Today is "Let Us Play Day"

[DraftBoy]

http://bayarea.sbnation.com/san-francisco-49ers/2011/1/17/1941507/nflpa-hosts-let-us-play-day-in-growing-pr-campaign


Although the two sides of any labor battle have to solve their problems at the negotiating table, the public relations campaign can be equally important. While the public doesn’t exactly have a say in what the two sides agree to, a well-coordinated public relations blitz can force one side to re-examine their offers. The NFLPA is developing such a PR campaign to get the fans on their side and prevent a potential lockout that could wear down the will of the union members.

[Dujek]

The longer this goes on the more I'm siding with the owners in this. The NFLPA is completely up its own ass.

[DraftBoy]

The longer this goes on the more I'm siding with the owners in this. The NFLPA is completely up its own ass.
Just my opinion but to me both sides are at fault. Don't who I support or dislike more yet.

[k-oneputt]

Owners will win. They have all the money and will outlast them.

[THRILLHO]

No one is stopping you from being paid hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars that plenty of us would LOVE to do for free.

[better days]

I like the owners ideas myself. Cost of players salaries, increasing as much as they have, has been passed on to the fans. I am all for reducing player salary, a rookie cap, eliminate 2 preseason games.

[trapezeus]

The players don't even get guarnateed salaries in the roughest sport ever.

They sign a lot of paper contracts, but few of them realize the total value.

I'm with the players on this. The owners sit on a tv deal that pays them through the lockout. they are going to cream the players and they will get hosed.

This is greed vs greed. but the owners don't put their bodies and eventual lives on the line for our entertainment.

[djjimkelly]

30 years ago i would have been on the players side no doubt.

however in 2011 these guys are getting paid millions especially first round players like maybin and spiller who have done nothing to even remotely deserve being paid more then the league minimum.

this deal should be simple

1. rookie pay scale
2. some adjustment to pension for retired vets(guys pre 1990)
3. better health care post career
4. similar cap to what we had before

screw the 18 game schedule and any other minor issues

they solve that list above which in my opninion should be simple

[Yasgur's Farm]

As Bills fans, I can't see how it's possible for us to side with the players. Blue collar (and low end white collar) fans have already been removed from most NFL (NBA, MLB) venues because we simply can't afford tickets, parking and concessions. Player salaries are a huge reason why... And, IMO, players are compensated WAY too high. I'd rather see a league where a player has to scrape out a living just like the rest of us... And a $30,000 paycheck for winning a playoff game is huge incentive.

[Michael82]

As Bills fans, I can't see how it's possible for us to side with the players. Blue collar (and low end white collar) fans have already been removed from most NFL (NBA, MLB) venues because we simply can't afford tickets, parking and concessions. Player salaries are a huge reason why... And, IMO, players are compensated WAY too high. I'd rather see a league where a player has to scrape out a living just like the rest of us... And a $30,000 paycheck for winning a playoff game is huge incentive.

Great post and that's why I'm siding with the owners. I'm sick of how high these salaries keep going up and the tickets/parking/concessions. The fan has to pay more just to keep the players happy. That's not right. Especially when if it wasn't for us watching their games and buying stuff, these players wouldn't have jobs.

[Michael82]

Oh and BTW, I want to get a shirt that says "Ralph was right, Jerry! You were wrong!"

Ralph complained about the current CBA and said that he doesn't understand it, but he honestly did. I just think that he didn't understand why the owners felt they HAD to sign that contract. He foresaw some of the money problems that we are seeing now...but everyone made him out to be a villain.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Sometimes I think it might be a good thing if the Bills moved... And Buffalo got a CFL franchise... SOMETIMES!

[Pride]

Does anyone really think that if the Owners win, ticket/parking prices will go down?

I didn't think so!

Every decision made in this should be for the best interest of the people it ultimately affects... the fan! How do "we" (the owners) lower ticket prices, provide the best possible product on the field, and the best possible game-day experience in the stadium/on tv?

If those are the questions, the answers will fill themselves in.

