Is This the Last Super Bowl? Block the Owners Lockout of Players

[Better Believe It]

Last Super Bowl? Block the Lockout
by Mike Hall
February 4, 2011

If you are a football fan, savor Sunday’s Super Bowl, because when the Packers and Steelers leave the field that may be the last game in a long time. The National Football League (NFL) owners say they will lock out the players next season unless they agree to outrageous givebacks.

Even if you are not a football fan, you should be concerned because a lockout won’t only impact football players and fans. Stadium employees will be jobless. Sports bars, police officers who provide stadium security, restaurants, hotels and others who work supporting the game also will be hurt. In fact, 4.8 million workers will feel the impact, and $4.5 billion in revenue will disappear from 32 cities around the nation.

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) recently tried to get a clear message out to fans in a TV commercial that simply says to the owners, “Don’t lock us out. Let us play.” But CBS is refusing to air the ad. Click here to watch the ad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl9BpUgYljQ&feature=player_embedded

The owners’ lockout threat came after they opted out of the collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA two years before it was due to expire, saying it isn’t working for them. But they refuse to provide audited financial information to explain what is wrong in a business that generated $9 billion in 2009 during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

On top of that $9 billion and whatever they made in this football season, the owners will rake in another $4 billion next season even if there are no games, because CBS and the other networks that air NFL games have agreed to pay $4 billion to the NFL even if there is a lockout. In other words, because of CBS and the other networks, the owners have lockout insurance.

http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/02/04/last-super-bowl-block-the-lockout/

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CBS Refuses to Air NFL Players Ad
by James Parks
January 31, 2011

Are you kidding, CBS? The network has rejected the “Let Us Play” ad (left) from the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) that was to air Feb. 5 on the CBS College Sports Network during the NFLPA college all-stars game.

CBS executives said they “didn’t want to get involved” in the labor negotiations between the players and the NFL owners, according to AdAge.com. Not get involved? Come on. CBS is big-dollars involved already.

CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN, as well as DIRECTV, have agreed to pay the NFL in 2011 even if owners carry through on their threat to lock out players, disrupting or even canceling the season. The NFLPA has filed suit against the league, saying the TV deals provide the owners with guaranteed payment even if no games are played, effectively financing the lockout by providing “lockout insurance.” The networks pay the NFL $4 billion a year to televise the league’s games.

The owners are demanding that the players give back $1 billion, although not one team has lost money. They also want players to pay for team travel and the cost of running practice facilities.

Read the full article at:

http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/01/31/cbs-refuses-to-air-nfl-players-ad/

[Brickbat]

1. K&R for labor. And as much as people would like to discount this, it is a labor issue.

[merh]

26. Yes, it is a labor issue

But why do professional football players have to earn so much?

Don't you think it is an extreme amount of money made by many?

Don't tell me about their life expectancy, with what they make they should be able to live comfortably and put away for later years. We all go to work invincible, many burn out because of the stresses, the uncertainties and even the accidents of life that cut our carriers short.

If I thought I would get paid the amounts many of them make in their "few years" of professional sports I can bet you I would put away or invest or plan to do something after the golden egg hatches.

Yes, this is a labor issue and it is time that the labor that is entertainment make some concessions.

In the end the monies needed to support the team, play the players, comes from us, the consumers. We get the raw end of the deal and blaming management alone does not suffice - it doesn't cut it - it is time they all cut back and stop chocking us, the consumers.

There is something seriously wrong with our society - those who are really labor (folks who work their asses off) get paid squat. Folks who help our society and make our communities better, cops and teachers and emts and fire dept folks, get paid next to nothing, the true heros are overshadowed by the sports and entertainment heros who don't do much but live large and often, not wisely.

Yes, this is a labor issue - I think both management and players need to compromise, take cuts and stop screwing the consumers.

