solidarity

thoughts?

i'd prefer they'd work this out privately and the players wouldn't be shoving it in my face trying to get me on their side. capitalism pretty much sucks but that's the system we got. they have the option to strike, the owners have the option to lock them out. i have the option to not give a shit. it's just football. if there's not football i'll find something else to do with my time. if they keep throwing it up in my face all season and the panthers aren't having a good season, i'll find something else to do this season.

 

Owners want to keep this behind closed door, players want to make it public with this "We are one". Hard to feel sorry for billionaires fighting with millionaires.

 

The did that crap right after the national anthem and two days before the anniversary of 9/11. I thought it was a patriotic thing until Al Michaels explained it. I thought it was pretty sad as well.

 

I don't think it will resonate with fans, or advertizers, who make the multibillion dollar pie the two sides are fighting over. Beyond whether or not they are going to get gouged more themselves.

I don't think it resonates with owners either. The stadium debt some of the owners have taken is what is driving the move toward an expanded schedule, and small market teams want a roll back in the salary cap revenues to remain competitive.

 

players want to make it public because they need the fan's support, which with the money they are making would be difficult at best. but with the sad state of the economy their timing couldn't be worse. people have lost jobs and homes and aren't concerned about the plight of millionaire assholes. there may be some talking heads and a few diehard fans that get behind them but most of the public is going to have very little sympathy for guys, many of which needed help to make passing grades in basket-weaving to stay in college, making millions to play a game. while most joes won't sympathize with the billionaire owners, most are going to think that the players are compensated very well for the beating their bodies take. right or wrong, most joes will just want them to get it worked out as quickly as possible so they can watch football and eventually will blame the players if we don't have a 2011 season. most joes have had it shoved up their ass by the man for years and have learned to take it with a smile, so they will expect the players to do the same. without the fans support the players are going to have very little leverage. the owners can replace them and ultimately the fans will watch the replacements. i don't want to watch replacements but will.

 

The owners could show their solidarity by turning off the lights (at night games) while the players are doing that stupid #1 things. (since they are the ones who pay the light bills)

 

It'll be just like the Spring of 2006. Everyone, including the parties involved and the media, will overhype the situation (not that it's not bad) to generate more interest for the present time. Then, all the sudden, out of thin air, come a new agreement, with Goodell and that Dickface Smith shaking hands and laughing.

 

There's almost no support for replacement players this time around. It was a disaster last time, everyone hated those games in 87. That's why the owners got guarnateed money this time from the networks, regardless of strike.

If it comes to actually missing games in September, that's like letting of a nuclear bomb in a room where two sides are fighting. The owners will still be missing revenue, and a number of them have too much debt to let that happen. I don't think it will get resolved before March though. Sometime next summer, and they'll get a comprimise with an expanded schedule.

 

i'm fortunate to be able to pay my mortgage this month... luckily my unemployment extention has been approved this past week, so that's at least 3 more months I know I can live in my house




so what's going on the the lock-out? there was one?