Muller: Attention Owners And The NFLPA, Remember The Fans
By Shawn Muller--
While the NFL owners and the NFLPA are inching closer and closer to a lockout for next season, it is easy for fans to feel anger towards a league that is forgetting the people are what made the NFL what it is today.
To put it simply: without the fans, the NFL would be nothing.
The owners would not be making money hand over fist, and the players--who get paid quite generously for playing a freaking game--would never make as much as they do if it weren't for the people sitting in the stands.
As I listen to the back and forth bickering between the two sides, I can't help but to think of a scene in the movie Wall Street, where Michael Douglas--playing the role of Gordon Gekko--made a speech at the annual shareholders meeting of Teldar Paper:
Douglas said: "The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for a lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right…greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all its forms: greed for life, for money, for love and knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind."
This little snippet from a movie made back in 1987, epitomizes exactly what is going on in the multi-billion dollar world of professional sports in 2011…and most recently, the NFL. Greed makes you want more of something, even though you are sitting pretty well and it is the parameter behind each of the major sticking points between both sides.
I can't say that I agree with either side 100% because I believe they each have some valid arguments.
The owners are right (in my opinion) regarding the revenue sharing.
I don't think they need to budge on their stance concerning the revenue should be divided. If it weren't for the owners, the players wouldn't have the opportunity to play football as a career in the first place. In every large enterprise in this country, the ownership and executives, see the majority of the money that is made by the corporation. Sure, the "hired help" are the straws that stir the drinks, but if it weren't for the founder, those people wouldn't have the job that they do.
The issue surrounding rookie salaries is well founded.
I think the salaries for unproven rookies are absurd. How can a player that has never played a single snap in the league be given the guaranteed amount of money they are currently getting? I am not saying the rookies shouldn't make a "nice" salary, but no one can tell me that some of them should be making more than players who have proven their worth in the league for a couple of seasons. Entry-level job seekers in the business world don't make as much as the person with 5-plus years of experience, because they haven't proven their worth—or lack of worth—as of yet. If the person proves they have the goods, and are a true asset to the company, they will make more money.
The players also have a legitimate beef with ownership about the possibility of schedule expansion.
Football is America's most-violent team sport. These men put their bodies on the line every week and they are constantly just one play away from a career-ending injury. Adding two games to the regular season schedule makes the risk of injury even greater. The average NFL career is already short with a 16 game regular season schedule. Adding two more games would shorten a lot of player's careers even more. If I already have a small window to make as much money as I possibly can in the profession of my choice, I don't want that window closing even more. The 16 game schedule is perfect the way it is…don't mess with a good thing.
While there are many other issues at hand, the bottom line is that both sides are blinded by greed. As Michael Douglas said in Wall Street, "Greed is good," and from the viewpoint of the owners and the NFLPA, that statement is very true. Each side wants to maximize profit while minimizing compromise. What they fail to realize, is that greed could destroy everything the NFL has done to become the most popular sport in the United States. The people that shell out hundreds and thousands of dollars to fill the owner's stadiums and help to pay the salaries of the players should be the focal point for each side.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you, remember? While the owners may sign the checks, and the players may get all the glory, it is the fans that make it all possible for all parties involved.
If a deal isn't reached, I hope the fans get greedy with their hard earned dollars. I hope the fans prove their power over the owners and the NFLPA with empty stadiums when football resumes.
Do you agree with Shawn? Post your comments below.
Shawn Muller has lived in the great city of Chicago for 7 years. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in October of 2010, Shawn received his certificate in radio broadcasting. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and 3 year old daughter Ava, catching any live sporting event, and traveling. Check out his radio show, Grab Some Bench with Muller and Bangser" every Thursday night at 8:30 P.M., at www.blogtalkradio.com/spmuller24.
