Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that yesterday was Super Bowl XLV. It was great not only because the Green Bay Packers won, but that the Pittsburgh Steelers, who I loath, lost. And as customary, we begin to look at what might happen next season and the possible contenders for Super Bowl XLVI. The one problem is there might not be a 2011 season and Super Bowl XLVI, that is if the collective bargaining agreement runs out and the team owners force a lockout.
The NFL Players Association, the union representing the players, and the owners of the NFL teams are currently stalled in neogiations for a new contract. The biggest contention like with any contract is money. The owners want to pull more money off the top and force a lower salary cap on rookies. They also want to extend the season by two weeks to be able to rake in more revenues while giving the players less. Sounds very greedy, no? While I typically denounce the high salaries of athletes, I have to side with them on this issue. The players are the ones going out there every week, risking their health to play a sport that they love for the entertainment of their fans. They're earning that money while the owners sit in their climate controlled luxury suites entertaining high end guests. They aren't doing any real work with this, the whole thing is a large investment for them, like buying stock in General Motors or Apple or Wal-Mart. And the players have a valid argument against adding two more weeks into the season, it would increase the risk of injury and shorten their careers. The last thing we need are backups and third string players leading their teams into the playoffs, but it might happen. What would be amazing is if NFL cities followed the business model that has kept the Packers in Green Bay, let the citizens of the city hold majority control of the team, allowing most of the revenue to be funnelled back into the town which would lower taxes and improve education. Green Bay has some of the best public schools in the country and virtually no taxes, because of the all the revenue the team brings in for the town. Imagine if all the NFL cities did that, the economy would rebound almost instantly and people might be compelled to go to more games because they know that they would be benefiting their local economy.
I really hope that NFLPA can win this round with the owners, because I have a feelings 2011 will be just as exciting, if not more, than 2010.
I will start by saying I do agree that the story of the Green Bay Meat Packers is pretty righteous, and I rooted for them myself.
ReplyDelete"The owners sit in their climate controlled luxury suites entertaining high end guests. They aren't doing any real work..."
RM, your Wealth-Envy is ridiculous. And its not just you, Academia essentially teaches young, impressionable minds to loathe the rich. Unless, of course, the rich in question happen to be athletes, movie stars, or rappers, then the young folks want the cock in the mouth. If you hate rich folks so much, why don't you begin to highlight the schemes of the International Banking Cartel or the M.I.C.? They could use some exposure.
I suppose the NFL owners could simply not invest the capital or create the necessary jobs that provides the NFL forum, and then your heroes could go back to raping women, torturing animals, committing manslaughter, or just pushin' a broom down at the Denny's. Then we wouldn't have to bare this grave injustice of having two additional weeks added to the season. After all, they're already getting paid millions to PLAY A FUCKING GAME. They are idolized by the entire country. They get everything they've ever wanted and placed on a pedestal by everyone they've ever met. In my opinion, NFL players should be saying "Sir, Yes Sir!" to their owners for providing them with lifestyles that most of human history has never enjoyed or even imagined.
I believe the modern American people deserve the enslavement that is forthcoming, slowly but surely, inch by inch. 70 Million people watched the super bowl, but how many of those people could recite the 5 freedoms granted in Amendemnt 1? Maybe a total of 6? How many of those people could tell us what the 10th Amendment is and why adherence to it is crucial for maintaining liberty?
Anyway, I'd like to see you get back to some economics. My comment was too good to be simply ignored and not thoroughly investigated.
And I hope you all took a minute to watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gldETRlhiXk
for that is real education. That ain't no academic fuck-tard standing up in front of a classroom of know-nothings, spouting theory and misguided beliefs unchallenged. No, this is THE two biggest players in economics right now going head to head on real issues of our times... and my boy absolutely embarrassed his opponent, as he does every time. Move over, slim shady... my boy is the true badass.
Swayze, I've entertained your comments here since I started this blog, but can you please for the love of God, keep them on topic. Insulting me will not end well. This is you one and only warning from me.
ReplyDelete