping revenue? Brees said. Show us the books. They say no, that's not how business works. "It's impossible to negotiate a fair deal when you don't know the numbers," he said.

 

[infantrycak]

That is not what I read. I heard it was basic numbers on the bottom line for the 5 years with the auditors getting only a checklist of debts and expenses, etc. I also read that the specifics of where that money was going would not be included. Again, an owner can be taking 12 vacations on the jet but then have that built into his business losses.

Except that doesn't make logical sense. The owners are getting $1 bil off revenues for expenses now. Revenue is income not net profit. There would be no negotiation about this if what the players were dividing up was net profit after all expenses not covered by the $1 bil. An additional sum off the top of the revenue would be totally unnecessary as they would already be splitting only net profit. Audited statements on all revenue sources make sense. Profit and loss statements for the league as a whole make sense because the owners say they have gone down. Individual team expenses do not make sense as that is not what is split. The split is on NFL revenue, not net profits and not individual team net profits so issues like an owner scamming the IRS over fake vacations also are irrelevant to the players.

 

[Rey]

Their life expectancy is shorter than the average male due to the punishment they take for the sake of entertainment.

This one is true. Maybe fans shouldn't ***** so much about efforts to make the game safer.

I actually read something a while back that disputed the life expectancy of football players being shorter.

They basically said that because football players tend to be larger than everyday humans they tend to have more health problems. They said that offensive and defensive linemen greatly skew the statistics...

They also said that many other players tend to gain weight after they are done playing and that is a cause for the shortened life span.

 

[Texecutioner]

I just find these demands from the players to be pretty ridiculous. If they don't like their deal, then find a new line of work. I don't care what anyone says it's a privlidge to play in the NFL. I could watch slightly less talented players and I'd be just fine with it. We already do that any way when we watch the college game. We're watching younger and less talented guys play and they're playing for free and many argue that college football is better than the NFL. I'd much rather be watching a bunch of players that are a lot more hungry and thankful for the privlidge they have at being able to support their families by playing a wonderful game and they also get to become celebrities just for playing a game. Very few athletes in the NFL embrace this now days since their money and their contracts got so high after while and their fame as individuals got so big. The more and more whining and bickering I hear from both side and especially from the players sides makes me hope that this season gets tanked and that a ton of the players lose big time. They are the ones that stand to lose here and if that were to happen they'd have no choice but to come crawling back after they're out of work and they don't know what to do with themselves.

I think it's about time we get back to the blue collar mentality from our athletes if we're going to make them stars. To many of them have egos way out of wack and could care less about working hard or being a professional once they're in the league. Jamarcuss Russell is pure proof of that and there are hundreds just like Jamarcuss Russell. Just look at guys like Mike Williams who wasted several years by goofing off after getting all of that money and then finally woke up and decided to play last season. I hate the mentality of most athletes now days. I'm on the owner's side of this and I hope the athletes lose big time in this. NFL players "Choose" to play football. They can go work somewhere else if this privlidged way of life and career isn't up to their standards. You wouldn't see a single one of them buck up and retire for something else unless they were riding the pine their whole career or were to old and could barely play. I'd like to see their salaries take a nose dive personally and see almost all guaranteed money taken away. Guaranteed money is what kills all sports. It takes away the incentive and it takes away the competitive edge.

 

[Rey]

Very few athletes in the NFL embrace this now days since they money and their contracts got so high after while and their fame as individuals got so big. The more and more whining and bickering I hear from both side and especially from the players sides makes me hope that this season gets tanked and that a ton of the players lose big time. They are the ones that stand to lose here and if that were to happen they'd have no choice but to come crawling back after they're out of work and they don't know what to do with themselves.

The NFL gained more popularity, money and coverage.

Why shouldn't the players benefit from that?

