I am just about done with pro sports...

nooshinjohn

Saw this today...

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/05/31/frustrations-nfls-lock-prompted-controversial-remarks/

How can any of these rich, pampered and spoiled egotistical **** possibly make any comparison between getting payed millions of dollars by the NFL to play what is a childhood fantasy of most men(some women too) and the horrific plight that was slavery???:mad:

Nobody forces these douchebags to play the game. If they are so tired of it then perhaps they should work a real effin' job like everybody else and let real men of character play the game for the hell of it like Vince Papale did.

Give me a fricken' break!

renowilliams

I totally agree with you. These guys have had it too good for too long. In fact, most of them from the time they were in high school. Maybe they should have to serve their country for a couple of years to put life into a little perspective for them!!!

Rivrrat

Wow, as I read their greivances, it sounded a lot like where I work.

Under contract, at will employment, jump when they say jump, and all for a hell of a lot less money than they make.

Most of those guys better invest well, because I see the potential for some real world failures there.

bobman1235

They also generally die a lot younger than the average person and often live the rest of their lives in pain. How much would you have to be paid to endure that?

The above article / quote / analogy is ludicrous, I agree, but there's more to the story than "millionaires playing a game." The NFL nets BILLIONS every year.

EndersShadow

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes in the movie "The Replacements" which ironically is about this same situation. The players union rep is discussing how expensive health care is later in life, the likelyhood of injury, ect, as to why they need to get paid more......and then a random player cuts in with....

"Do you know how expensive insurance is on a Ferarri **** F*&*a"....

I believe that quote sums up how I feel and why I have been following college mostly. While I know in college folks get around the system and get paid, its at least more of a "Team" mentatilty and they try (note the use of the word try) to keep the sport pure.

Knucklehead

Ive been over pro sports for quite some time...:cool:

seeclear

Knucklehead wrote: »

Ive been over pro sports for quite some time...:cool:

Ditto

tonyb

bobman1235 wrote: »

They also generally die a lot younger than the average person and often live the rest of their lives in pain. How much would you have to be paid to endure that?

The above article / quote / analogy is ludicrous, I agree, but there's more to the story than "millionaires playing a game." The NFL nets BILLIONS every year.

Die younger ?? Pain ? Heck man, I can think of a dozen or so jobs at a fraction of what an NFL player gets paid with the same results. A coal miner, a construction worker, a policeman, just to name a few. All have different circumstances but a shorter life span and pain is definately in the cards.

Yeah, the NFL makes billions,so what ? So do oil companies, Google,Facebook, and a cast of hundreds of companies. Are they obligated to share it with all the employees ? Nope. Each company has at their discretion ways to reimburse employees that excell and should not be forced to do so. Don't like the pay and benefits,don't play ball, pretty simple. You don't like the pay or benefits at your job it's your option to accept it, or hit the road and find something else. Negotiations are within what someone is willing to offer and what your willing to accept. Don't think anyone would play in the NFL if salaries were cut in half ? Think again.

Slavery ?? Please....just goes to show the IQ level of some of these players. Most will make more in 10 years than most other normal working folks will in a life time. They should be glad they have it so good. They want to make owner type of coin, then cough up your own coin and invest in a team. Put some of your own coin at risk. These dudes want all the coin with no risk,obligation. Sure they can get hurt, end their career, but hell, so can any of us at any given time. If I was an NFL owner,I'd tell them all to walk if they didn't like it. Once again, a union, the players union, will ruin an industry.

newrival

i, too, gave up pro sports last year.

I still like watching the blackhawks skate, but in generally speaking, I'm out.

