NFL Lockout Temporarily Suspended

Even though the televised sports industry is one of the most enjoyable to be watched on TV (when the viewers’ supporting team wins) and also provides a great feeling of accomplishment to its players, the segment also has its dark sides when it comes to money. NFL players are going through a dramatic negotiation with the NFL owners by having even a judge sentence in the middle of it.

Where the problem came from

The problem began when the NFL owners announced how they would share the value of $9 billion in revenues. Their initial plan is to make the division following the math of two possibilities: 1) the players get 59.5%, while owners take $1 billion of the total; 2) owners keep an extra billion and the players’ percentage goes down.

Of course, the NFL players are not happy with the thought of getting paid less than what they should be. So, as a way of protesting, the players decided to resign from their union. As a reaction to that attitude, NFL owners imposed a lockout. The judge’s sentence came in by lifting the lockout, giving players their civil rights to file lawsuits without any connection to the union they had just left.

Pros and Cons

Even though it all seems as a greedy battle over lots and lots of cash, the players have their reasons as regular workers to make sure they receive what they consider is the fair payment. Their career does not rely only on how hard they work or on good performances on the field, but mainly on their age. An NFL player usually lasts about four years, which means they have to manage their finances on a basis that will endure for a good amount of time.

On the other hand, NFL owners argue that people do not take into consideration that their part of the share also includes investments in building stadiums and promoting all of the seasons’ games. It the lockout actually happens, all the employees involved in the process of NFL matches, such as receptionists, stadium workers and tickets salespeople will be harmed.