 

[HOU-TEX]

I support my local beer store, BPS and the Brazos River Club, in which my lake house resides

 

[disaacks3]

Except that doesn't make logical sense. The owners are getting $1 bil off revenues for expenses now. Revenue is income not net profit. There would be no negotiation about this if what the players were dividing up was net profit after all expenses not covered by the $1 bil. An additional sum off the top of the revenue would be totally unnecessary as they would already be splitting only net profit. Audited statements on all revenue sources make sense. Profit and loss statements for the league as a whole make sense because the owners say they have gone down. Individual team expenses do not make sense as that is not what is split. The split is on NFL revenue, not net profits and not individual team net profits so issues like an owner scamming the IRS over fake vacations also are irrelevant to the players.

Yes and No...the league claims that certain TEAMS are in dire financial straits and that this league-wide extra 1B will offset that. As the teams have more sources of income NOT covered in the "League Revenues", it stands to reason that if you're claiming that you need more $$ to avoid failures, then lets see what the REAL bottom-line is.

I agree with analysis I've read elsewhere on the 'financial disclosures'...the Owners may be more afraid of each other than the NFLPA*. Start thinking about things like Baseball's "luxury tax".

 

[infantrycak]

Yes and No...the league claims that certain TEAMS are in dire financial straits and that this league-wide extra 1B will offset that. As the teams have more sources of income NOT covered in the "League Revenues", it stands to reason that if you're claiming that you need more $$ to avoid failures, then lets see what the REAL bottom-line is.

I have gone back and forth on this one. Individual team profitability doesn't affect the salary cap so from that side I don't think the books should be opened up. But there have been reports the league played the "some teams aren't or are close to not being financially viable card." Well that certainly opens up some proof. But if the claim is only about 3 teams I would say it is on those 3 teams not all 32. There were a few reports out that the NFL offered to open up books on the teams they were claiming were approaching non-viability.

A lot of the reporting on this stuff is self-serving statements so I think fans should be a little more careful on thinking they know exactly what is going on.

 

[TD]

If anyone happens to find Green Bay's actual audited financial statements online, I'd appreciate a link. All I can find is summaries. Since they are public, there has to be a set floating around somewhere.

 

[axman40]

Who do I like more George Soros or the Koch Brothers?

 

[Texan4Ever]

I understand that players are asking for fair salaries and health insurance once they're retired, and I also understand that the owners are in a business to earn $$$$. However, these are my views:

Players who played in the past or at times when salaries were small, deserve to have the NFL pay for their health needs. Nowadays, players make millions of dollars and should have no problem getting the best quality healthcare money can buy.

A rookie salary needs to be put in place before anything else. It is unfair for veterans who have paid their dues to earn less than some hot shot rookie who hasn't even played a second of NFL football.

The biggest loser in this will by the fans. I look foward to football (NCAA and NFL) more than any other sporting event. Not having football would force me to actually work during the weekends instead of gluing my butt to the couch all weekend long.

 

[z_man57]

I support neither owner nor player in this mess, I support the fans.

Neither owner or player will really lose here, only the fans will get screwed.

For me, I will be pissed if either:

They cancel 2 home games and I still have to sit through "pre-season" or

they put in "replacements" and still charge me for "NFL" football.

Screw them all, they make great money off my poor ass...

Just get back to work!!!

 

[BigBull17]

I support neither owner nor player in this mess, I support the fans.

Neither owner or player will really lose here, only the fans will get screwed.

For me, I will be pissed if either:

They cancel 2 home games and I still have to sit through "pre-season" or

they put in "replacements" and still charge me for "NFL" football.

Screw them all, they make great money off my poor ass...

Just get back to work!!!

I support the poor people who work at concessions, or parking attendants, or grounds keepers. The people who depend on this complementary income to support their families. These are the people who suffer.

 

[Texecutioner]

The NFL gained more popularity, money and coverage.

Why shouldn't the players benefit from that?

They have, but way to much. They have in all sports like baseball, football, and basketball. The NFL is just lucky they never did the whole "guaranteed contracts" thing. Money for players has gone up and up and up......... At some point it needs to have a cap or it just gets out of hand and it waters down the game because the athletes no longer care or play as hard because they have no incentive. Again, Jamarcuss Russell and Mike Williams are perfect examples of that and I'd rather see less talented players if that meant that I would see a bunch of athletes that appreciated their jobs and ways of making a living compared to what we've got now.