It's funny, what they describe as "slavery," most people call a "job." Nevermind that most people make roughly 2% as much.

txcoastal1

Only 45-50% actually graduate...Most of the starters didn't pay for college have been receiving percks since high school. They have a choice play or quit.

cnh

I'm not sure what I think of the current 'negotiations', but having the 'media' lens focus on absurd commentary leads to many of the reactions that we see above--certainly the 'media' has no vested interest in taking sides in this, right? The idea that 'owners' are always right because they are owners...is a little too Fundamentalist for me. I guess I'm just a heathen, lol.

cnh

exalted512

tonyb wrote: »

Die younger ?? Pain ? Heck man, I can think of a dozen or so jobs at a fraction of what an NFL player gets paid with the same results. A coal miner, a construction worker, a policeman, just to name a few. All have different circumstances but a shorter life span and pain is definately in the cards.

Don't agree at all. I can't think of a single job where 200-300 pounds comes at you from 5-25 mph where I'm running at them at the same speed.

I'm not saying I agree that a walk-out is appropriate, or that they should be compared to modern day slaves...I'm way on the otherside. I think Peterson and Mendenhall are both idiots...and anyone who agrees with them are idiots as well.

What job DOESN'T require you to jump when your boss says jump? Not literally, but its not my job to be in athletic shape. But if my boss asks me to do something, I do it. If I don't do it, or don't do my job well, I get fired. I guess that means I'm a slave too.

If they don't like it, they can quit. Just like with any other job any where else.
-Cody

nooshinjohn

cnh wrote: »

The idea that 'owners' are always right because they are owners...is a little too Fundamentalist for me. I guess I'm just a heathen, lol.

cnh

Nah... you have just been hangin' out with the Chinese a little too long.

stuwee

Who the hell listens to Adrian Peterson anyway? :mad: he's a nozzle sucking blowhard.....

Polkie2009

Ditto here, I gave up on pro sports years__ ago. I got fed up with them going on strike all the time wanting more and more money, screw 'em. If the public would boycott going to their games or spending money on team gear, maybe that would get their attention.

bobman1235

tonyb wrote: »

Die younger ?? Pain ? Heck man, I can think of a dozen or so jobs at a fraction of what an NFL player gets paid with the same results. A coal miner, a construction worker, a policeman, just to name a few. All have different circumstances but a shorter life span and pain is definately in the cards.

Yeah, the NFL makes billions,so what ? So do oil companies, Google,Facebook, and a cast of hundreds of companies. Are they obligated to share it with all the employees ? Nope.

Dude, take a pill. It doesn't matter if you make five dollars or five million, you have a right to try and negotiate for a fair salary. The owners have a right to refuse to pay it as well. I'm not saying the owners should be forced to pay, so don't get all crazy on me. In this particular case, based on what I know, I think the players are in the right. It doesn't make me a crazy commie who wants to take away the right of every business owner to make money.

The irrational and completely uninformed rage that so many people feel against the players would be comical if it didn't just seem awfully fishy to me. Billions of dollars are flowing into the NFL, and people get angry when that money goes to the people who actually play the games? I don't frigging get it.

bsoko2

Player ego and attitude!

nooshinjohn

bsoko2 wrote: »

Player ego and attitude!

This is exactly right. It is hard for me to sympathize with the players when the attitude of many is that the can do whatever they please. I remember Randy Moss running down a meter-maid in Minneapolis because he got a parking ticket for an expired meter. I was a huge fan of A.P. until I learned of his comments. I think most fans are able to forgive a few mis-cues and move on, but sometimes, enough is enough.

When you are paid MILLIONS and your team is threatening to leave their fans behind if they (as taxpayers) don't fork over 400 million to build a new stadium, it begs the question as to who the real slaves in this equation are. If they are ready for the regular season on schedule, I may watch and renew my DirecTV, If not, I will be gone and never look back.

sucks2beme

Given what tickets cost now, both owners and players are out of touch.
The broadcast rights cost a bundle. Cities are held hostage-
build me a new stadium or we'll leave. It wouldn't take much of a downturn to bring the whole mess tumbling down. I for one won't shell out that kind of money for any PRO event. I stopped watching after the last strike.
I hope they all go bust. Sadly, I used to like the sport.

bobman1235

nooshinjohn wrote: »

When you are paid MILLIONS and your team is threatening to leave their fans behind if they (as taxpayers) don't fork over 400 million to build a new stadium, it begs the question as to who the real slaves in this equation are.

