Skip "Keep it Real" Bayless did not want to see the players in last nights NFL game (Vikings vs Saints) come out in show of solidarity. Skip (aka: "I hate anything anyone else likes and will always oppose it") says it was a game for the fans and not the venue or the time to show that they (the players) are part of union, not a place or time for a show of solidarity. I completely disagree with Bayless, apparently as did ex-NFL player, Robert Smith, a former RB for the Minnesota Viking's. Debating Skip during this morning's ESPN episode of "First Take", Smith was passionate in his support of the NFLPA and the players show of solidarity. To paraphrase what Smith said...it is the goal of players to show the world and other players watching that when it comes to the NFL union that's a one team effort. To remind everyone of the importance of protecting and honoring the legacy of players before and after him. Matter of fact that it was equally important to protect the union and player's interest.
Like I mentioned I totally disagree with Skip "Mad at the World" Bayless and fully understand Robert Smith's passion and position in all of this. I say that the football field is the player's work-place and what better venue and time to show that they are united as one with their union regardless of what the team owners, certain fans or the likes of Skip Bayless thinks or believes.
The owners have long made billions of dollars and need to pay the players accordingly. The players made them (owners) billionaires and they (players) are the ones who risk life and limb each time they play and practice. The players are the ones who will succumb to a lifetime of physical pain as their injuries will surely follow them forever. Whether that pain is already occurring or will occur later in life, it is sure to come. The owners will never have to deal with that kind of physical pain and they should be glad that their players are willing to risk it all. I know the game of football is as much a business of making money and gaining notoriety for the players as it is for the owners, but the players have more to lose in the end.
As fans I believe we should stand firm with the players not the owners. The players are in a way representative of the blue-collar work-force which is America. The owners represent Wall Street in all their greed at the ready to lie, cheat and steal to get their paychecks. The players can be viewed as the millions of Americans who lost homes due to bad mortgage deals (sub prime loans) and the owners are the banks who mucked it all up then expected a financial hand-out from the government. As fans of the game of football, we can put ourselves in the position of the government - just for this once to assist with the analogy of all of this. We hated when our actual government bailed out the financial institutions, it only helped out the banks and such in the end as the American worker still received zero, zip, zilch. As fans placing ourselves in the position of government during this union dilemma in the NFL, let's NOT give the owners (financial institutions) a bail-out. Let's support the players (the workers) and help them get what is due to them. In the long run, the players win and so will the fans. After all, us fans go to the games to see the players play not the team owners.
If we are united with the players and try to see things through their eyes, we can send a loud message to the owners who not only lie, cheat and steal from the players, but they do the same to us fans. How? By expecting larger, fancier stadiums and taking it to us fans to help pay for it all via bonds and higher taxes. Then they (the owners) have the freaking audacity to increase the price of tickets at the very stadiums we, the fans, helped them to build. Everything in the stadium goes up in price - everything!!! The owners just keep on getting richer. The owners cannot share their wealth with us fans, though lowering the ticket prices even for some games would be nice, but the owners sure as heck can and should share their wealth with their respective players.
Like I mentioned I totally disagree with Skip "Mad at the World" Bayless and fully understand Robert Smith's passion and position in all of this. I say that the football field is the player's work-place and what better venue and time to show that they are united as one with their union regardless of what the team owners, certain fans or the likes of Skip Bayless thinks or believes.
The owners have long made billions of dollars and need to pay the players accordingly. The players made them (owners) billionaires and they (players) are the ones who risk life and limb each time they play and practice. The players are the ones who will succumb to a lifetime of physical pain as their injuries will surely follow them forever. Whether that pain is already occurring or will occur later in life, it is sure to come. The owners will never have to deal with that kind of physical pain and they should be glad that their players are willing to risk it all. I know the game of football is as much a business of making money and gaining notoriety for the players as it is for the owners, but the players have more to lose in the end.
As fans I believe we should stand firm with the players not the owners. The players are in a way representative of the blue-collar work-force which is America. The owners represent Wall Street in all their greed at the ready to lie, cheat and steal to get their paychecks. The players can be viewed as the millions of Americans who lost homes due to bad mortgage deals (sub prime loans) and the owners are the banks who mucked it all up then expected a financial hand-out from the government. As fans of the game of football, we can put ourselves in the position of the government - just for this once to assist with the analogy of all of this. We hated when our actual government bailed out the financial institutions, it only helped out the banks and such in the end as the American worker still received zero, zip, zilch. As fans placing ourselves in the position of government during this union dilemma in the NFL, let's NOT give the owners (financial institutions) a bail-out. Let's support the players (the workers) and help them get what is due to them. In the long run, the players win and so will the fans. After all, us fans go to the games to see the players play not the team owners.
If we are united with the players and try to see things through their eyes, we can send a loud message to the owners who not only lie, cheat and steal from the players, but they do the same to us fans. How? By expecting larger, fancier stadiums and taking it to us fans to help pay for it all via bonds and higher taxes. Then they (the owners) have the freaking audacity to increase the price of tickets at the very stadiums we, the fans, helped them to build. Everything in the stadium goes up in price - everything!!! The owners just keep on getting richer. The owners cannot share their wealth with us fans, though lowering the ticket prices even for some games would be nice, but the owners sure as heck can and should share their wealth with their respective players.
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