 

[HoustonFrog]

I just find these demands from the players to be pretty ridiculous. If they don't like their deal, then find a new line of work. I don't care what anyone says it's a privlidge to play in the NFL. I could watch slightly less talented players and I'd be just fine with it. We already do that any way when we watch the college game. We're watching younger and less talented guys play and they're playing for free and many argue that college football is better than the NFL. I'd much rather be watching a bunch of players that are a lot more hungry and thankful for the privlidge they have at being able to support their families by playing a wonderful game and they also get to become celebrities just for playing a game. Very few athletes in the NFL embrace this now days since their money and their contracts got so high after while and their fame as individuals got so big. The more and more whining and bickering I hear from both side and especially from the players sides makes me hope that this season gets tanked and that a ton of the players lose big time. They are the ones that stand to lose here and if that were to happen they'd have no choice but to come crawling back after they're out of work and they don't know what to do with themselves.

I think it's about time we get back to the blue collar mentality from our athletes if we're going to make them stars. To many of them have egos way out of wack and could care less about working hard or being a professional once they're in the league. Jamarcuss Russell is pure proof of that and there are hundreds just like Jamarcuss Russell. Just look at guys like Mike Williams who wasted several years by goofing off after getting all of that money and then finally woke up and decided to play last season. I hate the mentality of most athletes now days. I'm on the owner's side of this and I hope the athletes lose big time in this. NFL players "Choose" to play football. They can go work somewhere else if this privlidged way of life and career isn't up to their standards. You wouldn't see a single one of them buck up and retire for something else unless they were riding the pine their whole career or were to old and could barely play. I'd like to see their salaries take a nose dive personally and see almost all guaranteed money taken away. Guaranteed money is what kills all sports. It takes away the incentive and it takes away the competitive edge.

A quick statement on this. I think Russell and Mike Williams are the exception, not the rule. I'd bet there are more guys like Moose Johnson, DeMeco and others who clock in and work their asses off. We only hear about the bad seeds. The majority of the guys are working their tail off to earn a shot. It probably is the same minimal amount as there are owners who had family money, purchased a team or inherited it and then did nothing to make it better. I really think 95% of the league are the guys you never hear about and many of the ones you have...Brees, Manning, etc work their tail off. Guys coast in football and they get hurt. I can see this more in other sports where salaries are higher and rosters smaller.

 

[Rey]

A quick statement on this. I think Russell and Mike Williams are the exception, not the rule. I'd bet there are more guys like Moose Johnson, DeMeco and others who clock in and work their asses off. We only hear about the bad seeds. The majority of the guys are working their tail off to earn a shot. It probably is the same minimal amount as there are owners who had family money, purchased a team or inherited it and then did nothing to make it better. I really think 95% of the league are the guys you never hear about and many of the ones you have...Brees, Manning, etc work their tail off. Guys coast in football and they get hurt. I can see this more in other sports where salaries are higher and rosters smaller.

Yeah...I think that there a far and away more guys busting their ass than guys just coasting...

 

[Corrosion]

I just find these demands from the players to be pretty ridiculous. If they don't like their deal, then find a new line of work. I don't care what anyone says it's a privlidge to play in the NFL. I could watch slightly less talented players and I'd be just fine with it.

I could watch Highschool kids on Friday night and pay $3.00 for some nacho's .... and bring in my own booze in my back pocket instead of payin $8.00 for a beer and $10.00 for some damn chips and cheese. Not to mention the fact that I wouldnt have to fight the damn traffic gettin outa Reliant or make a house payment for the tickets.

 

[Double Barrel]

I could watch Highschool kids on Friday night and pay $3.00 for some nacho's .... and bring in my own booze in my back pocket instead of payin $8.00 for a beer and $10.00 for some damn chips and cheese. Not to mention the fact that I wouldnt have to fight the damn traffic gettin outa Reliant or make a house payment for the tickets.