None of which has anything to do with the players, and is completely up to the owners.

PolkClyde

fastz28 wrote: »

slavery get real get over it you were never a slave and you plobaly never knew one. pay them all $250.000 a year if they dont like it your fired

"Everybody" needs to get over ''IT" Slavery,the whites as well the black... it gave the white man a false sense of superiority and the black man a false sense of Inferiority. let me digress... we are the reason the athletes make so much money.We support their Sponsors,right? the more we buy their product the more they(the Athletes) get paid,unless it's something else I don't know about.

bsoko2

PolkClyde wrote: »

"Everybody" needs to get over ''IT" Slavery,the whites as well the black... it gave the white man a false sense of superiority and the black man a false sense of Inferiority. let me digress... we are the reason the athletes make so much money.We support their Sponsors,right? the more we buy their product the more they(the Athletes) get paid,unless it's something else I don't know about.

Simple, stop watching boob tube sports and don't go to the game. No fan base, all the $$$$ go away.

Joe08867

Here comes more Scab football. BTW, I loved watching average Joe's play. They had heart.

I have been done for years with the NFL, MLB, and NBA. They are all over paid diva's.

WAAAA I can't buy a house in the south of France, I have to buy it in Miami. Oh the horror....

nooshinjohn

maybe there needs to be an SFL... Scab Football League. Each city that wanted to participate could field a team.

bobman1235

I love how someone actually used the movie "The Replacements" as an argument.

The players are the reason people watch. If you think "scabs" would be just as entertaining, tell me why they don't sell out minor league baseball games? And if the scabs WERE more entertaining, it would take all of one year for them to start making all the money. Why? Because their entertaining product would be raking in cash, and that cash should go to the people who produce that entertaining product.

Or, according to you people, it should just... go into some dude's bank account? I don't really undersatnd the counterargument to "athletes getting paid." The money HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE. Out of all the people in this equation, who earned it?

exalted512

anyone else remember the XFL?
-Cody

sucks2beme

Arena football is still alive and kicking.
It's a whole different animal.

Joe08867

bobman, your argument is OK, but what about maybe pricing the game so everyone can see it. It isn't that the money needs to go somewhere. It's that they rape the fans.

I hate paying from 100-175 per person for a football game mid season. Why not bring the price down were it should be. Say 50-75 for the game.

bobman1235

I'm totally on board with that, but no matter what happens with THIS thing, ticket prices aren't going down. This current negotiation is about "we're making XX billion dollars this year, how should it be split up?" If they were saying "the money we save on players is going to lower ticket prices / show fewer commercials / make a beer cost 4.50 instead of 9.50", I'd be all for it. If they're going to make the money ANYWAY, I think the players have a FAIR ARGUMENT that they earned a good percentage of that money (again, not saying the owners dont' have a right to disagree, but I'm just picking a side).

jbooker82

I thought the players were not arguing for a higher wages. I though they wanted profit sharing. That way as the team owners, and the players make the NFL better they are rewared finacially.

That and better heath benifits. Maybe congress should have a special session and strip the players union of collective bargining rights as well. That way we can have a football season.

Joe08867

bobman1235 wrote: »

I'm totally on board with that, but no matter what happens with THIS thing, ticket prices aren't going down. This current negotiation is about "we're making XX billion dollars this year, how should it be split up?" If they were saying "the money we save on players is going to lower ticket prices / show fewer commercials / make a beer cost 4.50 instead of 9.50", I'd be all for it. If they're going to make the money ANYWAY, I think the players have a FAIR ARGUMENT that they earned a good percentage of that money (again, not saying the owners dont' have a right to disagree, but I'm just picking a side).

I agree, we don't go to a game to see the owners. So on that front alone the players are right. Without one you don't have the other.

I am still done with the whole lot of them..

That's why I watch car racing.