NFL Players Bring International Bank in to Make Sure Owners Are 'Telling All'

In the event that you're still wondering what the NFL talks are about, make no mistake: It's about greed and mistrust. That's heart-warming, is it not? The situation is there is $9 billion in revenues that are waiting to be split amongst the players and the owners have asked for an extra $1 billion for stadiums and, well, whatever owners need. The union wants to see the owners' books to make sure it is a viable request. Do you see the problem here?

Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press has posted an article titled "Union retains investment bank to help decide whether NFL's offer of more data is enough." In another words, the players don't have enough trust in the owners to believe what they are telling them.

I have a problem with this whole scenario. What I want to know is what do the players do with the $9 billion? That is a large sum. Is it representative of salaries? Is it representative of bonuses that we don't see? Is it a pension fund or medical aid fund? As far as I've seen, we are not told.

I think the players are getting a little too cheeky to have a bank brought in to interpret for them the information from the owners, be they assets or football revenues or stadium costs. Consider your job, whatever that is. You are given a certain amount and your boss asks for more of it this year than in recent years past. He (or she) advises you that it is needed for the organization's good and lays out some information. You advise your boss that you will first need a mediator because you don't feel you can effectively discuss the issue and then you would like not just any bank, but an international bank to be brought in to make sure that they are being honest.

I wouldn't mind if the players were asking for benefits for players who had long-term injuries. I wouldn't mind it if they were arguing for survivor benefits for their families; but that isn't the deal.

The players, and the owners, are so greedy that they do not relegate themselves to their own financial state. They want to make sure the owners aren't doing "too well." The owners want to make sure that the players aren't doing "too well." And yet the survival of the other group is mandatory for either side's well-being.

I'll close by saying that who really deserves the $1 billion are the fans who pay such extravagant ticket prices the owners and the players have $1 billion to argue over.

NFL fans should really be angry. I know I'm thoroughly disgusted.

Reference:

Newser Website, Howard Fendrich AP, "Union retains investment bank to help decide whether NFL's offer of more data is enough"