Richard Sherman: Players need to be willing to strike

[Jimjones0384]

He was asked a question, then gave his honest opinion. What's the problem?

 

[Seymour]

A lot of the vitriol towards Sherm are fanboys of the OC, and are still pissed he called the OC out.

That is a pretty funny take on this. I know of only one big OC fanboy left, and I don't see him speaking out against Sherm much myself.

 

[Sports Hernia]

A lot of the vitriol towards Sherm are fanboys of the OC, and are still pissed he called the OC out.

That is a pretty funny take on this. I know of only one big OC fanboy left, and I don't see him speaking out against Sherm much myself.

That's an ironic statement.....
I know of more than a few, but I'll leave it at that. :2thumbs:

 

[Seymour]

A lot of the vitriol towards Sherm are fanboys of the OC, and are still pissed he called the OC out.

That is a pretty funny take on this. I know of only one big OC fanboy left, and I don't see him speaking out against Sherm much myself.

That's an ironic statement.....
I know of more than a few, but I'll leave it at that. :2thumbs:

The only thing that would make that ironic is if I was a Bevell fanboy the way I read this.

It has nothing to do with Bevell for most people I see, and I personally don't care much for Bevell either. I put myself in this same group of those that have gone from Sherm being one of their favorite players, to just plain tired of his self serving, attention grabbing crap.

I've made this similar statement here, and been called a hater by you at least twice, so you just don't get it and likely never will.

....I'm getting sick and tired of his antics, and outspoken nature. I didn't mind it for the last few years, but now it seems like he has the need to make headlines every, single, week.

^^^^^^

Now to be clear, I do not put this interview into that same category myself, and I believe there is truth in his answer even though I dislike one of our "team leaders" suggesting a strike is the answer. He was asked a question when they knew the answer would agree with their agenda the way i see this.

 

[Hasselbeck]

I don't understand the vitriol for Sherman in here. What he said was 100% right on the money. The players in the NFL are widely considered the worst compensated of the major sports leagues. That, in a sport that has some of the shortest careers and most severe life threatening repercussions with CTE and brain damage. They are also in the healthiest and most profitable major sports league in the nation. They should be getting a bigger cut of the profits, no doubt, in my opinion.

This argument should have nothing to do with the pay of teachers, or police or anyone else. They are completely separate from one another. It's not as if NFL players demanding more money from the NFL is going to decrease a teachers wage...

This is a free market and the NFL has created a commodity that each one of us consumes in one way or another. It's pretty simple supply and demand. Why should I be mad at the players wanting more of the pot? It's not like the money is changing in any way. So in a sense people getting mad at the players for wanting more money are advocating for giving the Billionaire owners more money instead. Why the heck would you argue for more money for the Billionaire owners rather than wanting to see more of it go to the players that you actually root for (Again it's not like the overall money is changing, it's just being distributed different)?

A lot of the vitriol towards Sherm are from fanboys of the OC, and they are still pissed he called the OC out.

This is such a random take :lol:

I get how Sherm rubs people the wrong way. Many fans don't like the in your face, nothing held back personality from an athlete. I sincerely doubt that stems from Darrell Bevell, but hey to each their own.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Problem is your comparing things to the NBA, an unbalanced league that has shown it's inability to manage itself well, game is in the crapper at the Professional level. If you like One on One basketball yeah it may look good, no defense etc, watch the game in the 70's and early 80's it had it all, the team play, defense, and athletes, before was a lot of team play and defense but limited athletes.

The product on the floor has nothing to do with NFL players being underpaid compared to their counterparts in other sports. Nothing.

I don't care about baseball until October, but that doesn't mean Mike Trout shouldn't make 30M a year.

Look deeper into what Sherman is complaining about.

 

[Hasselbeck]

This is such a horrible take on so many different levels. :lol:

First of all the NFL made over $13 billion last year. It made over $12 billion in 2015. The NBA by comparison made $5.2 billion in 2015 and are expected to pull in around $8 billion this past year. MLB came in around $10 billion. The amount of players on each side is irrelevant. 3rd string OT's aren't going to suddenly make Derek Carr money in the same manner that the 14th guy on the Hornets roster isn't going to be paid like James Harden and that some fringe level talent won't be paid like Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw in MLB. The star players have VERY flimsy guarantees in their contract at BEST .. and the sport they play is infinitely more punishing on the body.

So lets break it down..