That's just me - I hate inequities

[Brickbat]

37. If it's a bargained contract, then no, I don't think it's too much. It's not the issue, though.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. self-delete

[customerserviceguy]

3. Hmmm, lockout insurance

I wonder how much that will cost if this went into a second season? My guess is that the companies underwriting these policies know that any strike or lockout will not last more than the few weeks that happened in the 1980's. There's far too much money to be made by all the stakeholders from keeping the NFL going, and this is all a giant game of chicken.

[Better Believe It]

8. The owners get 4 billion from CBS for doing nothing and the players get nothing.

Will the players stand tough and will the poor owners and corporate media be able to turn football fans against the "rich" players who should be happy to play for almost nothing .... "just for the love of the game"?

They will have a year to do it.

[blondeatlast]

11. Apparently so--it's happening on this very thread. If the "best" of organized labor

loses, there's little hope for the rest of us.

[AngryAmish]

31. There is no such thing a "lockout insurance" per se

The TV networks have agreed to still make payments even if there is no games.

The money has to be paid back with interest.

[tularetom]

4. Millionaire players vs. billionaire owners

Fighting over the dwindling discretionary capital of middle class fans.

I'm as pro labor as the next Democrat but you'll have to excuse me if it seems as though I don't have a dog in this fight (sorry Mr Vick).

[Brickbat]

6. Unfortunately, "pro-labor as the next Democrat" doesn't seem to mean much anymore!

Ha!

[tularetom]

14. Solidarity works both ways ya know.

And I'm guessing todays NFL players don't lose a lot of sleep thinking about the loss of good manufacturing and construction jobs in the US.

[Blue_Tires]

21. +1000

I'm all for organized labor, but people need to remember this when the baseball/football players associations trot out their 'oppressed serfs of the feudal class' rhetoric during their disputes...

A large number of players, especially in baseball are quite conservative/libertarian, and since sports became a multibillion-dollar machine, there is a long history of indifference to real working class issues...

[SammyWinstonJack]

39. They will when their fans can no longer afford the price of a ticket or the price of their

endorsement products due to the loss of manufacturing and construction jobs. :evilgrin:

[blondeatlast]

9. If millionaires can't beat the power structure, we're all screwed.

In this day and age, do we really have the luxury of deciding which organized labor we support?

[tularetom]

19. Tell you what

I hope this never happens to you, but if you ever find yourself locked out of your place of employment, please contact me and let me know how many members of the NFLPA show up to march in support. And I will pay you $100 for each one.

The entire business of professional sports in America sucks, from the greedy owners to the spoiled players to the municipal "leaders" who mortgage essential public services to build expensive temples to their own egos.

[blondeatlast]

35. When I see you on picket lines supporting farm workers, we can talk. nt

[Better Believe It]

16. It sounds like you've already bought the anti-labor corporate propaganda

By opposing the players you are in reality taking the side of the owners.

I don't accept that neutral nonsense anymore than I can accept someone being neutral in the clash between the government dictatorship and democracy demonstrators in Egypt.

I didn't realize all football players are incredibly rich millionaires are making the big bucks by "exploiting" the working class fans by making owners increase ticket prices in order to barely cover their payrolls!

That's what big business and corporate apologists say so it must be true!

Bull shit!

If you hate the players and are unwilling to consider their demands (like you could give a shit) don't watch or go to the fricken games!

Christ, if the owners can put the squeeze on the players and beat them, they'll do even better taking on the stadium workers who have less economic power than the players.

[tularetom]

30. Without the fans the whole thing goes down the shitter

I'm not sure where in my post I said I "opposed the players" or "hate the players".

But I'm not naive enough to believe that the NFLPA would lift a finger to support a strike of the UAW or any other union. Many of these players support politicians in right to work states who have done more than anybody to weaken industrial unions in the US.

[Better Believe It]

38. True. And without the players what would we watch?

[leveymg]

5. Here's the only fair solution: One game - Owners vs. Players. Sudden death. Winner takes all.

I'd watch that one, even though I really don't care about professional sports, anymore.

