Northwestern players win right to unionize

[ecasadoSBU]

Wow. Where to begin....well, I guess let me just say this: if you are a big UConn fan (which both your name and your presence on a UConn internet chat site suggest), then I will be shocked if you aren't back after finding out that the kids are getting a 2k or 3k stipend. Literally shocked. I mean, for , grad students in the chemistry department get a free education AND about a 20k stipend (with TA duties), and THEY CAN'T EVEN ZONE BLOCK!!!

EDIT: Just in case people don't believe me about grad TA's getting a free education and a $20,000 stipend:
http://chemistry.uconn.edu/graduate/financial-aid.html

I don't know if I should laugh or cry. The fact that a Chemistry TA is compared to a basketball player who after all plays game for nothing more than entertainment of others results in mixed emotions. I know the system values money above all (an a Uconn baller probably brings in a lot more money than that Chemistry TA) but the contributions of Chemistry as a science and as an academic field at the University should not be compared to collegiate athletics. Lets not make those comparisons please

 

[UConnDan97]

I don't know if I should laugh or cry. The fact that a Chemistry TA is compared to a basketball player who after all plays game for nothing more than entertainment results in mixed emotions. I know the system values money above all (an a Uconn baller probably brings in a lot more money than that Chemistry TA) but the contributions of Chemistry as a science and as an academic field at the University should not be compared to collegiate athletics. Lets not make those comparisons please

Settle down, killer. I'm a product of UConn Chemistry, so don't pretend to lecture me on the.....well, on the lecturers. The comparison was made in order to show others that a stipend ON TOP of a free education is not a foreign concept. In fact, it's standard for most graduate programs across the country. And the research efforts of a first-year chemistry grad do not amount to crap. Literally. (and I won't go into a rant about the fact that undergraduates are paying tuition to be instructed by professors, not kids who just got done reading "English for Dummies").

The chemistry grad student's skill is chemistry. The football player's (or basketball player, etc.) skill is on the field. Both work toward the enrichment of the university. A stipend is NOT that weird of an idea, whether someone agrees with it or not...

 

[Dizzy21]

I don't mind labor unions. Its the only way for the little people, the worker, the producer to fight for their share of the pie vs. the top which has money and power to influence just about everything in their favor. Unless you are a business owner, a big time executive, or wealthy individual I don't see how you can honestly go against labor unions.

The college athletics problem is representative of the bigger problem that this country is currently facing: Those at the top of the pyramid care very little about giving a fair share to those at the bottom, yet they fail to realize that the success of those at the top largely depends on the success of the majority at the bottom. money gets recycled and ends at the top again eventually, so wtf is the big deal?

Give the student-athletes a fair share and the game will continue to thrive and make everyone richer. Resist and avoid change and the athletes may bring the entire system down.

What if I'm a poor person, not in a union and have to pay 20% more for all my union made products? Would I still support the union? Not saying I support or don't support unions, that's not an easy argument for now, but certainly one could easily make the argument that not only do big executives suffer, but everyone who is not in the union may be paying a cost for the unions' benefit, in fact, one could easily argue that the only ones who benefit are those who belong to the union.

I also fail to understand how universities are getting rich off of the football players? Is there a magic executive making tons of bonus money from the University making a ton of money off of football? In fact, quite the opposite, doesn't a lot of the money basically go to fund sports that would not be supported otherwise, and other student activities?

 

[zls44]

Unions arguably being out of control over the last 50 years does nothing to change the fact that they unequivocally have helped improve the lives of every single working-class American in every walk of life.

Indiana football/basketball generates $40 million in TV revenue, once the new Big Ten deal is done. Hell yes, the athletes who are the reason absolutely deserve AT LEAST a stipend.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

What if I'm a poor person, not in a union and have to pay 20% more for all my union made products? Would I still support the union? Not saying I support or don't support unions, that's not an easy argument for now, but certainly one could easily make the argument that not only do big executives suffer, but everyone who is not in the union may be paying a cost for the unions' benefit, in fact, one could easily argue that the only ones who benefit are those who belong to the union.

I also fail to understand how universities are getting rich off of the football players? Is there a magic executive making tons of bonus money from the University making a ton of money off of football? In fact, quite the opposite, doesn't a lot of the money basically go to fund sports that would not be supported otherwise, and other student activities?

Simple solution (not really...). Every employee should advocate for a union at their workplace so you can also get a 20% boost in your salary by cutting from the ever growing profit margins your employer keeps. there should be absolutely no reason why working class and middle class Americans fight against and ridicule one another for participating in a labor union. Its like they are fighting against each other when they should all be fighting for a unified cause against the widening gap between the "haves" and the "have nots". There is a ton of money in America still, the problem is that it is staying more and more at the top. Corporations and wealthy individuals never stop bargaining (lobbying) for their interest, why should middle class and poor americans do so?

