Owners are nothing but pigs at the trough

[Happy Panther]

Damn those businessmen for making a profit! Damn them!

If the players don't like it, they can quit. That's what you do when you don't like your boss. Players are not special. Players are not gods. Players deserve nothing special. Players are employees. Nothing more, nothing less. Too bad it's not that simple. Agents, the union, and contracts make the whole thing a mess.

Players are pretty special and the owners need them. They are much more than employees.

[thunderraiden]

Let's not annoint the owners too quckly here.

Some of this is their own doing. That monstrosity of a stadium in NY and the one in Texas did not need to be built, as examples.

The economy changes, their desire for the bigger houses for their games have not.

The cities hurt the most by the economic downturn suffer and yet the owners have nothing for a rainy day? These are supposedly business men and few of them young, they have lived through multiple recessions and in recessions such as this one, football, is a luxury not a necessity.

The players and owners agreed to a contract. The owners don't like what they agreed to, fine; but, consider, it is already a violent sport, add two more regular season games, and it does not show much concern for their employees, many of whom, could very well become brain trauma patients later in life.

I have many friends out of work, some will never return to even close to what they were making.

As much as I love the NFL, it costs a lot of money, money that I freely chose to spend there. If these owners, all billionaires, can't work together with the players, some who are millionaires and most who aren't, then all of us should just turn off our TVs and find something else to do with our Sundays.

In Carolina, people can sing Richardson's praises all they want, but, the fact is, he allowed a sub-par team to be put on the field last year, and he drives the owner discussions now, which will cause another sub-par team on the field this year if this lockout occurs. My prices don't go down. I must question my own sanity for allowing my hard earned money to go here.

If these owners don't get what is happening to working people in America now, they will go the way of George Bush who didn't know the cost of a loaf of bread when asked at a town hall meeting when he was running for election....and they should.

The goose that laid the golden egg is about to be slaughtered by their hand.

The fact is there are super huge markets in NY and Texas and Cali and they demand gigantic stadiums, its just not a market for that in smaller places like Tampa, Jacksonville, and Green Bay who are all much smaller markets than us (albeit with history). Take Tampa Bay, they probably made negative revenue this year, and take the New York Jets who probably make ridiculous amounts of revenue a year. Tampa Bay still has to play more to players after a down year because of the big bucks made in New York.

This issue is a lot more complicated than greedy owners vs poor (BAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA poor.. yea right) players. Most players don't even know how to invest in their money (note how I said most) and most owners know how to increase their bank accounts. Way of the world. If it was all about greedy owners ... explain to me how the last CBA got done with a 60-40% split.

[Brooklyn Bully]

Owners aren't special either.

I agree. Neither are more special than a teacher, surgeon, etc. Yet the media makes them out to be much more than they are.

[Happy Panther]

This issue is a lot more complicated than greedy owners vs poor (BAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA poor.. yea right) players. Most players don't even know how to invest in their money (note how I said most)

Most players do know how to save and invest. Some don't.

Common misconception that most players just throw all their money away on cars and houses.

[Brooklyn Bully]

Players are pretty special and the owners need them. They are much more than employees.

And the players need a team to go to. Otherwise they'd be breaking arms at the YMCA.

[Happy Panther]

And the players need a team to go to. Otherwise they'd be breaking arms at the YMCA.

That is right. This is a symbiotic relationship. The NFL would not exist without both sides.

If the owners had as much leverage as you suggested (Players deserve nothing special. Players are employees. Nothing more, nothing less.) then there would be no need for negotiations. Just fire 'em all and move on.

This isn't a paper factory

[Captain Obvious]

I'm squarely on the owners side here. If you don't like them, work your ass off and better yourself. Make loads of money, it is possible in the US for now, buy a team and run it how you want. Other wise don't worry about how much dinero the owners or players are making. They will work it out eventually.

[Brooklyn Bully]

That is right. This is a symbiotic relationship. The NFL would not exist without both sides.

If the owners had as much leverage as you suggested (Players deserve nothing special. Players are employees. Nothing more, nothing less.) then there would be no need for negotiations. Just fire 'em all and move on.

This isn't a paper factory

Which is why I said it's not as simple as that. But there is truth in the players thinking they are special and deserve more than they should be getting (extra insurance is one example), and truth in the owners doing anything they can to make more money. Welcome to America, I guess.

[Happy Panther]

The players will be getting a paycut for working more. I don't see how that is "more"

It's not really extra insurance.

If your head starts swimming because you worked in a factory 5 years ago you will be covered through worker's compensation.

If your head starts swimming because you got the crap knocked out of you for a year in the NFL 5 years ago you are SOL and no insurer will touch you because of pre-existing conditions.

[raleigh-panther]

I agree. Neither are more special than a teacher, surgeon, etc. Yet the media makes them out to be much more than they are.

And I agree with you.

In a perfect world, which we aren't, entertainers would not be paid like they are something special when the real heros are teachers, soliders, fireman.

[Happy Panther]

NFL players are something special in that very few people can do what they do at such a high level.

If you want to compare teacher's salaries to football players, they make sure you compare the top 1% of the top 1% of teachers measured by talent.

[jpniner]

Or... you could be a state employee and be told 'you have to pay nearly 6% more toward your retirement, but you only get 90% of what you would have originally received. Oh and we need for you to pay double out of your paycheck what you have been paying for health insurance' and only make 36-45k per year...

fug the rich players.

quit whining, State Employees and their ridiculous Retirement pensions and benefits(especially compared to Private Sector employees) who get to retire at 52-55 are defacto MILLIONAIRES

There are many many state employees, in some cases just Bus Drivers that retire at 52 with a Six Figure yearly Pension for Life with great benefits for healthcare and other perks. The Private Sector Counterpart, to retire at age 52-55 would have to have a $3 Million to $4 Million Dollar 401k, annuitized over 30yrs to match.

Fug the rich, greedy, whiny public employees!

[jpniner]

The players will be getting a paycut for working more. I don't see how that is "more"

It's not really extra insurance.

If your head starts swimming because you worked in a factory 5 years ago you will be covered through worker's compensation.

If your head starts swimming because you got the crap knocked out of you for a year in the NFL 5 years ago you are SOL and no insurer will touch you because of pre-existing conditions.

NFL teams have Workers Comp Insurance, players like Dan Morgan have filed quite a few claims.

[raleigh-panther]

I don't know about anybody else; but, I really don't want to hear about the NFL's labor problems.

Whether they are owners are players, they make too much to be involed with a sport period.

Find a way to fix it behind closed doors and keep their mouths shut.