[mikemac2001]

Oh and BTW, I want to get a shirt that says "Ralph was right, Jerry! You were wrong!"

Ralph complained about the current CBA and said that he doesn't understand it, but he honestly did. I just think that he didn't understand why the owners felt they HAD to sign that contract. He foresaw some of the money problems that we are seeing now...but everyone made him out to be a villain.


Ralph gets no love

[Yasgur's Farm]

Does anyone really think that if the Owners win, ticket/parking prices will go down?

I didn't think so!Does anybody think that if the owners don't win, that ticket/parking/concessions won't continue to skyrocket... And eventually be the root of the Bills franchise leaving Buffalo?

[Mr. Miyagi]

The players don't even get guarnateed salaries in the roughest sport ever.
NBA went to guaranteed salaries and the quality of the product quickly declined. I hope NFL learned from that example.

[mikemac2001]

NBA went to guaranteed salaries and the quality of the product quickly declined. I hope NFL learned from that example.


Good post


If i signed a 5 year deal and new i was set for 5 years would i come to work everyday at 100% no it doesnt mean i am lazy but just means i know i am ok with my position


also these guys are making so much more money 5 year 50 mill deal come on its easy to lose your focus if you know they can't touch that money.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Players salaries need to be capped. Maybe paycut is too harsh and no one will agree to it, but cap it where it is now.

Rookie cap is absolutely not negotiable. I don't care how good Sam Bradford might be eventually, but $50 million guaranteed when he had thrown a single pass is absurd. That money should have gone to current players who have actually earned it.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Everyone should get a base salary and incentive based bonuses. That system works well for the rest of us non pro-athletes, why can't it work for them too?

Want a raise? Do a good job and earn it. Want a big bonus? Be a star and earn that.

[trapezeus]

to hate the players for their incomes is short sighted. the owners will continue to price based on demand. The prices we complain about are our own doing.

They just want more of it to themselves.

For allthose "trickle down economic" fans, pro athletes are the only ones who actually funnel the money down. they spend like they have no conscience. But that's actually good for the people around them and the escalade dealerships.

The owners on the other hand just funnel it to an offshore trading account, skip out on capital gains taxes, complain that their income shouldn't be taxed, and then take our tax money through parking subsidiaries. Tell me which is more of a social ill?

[Lone Stranger]

The players don't even get guarnateed salaries in the roughest sport ever.

They sign a lot of paper contracts, but few of them realize the total value.

I'm with the players on this. The owners sit on a tv deal that pays them through the lockout. they are going to cream the players and they will get hosed.

This is greed vs greed. but the owners don't put their bodies and eventual lives on the line for our entertainment.


Acknowledged that this is a dangerous profession but most, if not all of us, do not have a contract nor any form of guarantee. MINIMUM salary is somwhere around $300k, pretty generous to my way of thinking. A significant portion of the players make millions. Hazards in their profession - yes; so are steelworkers, policemen and firemen, etc. Also the players earn substantially more than most physicians.

[trapezeus]

in the context of their sport, there are billions of dollars generated by the NFL.

The players ask for 60% of the revenues, that most of them don't get. they get cut.

We can complain all we want that it's the owners and the players that make it expensive. it's not. it's us. We insist on buying all this stuff.

Someone mentioned the NBA. it was the best run league and then they killed it themselves, and the fans for the most part have walked away from their highs.

The same thing can happen to the NFL. The battle being fought isn't being done for our behalves. it's a fixed amount of money that both sides want more of. Our prices aren't going down. the greed isn't changing.

i think the players get bigger salaries, but their trade off is it's not guaranteed. which effectively keeps the players honest in wanting to work. unfortunately there are a handful of idiot owners who refuse to let failure stand and they keep offering the pacman jones' of the world bigger contracts after each failure. that hurts the sport.

[psubills62]

I find it hard to side with either the owners or the players. It's obvious that the owners don't care a whit about the well-being of the players. They care about the bad PR they get from the players' union, but they don't actually care about the players. It's also obvious that a lot of players are getting paid exorbitant amounts of money, and their whining generally doesn't endear them to fans.