I work in the private sector, no union, but I'm not foolish to bash MTA employees, and other public sector unionized employees. If anything I should be fighting to be like them

 

[BlueMAB]

IMO, giving the players a stipend and allowing the athletes to unionize are two different discussions. The former could work, the latter will probably end college sports as we know it. Because whatever the simplest, most likely to succeed plan that exists; you can be almost certain that the NCAA won't adopt it, choosing instead to do whatever they can to keep as much money in their bureaucracy as they can.

With Title IX, the women will likely suffer the most. If school have to pay play players to compete, they will make that money up by slashing scholarships elsewhere, which means fewer opportunities for people.

That's just my opinion, it's possible I'm way off, but I don't think today's ruling will benefit most scholarship athletes, only football and basketball players at the expense of others.

 

[metsfan2323]

The NCAA makes 11 BILLION dollars off March Madness alone but yeah the players are the greedy ones. (not that you're saying that, I'm summarizing the general attitude of those opposed to players get paid.)

And no, I haven't seen a perfect solution proposed yet but it boggles my mind that everyone jumps to a doom and gloom scenario, when the money IS there, just for everyone but the athletes.

As soon as they go to a pro model there will be far less money available. Minor league sports is not a big revenue producer.

The players aren't forced to participate and they do get paid with a free education and free professional tutelage in their athletic craft. Most importantly top athletes (the ones who are supposedly cheated) gain fame which can be monetized when they leave school.

The moment recruiting involves lawyers and contracts college athletics dies, the free market (ticket buyers) will kill it.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

interesting comment in the NYT:

"Why stop at athletes? Highly skilled student-musicians provide concerts at their school, allowing other students to sample "culture" at affordable prices -- it's part of the college experience. Ticket prices are about $10 for students and $20-25 for community members. Why not acknowledge the most accomplished of the student-musicians and charge $50 a ticket? It would bring in more for the school which could then pay the musician a professional fee. And if peers can't afford that, they don't need to experience these things, let them listen to the radio in their dorm room. Now, what about science students who contribute to the development of new technology from their lab work? Yes, they are learning, but shouldn't they get wages like in the med-tech industry? Their work could lead to lucrative patents for the school . . . and even stuff for humanity, like whatever.

does he have a point?

 

[metsfan2323]

in the open market what would 4 years of basketball training from Jim Calhoun cost? Have his basketball students benefited financially? The idea that these "kids are getting cheated" is asinine.

and to just focus on revenues produced is crazy, many schools barely break even.

 

[Jimdish255]

I have been escorted out of many facilities for violating the most minor union rules, thus costing the customer and companies thousands of additional dollars.

Many facilities? Disregard for the rules you consider to be minor could get one escorted out of plenty non-union entities too. Last I checked the "union"rules are actually rules negotiated and agreed upon by both parties.

 

[BlueMAB]

http://www.kevinolliebasketballcamp.com/camp-sessions-and-fees/

A resident pays $509 for 4 days (and 3 nights) that's about $127/day.

If a player spends 200 days working with coaches, that's nearly $26,000. Less $7000 for room and board (which is already covered in the scholarship) = $19,000 (rounded) x 4 years = $76,000.

http://financialaid.uconn.edu/cost/
Out of state students (including meal plans and housing) pay $45,000/year.

Total compensation after 4 years: $256,000, or $64,000/year to attend school, get job training potentially worth millions, or a college degree as a back up plan. Without much for expenses since housing and food is covered for most (not all) of the year.

I said earlier, stipends I can support. Allowing college kids to unionize is not going to end well for college sports.

 

[weyuo]

I can't get behind this line of thinking when Nick Saban at Alabama is making what 7 million? Delany as Big Ten Commish gets what 3 million? Big Time college sports are a big business and there are business men getting rich off cheap/free labor. Do the right thing and give these kids a stipend already.

cheap/ free labor? Education, how much does that cost the non scholarship student a year at UConn? Transportation around the country, hell with the women's basketball team that could be around the planet, how much is air fare costing you these days? Free meals, what's your grocery bill a year? And by the way these guys aren't just eating cheese burgers and pizza. How much is it costing you in health care insurance and how much out of pocket money do you spend a year on your health care? And not just visit the family PCP kind of healthcare. Do you have a doctor or EMT literally sitting feet away from you while you perform your work duties? Scholarship athletes get that paid for. Housing...how much does that cost a year, not a dime for the football team. If you add it all up a scholarship athlete is being compensated pretty good when you figure in what it would cost him/her out of pocket for what they get as part of their scholarship. Oh.. and by the way I keep forgetting about private study rooms, tutors, private training facilities(Shenkman). I can't just walk in there and get state of the art training. How much does something like that cost in the real world?

