Something is Fundamentally Wrong Here...

OK so check this out, I typed this ever long sermon on the NFL labor issues and my views about it plus how I came to that thought by being a former pro player overseas and GUESS WHAT! The damn thing got erased...smh, so I am left with starting over in which I can't remember all of that so I will try to paraphrase. I see a issue with NFL "labor" problems...that they have the ability to hold out and go thru this whole thing yet Teachers across the country and schools around the country (mainly SC) are failing and we are BILLIONS of dollars in debt as a country. Now I'm not saying players don't deserve getting paid but this is utterly ridiculous right now considering many of the teams (Detroit, New Orleans, Washington and a few others) are in cities that are completely struggling. I find that very odd but I do understand. Now my point about being an overseas "baller" is that no matter how well you play "things" come up and either you get paid late or don't get paid at all (foreign and/or domestic players). See if athletes overseas say man I'm not playing cause they aren't paying me (period) or paying enough then the team kindly hands them a plane ticket. Now some can look at it as I'm just a angry basketball player that didn't make it to the next level but hey I don't care this is my blog so I am going to say it like people see it. We are struggling as a economy and ultimately the people that pay for these salaries etc. are the "struggling" fans that use sports as their therapy against the day to day menucha. Sad part is the people that handle day to day operations, clerical, and other office duties (marketing, media personnel, and other "small timers") will be out of work and don't make "millions" of dollars. To me that is a fundamental problem why should they have to pay for owners inability to manage the dynamics of Winning and Losing (which is what it boils down to when you look at why they pay these astronomical salaries). I will say simply that our economic priorities are a bit off....My idea would be that these millionaires adopt some families (tax right off), I'm not saying support a whole neighborhood but how many of them blow hundreds of thousands on "stuff"? What if an millionaire athlete took 500k and spread it out to 50 different families maybe (10k or more) to help pay off credit cards, or to simply help pay a bill or two. Now I know the argument is yeah they are doing that for their families (which I applaud) but seriously family can be the biggest debt consumption out there. I'm just saying an athlete that has made 5-10M a year for the last 5-10 years (strictly guessing) Should be able to help the Factory worker who is being hit by gas prices, college tuition's, day to day bills, yet is wearing the "stars" jersey on game day and spends what "change" he has left over to get his sports relief. I get it, I get it..."Its my money I earned it" however people are out here struggling beyond belief yet some athletes won't work because they feel like they need a few more Million....If you don't see my point that's fine (ask me I will try to clarify better). Anywho I just feel bad that Millionaires don't donate like 5% of their salary to families in need, or to help natural disaster victims or something like that....Can you imagine if you take 5% of every pro athlete (or some "celebrity" in U.S. where money is guaranteed) salary and put it back into schools, economic development, and or to help cities grow, and receive some sort of extra tax break.

Which I will say its sad, with all the pro's that have come from my state schools and cities are soooooooo far behind and there is know economic empowerment or development from athletes at least "trying". On the other hand there are several things I can understand (politics) that make it virtually impossible for them to come here and try to help. Either way I get what the "dispute" is about, I have several close friends who are employed by "The League". I guess what my issues are are that that's the BIG talk (all over the news and media) as if the players will all have to file for chapter 13 because they can't afford the car note on the Accord, the 1k mortgage, the $95 phone bill, etc. Rarely do we see the BIG talk being about what some athletes are doing. Overall I think this "Labor Dispute" is tarnishing pro sports. Owners should have long set a concrete limit on what players would get paid (what are they gonna do...now play? where would they go?). Now I think you may see college sports become more relevant again...