The Can of Worms

2 thoughts on “The Can of Worms”

1. Good Morning from Omaha,

   It just keeps getting curioser and curioser… the owner have a deal with the networks guaranteeing them 4 bil even if there is not a game played…..Just read Krieger column in the Past…a federal judge says that deal isn’t kosher and has threatened to split the money between the players and the owners and according to Krieger because neither side runs out of money with this forced injection of cash there might not be a 2011 season.

   Better pick a college team to root for and follow this year. There won’t be any Bronco’s or chiefs or cowboys or Chargers to watch. All of the Raiders will have been granted a parole from Al Davis prison and the Vikings will have time to rebuild there stadium.

   Greed will ultimately kill the goose that has laid the golden egg and someday Jerrys world in Dallas will be the nations biggest paintball area.

   There will be, if the cash from the networks is spread around to both the owners and players, no sense of urgency to get this settled and football fans will have to take up golf, walks, bike rides, skiing and actually maybe even spending time with their loved ones, heaven forbid!!!!!

   Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.

   Gene

2. Drew,

   As usual you have drawn a most appropriate cartoon. This is indeed a situation where the unintended consequences may well drawf the intended goal.

   I’ll throw in my Susan B Anthony’s worth here. I believe the players, specifically the NFL Players Union, is off base with many of their demands. One that really hit me was the demand for the owners to open up their books. Since when does the owner of a private company need to open his books to his employees?

   There have been times in our country that the “collective”, i. e. unions, have been a necessary force. Unfortunately many became so big, so powerful, and so focused on a “me” attitdude that they wound up damaging themselves in the process. The automobile industry is one example where the benefits that they demanded have virtually made the industry fall apart.For those in Denver the airline industry hits a little closer to home. Back in the mid to late 80’s there were baggage handlers working for United and Delta making $25-30 and hour. (I was in the industry working for Continental so I have some knowledge of this). Great job if you can get it, but seriously? $30 an hour to throw bags?

   Too often I believe the collective mentality swallows up the wants of the individual members and becomes a force greater than itself. The demands become outrageous and threaten the stability of the industry itself. There becomes a myopic view on the desired benefits without regard for the potential costs or consequences.

   Like Gene, I have no problem with the desire of the players making as much money as they can or the owners making as much as they can. I believe that is the foundation of the free market system and the capitalism that has made our country as great as we are. There comes a point, however, when the players need to recognize and accept that the owners are allowed to make as much money as they can and are allowed to do with said money as they see fit. They, just as other business owners, are under no obligation to share their profit with their employees. As long as there is no collusion on the part of the owners to keep salaries arbitrarily low, and I see no evidence that there is such a collusion, then I do not believe the players have a leg to stand on. At least in my common sense world.

   Generally speaking I believe the average fan identifies with the players much more readily than with the owners. We see the players on tv, on the field, etc.. We learn their stories of childhood, their struggles coming up, their pursuit of the dream and we rarely begrudge them of their reward. Owners, other than the Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban types, tend to be the guys in the sky boxes that are rarely seen or heard from. It is difficult for us to identify with these folks since they are in a completely different universe than we are. I find it interesting then that from all I can gather via various outlets, and this is in no way scientific, that the general fan base overall supports the owners in this entire fiasco.