[blondeatlast]

13. I'll bring the beer! nt

[leveymg]

17. Here's the Owners Starting Line (and the Head Coach):

They're trained and ready to rumble. Bring on the beer wars.

[blondeatlast]

7. Good Lord, I'm recommending a BBI thread. But if NFL players can't

win labor disputes, we're all screwed, so k/r.

[dionysus]

10. they're all obscenely wealthy, so fuck them both

[movonne]

12. This is big corporations getting together and screwing the people...

[Newest Reality]

15. As an ordinary, humble pleb

I am overwhelmed by people battling over finances to the tune of millions and billions while I, and millions of others, are scrounging for subsistence and even having our own version of "lockouts".

Yet, I can empathize with those who support the end of this travesty with hopes that the millions and billions go to the right million and billionaires in the end. It is a spectator sport, after all. Some people have a lot invested in this and I can understand how very important the outcome is.

[Initech]

18. That is fucking ridiculous. Fuck Jerry Jones.

[onethatcares]

20. try reading Free Lunch by David Cay Johnson.

you'll see we're all screwn no matter what. The owners win no matter what. It's like, who's gonna pay for the Metrodome roof collapse,the owners of the vikings? hahhahahhahahhahahahahaha

It just looks like the bread and circus aspect of our culture is flaming out sooner than anticipated.

[truedelphi]

25. Had not heard of this book

Sounds like something our household would appreciate getting.

Thanks for passing the word. Wish it was a more optimistic word, but I'll take Truth over "Glee"ful reality any day of the week.

[TBF]

22. As always I am in solidarity with labor, the players. nt

[KamaAina]

23. "$4.5 billion in revenue will disappear from 32 cities around the nation. "

Patently false.

New York (actually, East Rutherford, N.J.) has two teams, so $4.5 billion in revenue will disappear from 31 cities. :P

Just try to remember, management is NEVER in the right in a lockout. EVER. Remember this especially when Faux et al. refer to it as a "strike".

[Joe the Revelator]

24. Guys making 10 million plus for six months work are not the working man

Both sides need to give a little and stop whining to the media. The only people who are going to be affected are the REAL working men and woman.

[thelordofhell]

28. Most of the players don't make that much

The Green Bay Packers median salary is $640,000. That means half make less than that. The average career is 3-4 years, and they have to deal with life altering injuries and pain immediately afterwards.

on edit---only 7 players made more than 10 million dollars this year....in the entire NFL

[YellowRubberDuckie]

36. From what I understand The Packers are actually a community owned...

...not for profit team. The only in the league. That's probably why they aren't paid as much as the others.
Duckie

[Hugabear]

29. Another person buying into the corporate anti-union nonsense

Yes, many players make tens of millions per year. But not all. The NFL league minimum is a few hundred thousand per year. Not every player gets those multi-million dollar contracts. Not only that, but the average NFL career is only a couple of years. The human body simply isn't designed to deal with the stresses that the NFL demands. Concussions, torn ligaments, fractured bones, etc are commonplace. Many players retire in their early 30s with the body of someone in their 60s or 70s.

Don't buy into all the corporate anti-union propaganda. They would like to have you believe that the average player makes $10M/yr, plays for about a dozen years without any real major injuries.

[Better Believe It]

34. How many NFL players make that much? Three? How many owners make more than that? All of them.

[JonLP24]

27. Owners are counting on

"millionaires vs billionaires" and lines like that when in reality they are trying to change a deal they already made and want players to play more regular season games for less money. When you think of the long term health of the players, this isn't a good idea. They are counting on the public to be angry with the players when there is very little to be upset with them about. If a lockout happens, it is all the owner's fault.

[Better Believe It]

32. We don't need individual billionaire corporate owners in football or any professional team sports.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x361615

[leveymg]

33. Agreed. Pro sports should be run as employee-owned coops or public corporations.

The current arrangement is a vestige of 19th Century vanity sports team ownership.