NFL players generated nearly 2.5x as much money in 2015 as NBA players.. made nearly 2x as money as NBA players in 2016 (with a new TV deal and a lot more spending money) .. made more money than MLB with 1/10 of the games. And again.. you can't reiterate this enough.. NBA and MLB contracts are fully guaranteed. NFL contracts are anything but that.

So how in the world is that fair for the players when they are playing a sport that can literally lead to your brain being damaged so badly that later in life you're barely able to function.

There's a lot of material in here so I hate to shortchange any of it, but how can you say the number of players doesn't matter? If the NFL makes twice as much money as the NBA but there are 10 times as many people to spread it amongst . . . um, yes, that matters.

Maybe saying "it doesn't matter" was the wrong verbiage. At that same point, the NBA still has end of roster guys.. typically rookies, UDFA's, veterans on their last deal, etc. that are not making the type of money its star players are making or its more notable role players are making. In that sense - there would be no difference from the NFL, only outside instead of 20 some rookies, or guys on their first contract, we may have on the roster.. NBA teams will have 2 or 3.

But the fact a guy like Timofey Mozgov can have more money guaranteed to him than Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. That doesn't scream that something is wayyyy off with the NFL CBA? Especially with a new TV deal coming down the pipeline that may very well add another 7-10 BILLION dollars in revenue for the league?

 

[Seymour]

But the fact a guy like Timofey Mozgov can have more money guaranteed to him than Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. That doesn't scream that something is wayyyy off with the NFL CBA? Especially with a new TV deal coming down the pipeline that may very well add another 7-10 BILLION dollars in revenue for the league?

Not an apple to apple comparison the way I see this.

NBA has far lessor "mouths to feed" as stated.

NBA has 8 month 82 game season. NFL has 5 month 16 game season.

NBA has less overhead with stadiums not sitting idle near as much, cheaper and smaller stadiums, cheaper to officiate (per game)....ect.

It makes no more sense to direct compare the 2 sports and wages than it does to compare a part time worker to a full time worker IMO.

 

[Hasselbeck]

The players make a shitload of money.

They also make a shitload of money for their owners.

If they had my health issues, but the level of care that they get, they would be quiet as a mouse. If you're rich and famous, everything comes easy.

My bad - forgot every NFL player is living a very healthy and fulfilling life the moment the leave the game and never do they suffer some awful injury during the game that can greatly impact their way of life.

BRB going to write this former NFL player and see how everything is coming "easy"
http://www.teamgleason.org/

Must be nice to commute back and forth to Hawaii.

Must be nice to drive Lamborghinis.

Must be nice to ride chartered Jets, then be escorted to giant stadiums by the Police with sirens on.

I'm sure it is definitely a perk yeah. Doesn't mean Sherman isn't right either.

My problem with Richard's talking lately is this, he's putting himself out in front of the team, but he's doing it under the guise of "representing the players." I find that to be insincere.

How about the players focus on winning games that us fans pay them so handsomely for.

.......

Should salaries be determined by how much the business owners make?

Considering the players are the entire reason people watch sports to begin with... uh yeah. Yeah they should. When you go to a restaurant, maybe you're partially going because of positive experiences with service.. but what is taking you there is the food. When you go to a movie, you're going to watch a certain actor or a certain directors work.. you're not going to go cheer on an usher as he checks tickets.

The people that care for the elderly and disabled 24/7 should make more than they do.

Admirable job, they're almost certainly underpaid.. but no.. Jane Smith the caretaker should not be making 10M a year.

Our teachers in the public school system should make more than they do.

Again.. no.

Our law enforcement officers should make more than they do.

Certainly no.

The people we call to save our lives/ property should make more than they do.

This will create an argument, I know it will because it has many times here @.Net.

I make 22.50 per hour, and I have to work approx 3300 hours a year to make what I consider a livable wage.

I get it, I chose my path but how much would I be worth if your child stopped breathing?
How much would you pay a firefighter if you wife was still inside while you were on the sidewalk?

Again - what you do for a career is very admirable and I don't think you can find a single person that would say first responders are not incredibly important people and that what you do isn't something that should come without that implicating that importance.

And I'll agree, EMT's/Firefighters/Teachers/etc etc. YES .. they definitely SHOULD get a pay raise. To be honest you can say that about a ton of careers.. but context most certainly matters. Richard Sherman sells millions of dollars in merchandise. Richard Sherman is part of the allure for fans to collectively spend millions of dollars on tickets. This - in a $13B industry that will grow even more.

