Following the NFL Labor Dispute is Laborious

I don't know how many of you have been following, or trying to follow, the NFL labor dispute but it is extremely...how can I put this...well, its annoying. I don't know if you have taken sides yet but I find it very hard to do so. No, I'm not complaining about these people making money. They are both talented, in the players case, and smart enough, in the owners case, to make the money. And it us, the fans, who ultimately put that money in their pockets. I will never begrudge anyone for trying to make a living, it just isn't American in my opinion. I am no expert on the negotiations but I do have opinions on the matter and I'm about to share them.

One of my biggest pet peeves is this eighteen game schedule the owners want to implement. Call me a traditionalist. I wasn't around when the NFL switched to a 16 game schedule but I would have been against that as well. I don't see the point in lengthening an already perfect schedule. Adding two more games will render old NFL records absolutely obsolete. Jim Brown will look like a slacker to future generations of NFL fans instead of one of the greatest running backs of all-time. But it just isn't about NFL records with me. Has anyone seen the injuries football players incur during a 16 game schedule? My God! Concussions have taken the life out of some players, literally. Some NFL veterans have become a shell of a human being because of the abuse their bodies take on a weekly basis. And I can't seem to shake the image of Rutgers DE Eric LeGrand being carted off the field after making a tackle against Army, a game in which I was in the stands for. It brought back memories of Mike Utley, Dennis Byrd, and Kevin Everett being carted off the field in the same manner. It can happen on any given play and the long term medical care necessary for players just isn't there. The NFL, NFLPA, and the owners must develop a better medical plan for these players once they leave the gridiron, once they have sacrificed themselves for our amusement.

Another problem I have with the whole labor deal is the contracts NFL players sign. Few of the years and/or dollars are guaranteed which means a player can sign a $50 million 5 year contract only to be cut three years into that contract without receiving the rest of the money he signed for. Maybe I am naive in thinking that a contract is a binding agreement. The one I signed with Uncle Sam sure was. Major League Baseball has binding contracts. No other sport has such an ownership friendly contract situation.

OK, so you aren't shedding a tear for millionaires being abused by billionaires. It is more than that. This is about taking care of the employees that bring in those billions. This is about fairness in the workplace. This is about an even playing field for workers and owners. Granted, this is a very basic way of looking at things but no other sport has such a short shelf-life for its stars. Sure, some enjoy prolonged success but I remember when Shaun Alexander was the best running back in the NFL. That was only six years ago, in 2005. He had a six year stint where he was an elite runner. He is not alone. Many running backs have a very short shelf-life. Why shouldn't these players make the most money they can?

Now, I am not totally in the players corner. A lot of them make a lot of money and rookies are especially in this category. NFL teams sign rookies to enormous contracts, especially for first round picks, many of which don't pan out. The NFL needs a rookie salary cap, something that keeps the contracts given to rookies under control. I mean, did Sam Bradford, and this is not a knock on him as a player, deserve to get $50 million guaranteed? Did Matthew Stafford, again not a knock on the player just the contract, deserve $41.7 million? These guys never suited up in the NFL and are getting more money than guys that have produced on the field for years. It just doesn't make sense.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, players who sign rookie contracts should not sign long term deals if they aren't willing to play for the length of that contract at the money they sign for, period. Look at Darelle Revis last year. OK, so he was one of the best corners in the league and he wanted more money. Perhaps to avoid this, all rookie contracts should come with incentive clauses based on performance. That would prevent a lot of situations from getting ugly and causing a rift between player and team.

As for the whole salary cap situation, how about the NFL raising the cap by a few million. Currently, football players have the smallest average salary among the four major pro sports. Now, they do play fewer games than any other sport but that doesn't mean much to me. Their season lasts from mini-camps in July until the Super Bowl (for some players) in February. Baseball lasts from February until October. Basketball from October until June.

Well, that's some of how I feel. Mostly, I am just peeved as a fan that my Sunday's may become void of football this Fall. What are your concerns about this lockout? Whom do you side with?