Rock's Rant: Stop Talking, Start Compromising On NFL Lockout Issues
By Rock Mamola--
Out of greed once again comes stupidity!
I understand that with money comes more responsibility…but why cannot NFL players and the owners be more responsible when it comes to this NFL lockout. Yesterday in an interview with Yahoo Sports, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson used the term "modern-day slavery" when talking about how the owners "rob" the players of income.
"The owners are making so much money off of us to begin with. I don't know that I want to quote myself on that…It's modern-day slavery, you know? People kind of laugh at that, but there are people working at regular jobs who get treated the same way, too. With all the money … the owners are trying to get a different percentage, and bring in more money. I understand that; these are business-minded people. Of course this is what they are going to want to do. I understand that; it's how they got to where they are now. But as players, we have to stand our ground and say, 'Hey — without us, there's no football."
While I will agree with Peterson's statement that some everyday workers are dealing with the same issue (although I am not sure on the same level), how can you be a paid member of society and consider it "slavery". Talk about a poor choice of words. How can you compare the entrapment of human beings being forced to work for free against their will to a multi-million dollar man who gets paid to play a game? Am I missing something here.
By attaching the term "modern day" does it make it right either. This entire lockout currently is surrounded by an argument of how to split a $9,000,000,000.00 dollar pie. Comparing this current NFL situation where everyone involved in making money on some level (from radio outlets to vendors) to forced labor, and enslavement is simply irresponsible. As one superstar of the NFL, Peterson needs to realize that as a face of the game (in a labor dispute) you need to be more responsible with comments about the issue. Don't make ignorant statements about a labor dispute when the minimum salary of a NFL player is more than the leader of the free world makes in a calendar year.
By the way…Adrian Peterson signed a five year, 40.5 MILLION dollar contract with 17 MILLION guaranteed in 2007.
My biggest worry with this continuing lockout is the longer it goes on the stupider the comments will continue to get.
What players and owners need to understand is the fans who pay your players salaries and generate your overall revenue do not care about your bickering over the money they spent on your product. In other words, don't tell the fans to take sides on the money they already spent. They spent it on watching and enjoying a game, nothing more. If there is no game, that income will go somewhere else. That is what the NFL and NFLPA's main concerns should be, and not on forcing fans to take sides in a battle that they have no voice in.
It is time for the voices of this lockout to be more responsible with the words and get this deal done and over with.
-RoCk
John "Rock" Mamola is the Host of The Rock Report (Friday Nights 10pm cst) on 670 The Score.
You can follow Rock at Twitter.com/RockMamola