When you watch the Seahawks on Sunday's - you're not tuning in to see Paul Allen in a luxury suite. You're not tuning in to see the popcorn vendor walk up and down the 300's. You're not taking trips to Seattle with your wife to take in how Jim in the concession corridor serves you some of that Ivars Clam Chowder.

I think many fans lose this context and start trying to compare what they do in their careers to what athletes and actors/actresses do. The two things are not the same. At all. So while I DO AGREE 100% that the previously mentioned professions all should make more money than they do now.. that doesn't mean football players shouldn't make more money either.

How many people do you know that can't afford to take their son to a football game?

I know as many people that can't take their kids to Disneyland. Or as many people that cant get a 60 inch TV to watch sports. Or as many people who can't travel anywhere - much less a game.

However - none of that is related to this issue. Again, you're relating issues that are not in the same vein with one another.

I get it, at least I think I do.
But I have a hard time feeling sorry for, or supporting a guy that make more per week than I do per year, I guy that makes more in one year than I will in my lifetime.

No one is saying to "feel bad" for them.. but rather, "hey these guys throw themselves around for 3 hours a week, 4-5 months out of the year in what is basically a controlled version of a car accident.. maybe they should get a fairer deal for the amount of money they pull in on an annual basis for the billionaires that profit off their skills."

I love my Seahawks and I hope every one of them gets all they can get but I think our society in general is messed up.

It's most certainly messed up - but not because of NFL contract demands. :lol:

If you don't agree, take a look at where we spend our money, look at what we place value in.
We think it's ok for an athlete to make 228 million for 4 years.

We also think it's ok, for a teacher to make 40k a year, or a police officer to make 27-60k per year.

Again - I think most rational people would agree teachers are very underpaid, as are police officers and what you do for a living. But again - THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

Football players on strike, ok.

What if our truck drivers went on a real strike?

What if our grocery workers went on strike?

Idk what the difference between a strike and real strike is.. but they just did a few weeks ago in LA.
https://teamster.org/news/2017/06/port- ... os-angeles

It happens a lot more than you would think. It's just not talked about as much as a pro sports strike because hey wow, almost like sports are pretty resonating with a huge chunk of people. And this isn't just an American thing.. some soccer stars make our sports stars salaries look laughable.

It's my opinion that people that make under 75k a year is what keeps our country and life style alive.

Well.. yeah. :lol:

Probably even way less than 75K. Think 30-40K. Again - not really the point here.

Oh no,where would we be, what would happen if....
MLB
NFL
NBA
All went on strike and refused to play?

I imagine there would be a lot of pissed off people needing the shack to cuss. Almost like pro athletes have a lot of power if they wish to use it. Which is EXACTLY THE ENTIRE POINT OF WHAT RICHARD SHERMAN SAID.

Edit: What if our Farmers and Ranchers all demanded 50 million a year, and refused to work if they didn't get it?
One thing is for certain,their families would still eat.
Would yours?

I have no idea what the hell this is even supposed to prove. :lol: Farmers make a rough average of 70K a year. So a 857x salary bump may actually be a little hard to obtain but hey if they want to go for it.. more power to them.

 

[HawkGA]

I don't understand the vitriol for Sherman in here. What he said was 100% right on the money. The players in the NFL are widely considered the worst compensated of the major sports leagues. That, in a sport that has some of the shortest careers and most severe life threatening repercussions with CTE and brain damage. They are also in the healthiest and most profitable major sports league in the nation. They should be getting a bigger cut of the profits, no doubt, in my opinion.

This argument should have nothing to do with the pay of teachers, or police or anyone else. They are completely separate from one another. It's not as if NFL players demanding more money from the NFL is going to decrease a teachers wage...

This is a free market and the NFL has created a commodity that each one of us consumes in one way or another. It's pretty simple supply and demand. Why should I be mad at the players wanting more of the pot? It's not like the money is changing in any way. So in a sense people getting mad at the players for wanting more money are advocating for giving the Billionaire owners more money instead. Why the heck would you argue for more money for the Billionaire owners rather than wanting to see more of it go to the players that you actually root for (Again it's not like the overall money is changing, it's just being distributed different)?

A lot of the vitriol towards Sherm are from fanboys of the OC, and they are still pissed he called the OC out.

On the strike thing, like it or not Sherm is telling the truth. Anyone that has any idea of how collective bargaining works will tell you the same thing.

I would say they need to be willing to do it such that it is a credible threat. I think a strike could potentially destroy the sport. Football is very popular for now but there is no guarantee it always will be. Force people to find other things to do with their Fall Sundays . . . and they might do just that.