In the end, though, the owners will win, especially if this situation drags out in a lengthy process. However, I have little doubt that with all the demands the owners have, that the players will win a few of the battles.

[ddaryl]

Both sides are idiots.

Prices are outta control, and they are both fighting for more... Which will, no matter who wins the argument, mean higher prices for you and me.

When are the fans going to realize that it is really up to us to boycott the game until they bring the finances of the league down to a respectable level.

As long as we kowtow and pay for gear, tickets, and the Sunday ticket they will continue to fight for a bigger share.

but lets remember one thing. It was 30 owners who agreed on the last CBA and these are supposed to be smart businessmen.

Also even if player salaries were contained or lower does anyone here really believe we would see a savings ??? Of course not, UNLESS YOU BOYCOTT and force there hands... but we won't because we are all sheep.

[TacklingDummy]

Millionaires fighting millionaires, got to love it.

[better days]

to hate the players for their incomes is short sighted. the owners will continue to price based on demand. The prices we complain about are our own doing.

They just want more of it to themselves.

For allthose "trickle down economic" fans, pro athletes are the only ones who actually funnel the money down. they spend like they have no conscience. But that's actually good for the people around them and the escalade dealerships.

The owners on the other hand just funnel it to an offshore trading account, skip out on capital gains taxes, complain that their income shouldn't be taxed, and then take our tax money through parking subsidiaries. Tell me which is more of a social ill?

Prices will never go down, but if the owners win this battle, they won't escalate like they will if the players win.

[better days]

I find it hard to side with either the owners or the players. It's obvious that the owners don't care a whit about the well-being of the players. They care about the bad PR they get from the players' union, but they don't actually care about the players. It's also obvious that a lot of players are getting paid exorbitant amounts of money, and their whining generally doesn't endear them to fans.

In the end, though, the owners will win, especially if this situation drags out in a lengthy process. However, I have little doubt that with all the demands the owners have, that the players will win a few of the battles.

Does any corporation care about their employees? I would say no.

[trapezeus]

Prices will never go down, but if the owners win this battle, they won't escalate like they will if the players win.

disagree. They don't look at their expenses at setting prices. They set prices on what the market will bear. people keep paying. prices will go up at the same rate.

[better days]

disagree. They don't look at their expenses at setting prices. They set prices on what the market will bear. people keep paying. prices will go up at the same rate.

I disagree, expenses are also looked at when setting prices.

[McBFLO]

Does anyone really think that if the Owners win, ticket/parking prices will go down?

I didn't think so!

Every decision made in this should be for the best interest of the people it ultimately affects... the fan! How do "we" (the owners) lower ticket prices, provide the best possible product on the field, and the best possible game-day experience in the stadium/on tv?

If those are the questions, the answers will fill themselves in.
Couldnt agree more. The idea of the high prices of tickets, etc being passed on to fans because of player salaries is ridiculous. The NFL (and its owners) print money! If they cut player salaries (and for the record, I'm all for a rookie wage cap), the owners can just add more to their bottom line. And anyone who thinks these people would lower ticket prices, parking prices, etc is living on another planet. Capitalistic GREED! It's the players who are out there taking all of the health risks (and getting paid very well I have to add) that will affect them later in (their potentially shortened) life.

I'm not saying the players are totally innocent here, but the owners are the ones who are making this thing the mess it is. They talk about how important player safety is to them, yet they want to essentially add 2 more games (same # of games as there is now: 4 preseason, 16 reg vs 2 preseason, 18 reg). Comes off awfully contradictory to me.

[Spiderweb]

30 years ago i would have been on the players side no doubt.

however in 2011 these guys are getting paid millions especially first round players like maybin and spiller who have done nothing to even remotely deserve being paid more then the league minimum.

this deal should be simple

1. rookie pay scale
2. some adjustment to pension for retired vets(guys pre 1990)
3. better health care post career
4. similar cap to what we had before

screw the 18 game schedule and any other minor issues

they solve that list above which in my opninion should be simple
:cheers: