Here I am about to blow off some steam about the impending NFL work stoppage and I've been on a work stoppage of my own! This is my first rant in over a month and I apologize for that. Life gets busy and believe me I could rant about a few things in life, but that's not what this blog is about, it's about SPORTS!!!
Tonight as 11:59 p.m. the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement runs out between the league, owners and players. There has been a lot of mud slinging all season in regards to this pending situation and as the weeks have run down it seems that neither side wants to rectify the situation before it becomes a work stoppage! Earlier this week the talks to prevent a lockout went to mediation, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will resolve anything. Not since 2004-05 has there been a sports related lockout and that was the NHL which cost the league the entire season. No games, no all star game, no playoffs, no champion. Prior to that there was a scare with the NBA in 1998-99, but they were able to resolve the that labor dispute before it lead to any games lost. Now as the 2010-11 season closes in the NBA there is fears of a work stoppage pending as owners are sick of these new long term, high pay contracts being handed out by big market teams. Then we all remember the MLB lockout that cost the league to miss the 1994-95 playoffs and no World Series Champion. I have a personal connection with that lockout as most Canadians do, as that year the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays were poised to meet in the World Series and in directly that lockout was the beginning of the end of baseball in Montreal. At the time of the lockout in 1994-95 the Blue Jays and Expos lead there respective divisions and were clear favorites to make runs to the World Series.
What really gets me is that fact that these multi-million dollar sports leagues allow these situations to lead to lockouts. These are businesses and I understand that, but there is more to these businesses than the owners and players, there are the FANS!!! The fans make these leagues and these players their money. We are the ones that sit in the stands when our team is just awful, we are the ones who by the merchandise and pay for over priced beer and food at the stadiums or arenas. These owners become blinded by the dollar signs in their eyes and the players just get greedier and greedier with absurd contracts and endorsements deals. For example and this is just a recent example, Cam Newton, highly touted prospect coming eligible for the NFL draft (if one happens), just signed a multi-million dollar deal with Under Armour, so you can't tell me he's too concerned about the NFL season.
I can't even imagine what is being discussed in these meetings to try and rectify the unrest and to reestablish a CBA, not only will these teams loose millions of dollars with empty stadiums all year, but we all know about the t.v. contracts that the NFL garners. Just the t.v. revenue alone would be astronomical! Can't fathom allowing the season to be scrapped, why not just take a hundred million dollars and flush it down the toilet and that's probably only a small percentage of what a lockout would cost!
Work stoppages only affect one person and often times that person is over looked, even though that person is the most important person to any professional sports league, that person...you, the fan.
Dear NFL, Owners and Players,
Do something about this! Get off your soap boxes and give your fans a season. You've had three straight years of amazing Super Bowls, do you really want to miss out on the because you lockout the players!
Owners, stop being so greedy. You have millions of dollars already, last time I looked at my bank account I'm pretty sure it would allow for me to purchase an NFL team, but what do you care, any loses you'll just write off next tax season, you doucebags!
Players...whatever, you all have so much money you'll probably spend your time buy stupid fancy cars, raping women and going to NYC night clubs and shooting yourselves or some other felony incident. TMZ will be all over because the Kardashian's will be rotating from NFL'er to NFL'er with all their free time!
I would give anything to play in a professional sports league, it would be an honor and I would play for below league minimums, it would just be the thrill of playing in front of thousands of people every night and knowing that somewhere, I'm giving a fan, old or young a thrill when my team scores the winning goal, hits a home run, or runs back a kick return for a touchdown. Re-asses your priorities...all of you.
Notice I didn't mention the NBA in my sentimental moment...I hate the fuck'n NBA!
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