 

[HawkGA]

Lots of good posts in here, but we can dispel the notion that Sherman is wrong to complain with just four simple numbers:

Share of MLB revenue that goes to players: 57.5%

Share of NBA revenue that goes to players: 51%

Share of NHL revenue that goes to players: 50%

Share of NFL revenue that goes to players: 47%

People are free to argue that ALL of these are too low, or too high if they want, but it's basically impossible to argue that in comparison to all the other major sports NFL players aren't getting screwed.

You don't need to talk about roster size, non-guaranteed contracts, etc., etc. to do that. It just takes those four numbers.

I think anybody will have a CONSIDERABLY uphill battle arguing that the league that makes far and away the most revenue should have the worst split between owners and players (when there's simply more money flowing around there's no way to justify shortchanging people).

Good on Sherman.

Also, anyone saying the players shouldn't strike also needs to account for the fact that the lockout WAS the owner's equivalent of a strike last time around.

I'm not intending to argue here, but the more correct percentage would be to look at the owner's percentage. The presentation assumes the 100% - the numbers you report go to the owners, but that isn't necessarily the case. The coaching staffs, I assume, are quite large in football compared to the other sports (especially basketball). There are probably a lot of other equipment people (heck, the Patriots have somebody whose sole job is deflating footballs :3-1: )

Now, you might still find the same disparity, it would just be the better number to look at.

 

[Sports Hernia]

I don't understand the vitriol for Sherman in here. What he said was 100% right on the money. The players in the NFL are widely considered the worst compensated of the major sports leagues. That, in a sport that has some of the shortest careers and most severe life threatening repercussions with CTE and brain damage. They are also in the healthiest and most profitable major sports league in the nation. They should be getting a bigger cut of the profits, no doubt, in my opinion.

This argument should have nothing to do with the pay of teachers, or police or anyone else. They are completely separate from one another. It's not as if NFL players demanding more money from the NFL is going to decrease a teachers wage...

This is a free market and the NFL has created a commodity that each one of us consumes in one way or another. It's pretty simple supply and demand. Why should I be mad at the players wanting more of the pot? It's not like the money is changing in any way. So in a sense people getting mad at the players for wanting more money are advocating for giving the Billionaire owners more money instead. Why the heck would you argue for more money for the Billionaire owners rather than wanting to see more of it go to the players that you actually root for (Again it's not like the overall money is changing, it's just being distributed different)?

A lot of the vitriol towards Sherm are from fanboys of the OC, and they are still pissed he called the OC out.

On the strike thing, like it or not Sherm is telling the truth. Anyone that has any idea of how collective bargaining works will tell you the same thing.

I would say they need to be willing to do it such that it is a credible threat. I think a strike could potentially destroy the sport. Football is very popular for now but there is no guarantee it always will be. Force people to find other things to do with their Fall Sundays . . . and they might do just that.

Absolutely correct. You don't mess around with strikes just for shits and giggles. You have to be very aware of the consequences.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

I would say they need to be willing to do it such that it is a credible threat. I think a strike could potentially destroy the sport. Football is very popular for now but there is no guarantee it always will be. Force people to find other things to do with their Fall Sundays . . . and they might do just that.

Some already have due to the BS issues of last season. More can do it easier. If I get a shop set up, I may do that myself.

 

[Popeyejones]

Lots of good posts in here, but we can dispel the notion that Sherman is wrong to complain with just four simple numbers:

Share of MLB revenue that goes to players: 57.5%

Share of NBA revenue that goes to players: 51%

Share of NHL revenue that goes to players: 50%

Share of NFL revenue that goes to players: 47%

People are free to argue that ALL of these are too low, or too high if they want, but it's basically impossible to argue that in comparison to all the other major sports NFL players aren't getting screwed.

You don't need to talk about roster size, non-guaranteed contracts, etc., etc. to do that. It just takes those four numbers.

I think anybody will have a CONSIDERABLY uphill battle arguing that the league that makes far and away the most revenue should have the worst split between owners and players (when there's simply more money flowing around there's no way to justify shortchanging people).

Good on Sherman.

Also, anyone saying the players shouldn't strike also needs to account for the fact that the lockout WAS the owner's equivalent of a strike last time around.

I'm not intending to argue here, but the more correct percentage would be to look at the owner's percentage. The presentation assumes the 100% - the numbers you report go to the owners, but that isn't necessarily the case. The coaching staffs, I assume, are quite large in football compared to the other sports (especially basketball). There are probably a lot of other equipment people (heck, the Patriots have somebody whose sole job is deflating footballs :3-1: )

Now, you might still find the same disparity, it would just be the better number to look at.

