Ridiculous NFL players' 'union' itching for a fight
Cold, Hard Football Facts for February 5, 2011
[img_r]http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/images/NFLPA_2-4-11_lockout_t-shirt.jpg[/img_r]We were randomly invited to some NFL Players Association party at the Sheraton Dallas on Friday. They were giving away these t-shirts that made it sound like the so-called players' "union" is gearing up for a fight. They read "Block the Lockout: Let us Play."
By the way, can we get past two ridiculous notions about the NFLPA?
One, can we get past the ridiculous notion that the NFLPA is actually a union in any legit sense of the world?
Sure, they bargain collectively. But the players also bargain individually, too, for the most money. In a real union, here's how it works: the shitty workers and the good workers all make the same amount of money. That's the deal: you trade the right to prosper individual for some collective security. The NFL simply does not work that way.
Every man is out for himself. It is NOT a union. In fact, real unions have cement shoes for guys who try to go out and cut their own deals and undermine the legitimacy of the collective power of the group.
Two, can we get past the ridiculous notion that a guy deserves a lifetime of financial security simply because he played a couple years in the NFL?
There are actually poor slob fans who make $40,000 a year who think athletes deserve a lifetime of benefits simply because they played four years in the NFL. These players are are paid to do a job. And it's not even a real job. It's a game, like a child might play on the streets, that they play as adults. And they are rewarded VERY handsomely. They know the risks. They still choose to take them. So let's quit crying over the fortunes of former football players. They have the choice not to play pro football.