I Don't Deserve a Lockout, The Ultimatum of a broke Bills Fan

I was one of the millions of fans who watched a few dozen NFL players hold up a #1 to express solidarity for the upcoming work stoppage in the NFL on Thursday night. It's Friday night before the first Sunday of the 2010 NFL season, and I am preparing for a season that, baring a miracle, will be the 11th in a row that has ended with my favorite team (The Buffalo Bills) missing the playoffs. In that elven years, I have attended countless games, bought far too many jerseys of players who are no longer with my team, and spent an alarmingly high percentage of my time watching the NFL, looking at mock NFL drafts on- line, and playing Madden. I was in college for some of those years, and a letter I recently received from the Social Security agency said I made $867 in 2003. That same year that I went to two games, bought a Takeo Spikes Jersey, and Bills themed birthday gifts for 2 family members. All of that money went to the NFL. If the players union and owners can't find a way to fairly split up 65% of my gross earnings in 2003, then they don't deserve my loyalty. I will shamefully admit that I have spent more time in recent years following football than doing many productive activities. These neglected activities include: reading books, exercising, forming a relationship with my parents or siblings, and advancing my career. I love The Buffalo Bills, I love NFL football. But, if the NFL misses more than 1 game because of a labor dispute, I will never again watch an NFL game or give a red penny to the NFL. I have been a blindly loyal fan for my whole life. I have emotionally and financially supported a franchise who consistently puts a sub-par product on the field, and I don't deserve a lockout.

There are certainly things that need to change in the NFL, but there is no reason they should have to deprive us of football. Aren't there a few things we can all agree on:

#1. The rookies make far too much money. There is no reason why Sam Bradford (a QB who hasn't completed a pass in the NFL and $50 million of his $78 million contract is guaranteed) should make more guaranteed money than someone who is a proven stud like say, Jahari Evans (who has $19 million guaranteed in his 6 year $57.6 million contract).

#2. The players and the league both need to take care of the players who have sacrificed their bodies for the building of their sport. Tom Brady makes more in a week than 99.9% of the best players before 1975 made in their entire career(Johnny Unitas Hall of Fame quarterback, 3-time MVP, Superbowl champion, 10-time Pro Bowl selection
Estimated lifetime earnings: $4 million) . The fact that an organization making as much money as the NFL doesn't have enough money to put all former players on top-tier health insurance says something about the viciousness of the sport. The fact that you can get cut tomorrow and the team doesn't owe you another dime forces players back in the game with concussions and unhealed injuries. This cut throat culture has lead to countless stories of hobbled former players trying to get some financial help from a league they built and no longer acknowledges them.

So, Owners, players union, fix this and keep playing. Keep making gobs of money in this depressed economy. The Saints - Vikings game got the biggest rating of any non Super Bowl game ever. Why would you ever want to mess with such a good thing? Sure, some of the fans will come back after a work stoppage. Heck, probably most of them will. I, however, am one of your best fans, and you will lose me forever.

(I know this post doesn't exactly fit with the unemployment theme of this blog, but watching Millionaires and Billionaires get ready to willfully leave their jobs makes me especially crazed as I cash my $378 a week)