Good post, but that's not going to really change the percentages for a league with 14 billion in revenue. Head coaches make about the same, the coordinators cancel out with all the other coaches in the other leagues, and position coaches in the NFL mostly make 150-200 k. If we want to be stupidly generous let's say that's 2 million per team.

Even with that incredibly generous figure we're talking about less than one half of one percentage point of total league revenue.

There's a reason the owners decided to lock the players out when the players requested that both sides have equal information and the owners open their books.

 

[pmedic920]

The players make a shitload of money.

They also make a shitload of money for their owners.

If they had my health issues, but the level of care that they get, they would be quiet as a mouse. If you're rich and famous, everything comes easy.

My bad - forgot every NFL player is living a very healthy and fulfilling life the moment the leave the game and never do they suffer some awful injury during the game that can greatly impact their way of life.

BRB going to write this former NFL player and see how everything is coming "easy"
http://www.teamgleason.org/

Must be nice to commute back and forth to Hawaii.

Must be nice to drive Lamborghinis.

Must be nice to ride chartered Jets, then be escorted to giant stadiums by the Police with sirens on.

I'm sure it is definitely a perk yeah. Doesn't mean Sherman isn't right either.

My problem with Richard's talking lately is this, he's putting himself out in front of the team, but he's doing it under the guise of "representing the players." I find that to be insincere.

How about the players focus on winning games that us fans pay them so handsomely for.

.......

Should salaries be determined by how much the business owners make?

Considering the players are the entire reason people watch sports to begin with... uh yeah. Yeah they should. When you go to a restaurant, maybe you're partially going because of positive experiences with service.. but what is taking you there is the food. When you go to a movie, you're going to watch a certain actor or a certain directors work.. you're not going to go cheer on an usher as he checks tickets.

The people that care for the elderly and disabled 24/7 should make more than they do.

Admirable job, they're almost certainly underpaid.. but no.. Jane Smith the caretaker should not be making 10M a year.

Our teachers in the public school system should make more than they do.

Again.. no.

Our law enforcement officers should make more than they do.

Certainly no.

The people we call to save our lives/ property should make more than they do.

This will create an argument, I know it will because it has many times here @.Net.

I make 22.50 per hour, and I have to work approx 3300 hours a year to make what I consider a livable wage.

I get it, I chose my path but how much would I be worth if your child stopped breathing?
How much would you pay a firefighter if you wife was still inside while you were on the sidewalk?

Again - what you do for a career is very admirable and I don't think you can find a single person that would say first responders are not incredibly important people and that what you do isn't something that should come without that implicating that importance.

And I'll agree, EMT's/Firefighters/Teachers/etc etc. YES .. they definitely SHOULD get a pay raise. To be honest you can say that about a ton of careers.. but context most certainly matters. Richard Sherman sells millions of dollars in merchandise. Richard Sherman is part of the allure for fans to collectively spend millions of dollars on tickets. This - in a $13B industry that will grow even more.

When you watch the Seahawks on Sunday's - you're not tuning in to see Paul Allen in a luxury suite. You're not tuning in to see the popcorn vendor walk up and down the 300's. You're not taking trips to Seattle with your wife to take in how Jim in the concession corridor serves you some of that Ivars Clam Chowder.

I think many fans lose this context and start trying to compare what they do in their careers to what athletes and actors/actresses do. The two things are not the same. At all. So while I DO AGREE 100% that the previously mentioned professions all should make more money than they do now.. that doesn't mean football players shouldn't make more money either.

How many people do you know that can't afford to take their son to a football game?

I know as many people that can't take their kids to Disneyland. Or as many people that cant get a 60 inch TV to watch sports. Or as many people who can't travel anywhere - much less a game.

However - none of that is related to this issue. Again, you're relating issues that are not in the same vein with one another.

I get it, at least I think I do.
But I have a hard time feeling sorry for, or supporting a guy that make more per week than I do per year, I guy that makes more in one year than I will in my lifetime.

No one is saying to "feel bad" for them.. but rather, "hey these guys throw themselves around for 3 hours a week, 4-5 months out of the year in what is basically a controlled version of a car accident.. maybe they should get a fairer deal for the amount of money they pull in on an annual basis for the billionaires that profit off their skills."

I love my Seahawks and I hope every one of them gets all they can get but I think our society in general is messed up.

