Hayeksheroes
03-12-2011, 10:56 AM
The labor negotiations broke down and the anti-trust suits have been filed. Seeing how quickly those suits were filed, it appears that labor was not an honest broker in these negotiations. They wanted the negotiations to fail. The players union is banking on "the people" sympathizes. This is a battle of the Billionaire Goliaths vs. the helpless players, many of which are millionaires, and all paid upper class salaries. This is not the coal faced worker against the brooks brother suits. And there is plenty of money to go around, $9.3 billion plus the government subsidies. How do you think Jerry Jones built his Cow Palace?
As for human nature, each side wants more and taking any less would mean defeat and a loss of egos. That is what this fight has really become about. As an owner, you don't make a lot of money owning a team. There are a hundred other industries that would provide a better return for your money. The only way an owner can make real money is by selling his team.
Why would a smart business person buy a team in the first place? Ego. Who would not want to own the Steelers?
The players have deeper reasons to get as much money as they can while they can. The avg. NFL season is 3.5 years. Even the top players can't expect more than 10 years of top pay, Brett Farve exceptions excluded. Imagine if your career lasted only 10 years. You'd want to make enough to retire.
The NFL has achieved such success that even the 3 year and out players are so well compensated that in most cases, if the player carefully invests, he'll have enough capital at the end of his career to start a new career or business. If the player can extend his career to five years or more, then he can retire on the money he made in the NFL.
This was not the case 20 or 30 years ago. The players union has achieved alot. Even if the NFL players union gave a few percentage points back to the owners, the players would still be making more money than there predecessors. The fight on the players side is pure ego as well.
It is the abscence of numerous and lengthly labor disputes that has skyrocketed football's revenues, basically through television contracts. Year in and year out, tv conglomerates could always count on a football season. These conglomerates could make the investments to bring you the NFL networks, the NFL Ticket, the red zone and various internet sites.
But now, the 2011 season is in peril. A lengthly strike during a bad economy will certainly tarnish the image of the NFL with fans and mark the beginning of the decline. TV networks will need to find alternative programming. They will never again allow the NFL to hold them hostage. It will be in the Networks interest to promote other forms of entertainment to mitigate their risk.
The fans will also react negatively. Emotionally we will miss the season. How can any of us really feel sorry for the mercedes chauffered players and the rolls royce owners? We can't. When we've cut back on everything during the recession, can the NFL expect us to pay more for their product? Please don't insult us.
If the NFL can't resolve their differences by the end of July, then I'm sorry to day, but the NFL is on its way out. It still may take a generation. It will never be what it was.
As for human nature, each side wants more and taking any less would mean defeat and a loss of egos. That is what this fight has really become about. As an owner, you don't make a lot of money owning a team. There are a hundred other industries that would provide a better return for your money. The only way an owner can make real money is by selling his team.
Why would a smart business person buy a team in the first place? Ego. Who would not want to own the Steelers?
The players have deeper reasons to get as much money as they can while they can. The avg. NFL season is 3.5 years. Even the top players can't expect more than 10 years of top pay, Brett Farve exceptions excluded. Imagine if your career lasted only 10 years. You'd want to make enough to retire.
The NFL has achieved such success that even the 3 year and out players are so well compensated that in most cases, if the player carefully invests, he'll have enough capital at the end of his career to start a new career or business. If the player can extend his career to five years or more, then he can retire on the money he made in the NFL.
This was not the case 20 or 30 years ago. The players union has achieved alot. Even if the NFL players union gave a few percentage points back to the owners, the players would still be making more money than there predecessors. The fight on the players side is pure ego as well.
It is the abscence of numerous and lengthly labor disputes that has skyrocketed football's revenues, basically through television contracts. Year in and year out, tv conglomerates could always count on a football season. These conglomerates could make the investments to bring you the NFL networks, the NFL Ticket, the red zone and various internet sites.
But now, the 2011 season is in peril. A lengthly strike during a bad economy will certainly tarnish the image of the NFL with fans and mark the beginning of the decline. TV networks will need to find alternative programming. They will never again allow the NFL to hold them hostage. It will be in the Networks interest to promote other forms of entertainment to mitigate their risk.
The fans will also react negatively. Emotionally we will miss the season. How can any of us really feel sorry for the mercedes chauffered players and the rolls royce owners? We can't. When we've cut back on everything during the recession, can the NFL expect us to pay more for their product? Please don't insult us.
If the NFL can't resolve their differences by the end of July, then I'm sorry to day, but the NFL is on its way out. It still may take a generation. It will never be what it was.