You could....but in no way could you make the case that high school (or even college) football is anywhere near the product that is the NFL.

People can whine and moan about player salaries until they are blue in the face, but the fact remains that any given entertainment industry (be it sports, television, music, movies, etc.) are not like regular jobs. And under a capitalistic system, they are free to make as much money as entertainers as the market allows.

We - the people - are ultimately at fault for elevating entertainers to the point that they can make these outrageous salaries because we demand that entertainment. We are willing to sacrifice improvements to critical infrastructure in our communities in order to build luxury stadiums and arenas for sports teams.

People complaining about feeling bad for fans? Give me a break! WE ARE THE REASON why things are the way that they are right now!!! Look in the mirror, folks, because you are just as much a part of this cycle as the owners and players at the end of the day. The $9 billion dollars doesn't fall out of the sky, it comes from US!

I find all the hand-wringing about a freakin' game to be a little pathetic (and I'm just as guilty about it). We are on the brink of economic collapse as a nation, we have serious problems with our education systems, crime is almost out-of-control, and we could list a whole bunch of other NSZ issues...and we're worried about an entertainment diversion???

Yeah, our priorities reveal the root of the problem, folks. They can all kiss my ass!! [/Thorn]

 

[Dan B.]

You could....but in no way could you make the case that high school (or even college) football is anywhere near the product that is the NFL.

People can whine and moan about player salaries until they are blue in the face, but the fact remains that any given entertainment industry (be it sports, television, music, movies, etc.) are not like regular jobs. And under a capitalistic system, they are free to make as much money as entertainers as the market allows.

We - the people - are ultimately at fault for elevating entertainers to the point that they can make these outrageous salaries because we demand that entertainment. We are willing to sacrifice improvements to critical infrastructure in our communities in order to build luxury stadiums and arenas for sports teams.

People complaining about feeling bad for fans? Give me a break! WE ARE THE REASON why things are the way that they are right now!!! Look in the mirror, folks, because you are just as much a part of this cycle as the owners and players at the end of the day. The $9 billion dollars doesn't fall out of the sky, it comes from US!

I find all the hand-wringing about a freakin' game to be a little pathetic (and I'm just as guilty about it). We are on the brink of economic collapse as a nation, we have serious problems with our education systems, crime is almost out-of-control, and we could list a whole bunch of other NSZ issues...and we're worried about an entertainment diversion???

Yeah, our priorities reveal the root of the problem, folks. They can all kiss my ass!! [/Thorn]

I was thinking about our earlier conversation re publicly owned teams. What if Americans were to get together and fund their own league -- essentially creating a league of teams that are run like the Packers? A league where every team is a non profit, run by a board of directors, and owned by others in their community? What type of investment would it take?

I think $500 for a share in a franchise is reasonable. If 50,000 people per franchise can be found to pony up $500, that's $25 million dollars per team in start up revenue. If 50,000 people per franchise also buy season tickets at $50 per seat for 10 games (assuming the current number of games -- 8 regular season, 2 preseason), that would be another $500, or $25 million per team. That's $50 million in start up cash for each franchise. Assuming that the payroll is 60% of revenue (which I believe was the agreement under the last CBA), that would give an initial salary cap of $30 million per team -- before any revenue from TV rights, stadium naming rights, merchandise, parking, same day ticket sales, concessions, or advertising. That averages to $500,000 per player with a 60 man roster.

One million Americans would be enough for a 20 team league with 50,000 season ticket holders each.

If that $1,000 were completely refundable if the NFL plays next season, would you be willing to pay it? Is $500 a fair price to pay to own a piece of your own pro football team that seeks to sign current NFL athletes? Is $50 a ticket a fair price for season tickets?

I wouldn't expect it to actually get off the ground, but you could scare the daylights out of the owners if enough people did it. You'd basically be threatening to creating a competing non profit league with a billion dollars in immediate seed money and a guaranteed fan base.