It's most certainly messed up - but not because of NFL contract demands. :lol:

If you don't agree, take a look at where we spend our money, look at what we place value in.
We think it's ok for an athlete to make 228 million for 4 years.

We also think it's ok, for a teacher to make 40k a year, or a police officer to make 27-60k per year.

Again - I think most rational people would agree teachers are very underpaid, as are police officers and what you do for a living. But again - THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

Football players on strike, ok.

What if our truck drivers went on a real strike?

What if our grocery workers went on strike?

Idk what the difference between a strike and real strike is.. but they just did a few weeks ago in LA.
https://teamster.org/news/2017/06/port- ... os-angeles

It happens a lot more than you would think. It's just not talked about as much as a pro sports strike because hey wow, almost like sports are pretty resonating with a huge chunk of people. And this isn't just an American thing.. some soccer stars make our sports stars salaries look laughable.

It's my opinion that people that make under 75k a year is what keeps our country and life style alive.

Well.. yeah. :lol:

Probably even way less than 75K. Think 30-40K. Again - not really the point here.

Oh no,where would we be, what would happen if....
MLB
NFL
NBA
All went on strike and refused to play?

I imagine there would be a lot of pissed off people needing the shack to cuss. Almost like pro athletes have a lot of power if they wish to use it. Which is EXACTLY THE ENTIRE POINT OF WHAT RICHARD SHERMAN SAID.

Edit: What if our Farmers and Ranchers all demanded 50 million a year, and refused to work if they didn't get it?
One thing is for certain,their families would still eat.
Would yours?

I have no idea what the hell this is even supposed to prove. :lol: Farmers make a rough average of 70K a year. So a 857x salary bump may actually be a little hard to obtain but hey if they want to go for it.. more power to them.

My whole point is that I support Athletes getting all they can get up to the point of a strike or holdout.

Hold outs hurt the team, strikes only hurt the fans.
No one suffers in a strike situation beside the the fans.

Athletes make the sport but without the fans none of the industry exists.

It's just my opinion of the situation, I have no expectation of anyone agreeing with me.


As far as a "real" strike goes, I was talking about a nation wide truck driver strike. A strike where no goods got delivered until the drivers got what they were seeking.
Wasn't talking about a local/regional strike in one city.

 

[Smellyman]

I wish the NFL would just make less money and not have
extra point
commercial
KO touchback
commercial

The freaking commercials.

 

[Sports Hernia]

I wish the NFL would just make less money and not have
extra point
commercial
KO touchback
commercial

The freaking commercials.

Agree 110%!

Take one less break, eliminate the after kickoff break, and take a longer break after the XP/FG attempt.

 

[Hawks46]

The NFL players did get screwed this last contract but you they need to take that up with the union. Striking would work in negotiations. The owners have been making a killing and it hasn't flowed downhill as much as it should. The fact that the owners make so much money and force tax payers to finance the stadiums blows my mind.

I'll agree with the last part. If you want to make a ton of money, tax payers shouldn't fund it.

Comparing owners to players is like NFL players comparing themselves to NBA players. It's not the same.

NFL players don't need to invest hundreds of millions (and now Billions) of dollars to buy into their business. Owners did. Everyone can cry and whine about it, and they do because very few people have the kind of money to buy into it.

As said before, if NFL players don't like what they're paid, they need to renegotiate the CBA next time it comes up. You're in a union and you signed off on the negotiations. Now you have to deal with it. Comparing yourselves to a different sport is useless. If they really don't like it.....well go play basketball then. Baseball players make too much? Go play baseball. Quit trying to make Football like Baseball. It's not. It's like being pissed that Tiger Woods made all his money. Go play Golf and make it then son !

I liken this argument to the same argument people have when they complain that they should make more working at McDonald's. You don't like it ? Get a different job. If you can't, you're not worth more.

 

[JustTheTip]

If /when Pro athletes "strike" the only ones that really suffer is the "fans".

Without the "fans", pro athletes are NOTHING.

Insert Shack language here.

Not only that, but the owners aren't going to make less because the players start taking a larger chunk. They will simply increase prices to compensate, passing on the player's pay raise (plus some) to the fans.

 

[Uncle Si]

So the fans should exercise their value to the market.

Stop paying for tickets. Stop going to games. Stop buying jerseys. Stop watching games on TV. Stop paying for football sports channels with your cable package. Stop playing fantasy.

Etc. etc. etc.

Fans have a say in all of this. From ticket prices right down to salaries.