National Football League owners voted unanimously in May 2008 to opt out of their labor contract with the players at the end of this season, two years before the current contract reached completion. The players, satisfied with the original agreement, were content to complete the contract.
Hence, we have a brewing war of words and conflicting information.
In an interview airing this weekend on Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital with Al Hunt," union chief DeMaurice Smith said if NFL owners lock out players in order to get concessions in a labor dispute, it would devastate local communities as the country currently struggles with unemployment hovering at 10%.
The NFL says that building and operating costs of new stadiums are growing increasingly expensive. The players say that they're being asked to reduce the pool of money used to calculate their salaries by $1 billion.
As usual, the American public stands to lose more than anyone else. Sure, the owners will lose some billions, the players will lose some millions and after everything gets resolved, they'll all be rich again.
But for the average Joe and Jonetta, whose stark realities and life struggles are eased by the distraction of following their favorite teams and sport, an NFL lockout would really hurt.
Here's an idea, why doesn't every follower of the NFL stage their own fan-stoppage, refusing to go to a stadium, buy a jersey, hat, sweatshirt or turn on the television for two weeks? Let the owners and players know that there's another party in this mess who also matters. Let's see what happens when the revenue faucet really gets turned off.
Maybe people will come to their senses, realize that there's a negotiation that needs to happen, make it happen and get back to the business of providing an entertaining escape from life's realities.
16-Nov-10 - Forty-five years after he was killed by an Alabama State Trooper, Jimmie Lee Jackson, whose death lead to the first civil rights march on Selma, he is finally getting a small measure of justice.
12-Nov-10 - In a case better suited for Judge Mathis, Paula Cook is proceeding with her civil suit against Fantasia Barrino for an antiquated legal cause of action called "Alienation of Affection" in a North Carolina court.