 

[1husky]

Unions arguably being out of control over the last 50 years does nothing to change the fact that they unequivocally have helped improve the lives of every single working-class American in every walk of life.

Indiana football/basketball generates $40 million in TV revenue, once the new Big Ten deal is done. Hell yes, the athletes who are the reason absolutely deserve AT LEAST a stipend.

Does anyone really believe it will end with a stipend?

 

[CTMike]

I don't agree with the unionized employee model for college athletes, but students should have some say in the framework they are playing under.
I'm OK with stipends, but I believe student athletes should be able to profit however they see fit via their personal likeness/autographs/marketing/etc.

 

[Stinger92860]

This is a showstopper for me. I have battled unions and have seen the destruction they have caused in the Northeast and the Rust Belt states for 20 plus years. I have been physically assaulted, threatened, spat at, had vehicles egged, tires slashed, and have been prevented from entering facilities due to erroneous picket lines. I have seen their actions add up to thousands and thousands of dollars of additional cost to my customers due to her arcane rules and regulations. I have been escorted out of many facilities for violating the most minor union rules, thus costing the customer and companies thousands of additional dollars. I have seen them protect the worst of the worst of employees have no business being employed. There is a reason heavily unionized Northeastern and Rust Belt states are losing population. I really enjoy watching college football. I already cut the cable cord because of what ESPN (I'm from Bristol ) has done to us concerning our conference realignment situation. I won't support ESPN why we are in conference purgatory. I simply will not support college football if it goes to a union pay system. Student athletes receive tens of thousands of dollars a year in compensation in the form of tuition, room and board, full medical, academic support, and numerous other benefits. I have no problem with student athletes receipt of a small stipend. Everything that unions get involved with they simply destroy. It's no surprise this started in Chicago.

Extremism of any kind is typically not good for one side. Have you seen working conditions where unions did not exist? Remember child labor or the Triangle fire? Not a big fan of unions or big companies. There has to be a middle ground. When you find please let me know.

 

[noeynox]

cheap/ free labor? Education, how much does that cost the non scholarship student a year at UConn? Transportation around the country, hell with the women's basketball team that could be around the planet, how much is air fare costing you these days? Free meals, what's your grocery bill a year? And by the way these guys aren't just eating cheese burgers and pizza. How much is it costing you in health care insurance and how much out of pocket money do you spend a year on your health care? And not just visit the family PCP kind of healthcare. Do you have a doctor or EMT literally sitting feet away from you while you perform your work duties? Scholarship athletes get that paid for. Housing...how much does that cost a year, not a dime for the football team. If you add it all up a scholarship athlete is being compensated pretty good when you figure in what it would cost him/her out of pocket for what they get as part of their scholarship. Oh.. and by the way I keep forgetting about private study rooms, tutors, private training facilities(Shenkman). I can't just walk in there and get state of the art training. How much does something like that cost in the real world?

Simple question. Are you okay with athletice administrators who over see conferences, and schools as well as coaches making "millions" at their profession? Cripes, look at UNC. There was no effort to educate the players. It was pretty much a system set up to keep players eligible. Why work so hard to keep players eligible and not normal students? So that they can keep doing what they do, and perform for the school. You really think UNC is an isolated incident? Somehow I think guys like Saban and Calipari could afford to rake in a few less million a year if it meant the players getting some trivial compensation for the service they provide.

 

[BG79]

I can't get behind this line of thinking when Nick Saban at Alabama is making what 7 million? Delany as Big Ten Commish gets what 3 million? Big Time college sports are a big business and there are business men getting rich off cheap/free labor. Do the right thing and give these kids a stipend already.

Those people are at the tops of their respective careers. The college athlete is more akin to an intern than those you listed. Many internships are not paid, I know I wasnt when I interned at the state capital. Should I of demanded the same wage as the Governor was getting?

The highest paid NFL salaries make those you cherry picked look like chump change. The players right now are interning for those NFL jobs. In the meantime they're compensated handsomely in ways I only wish I was. Must be a hard life being the man on campus and on the football team with no student loan debt to worry about and girls falling over themselves to get at you. Poor saps.

 

[Johnny Mac]

IMO, giving the players a stipend and allowing the athletes to unionize are two different discussions. The former could work, the latter will probably end college sports as we know it....

Is this a bad thing, ending college sports as we know it? IMHO, college sports could use a shake up and I'm OK with labor doing the shaking.

 

[UConn Insider]

I also fail to understand how universities are getting rich off of the football players? Is there a magic executive making tons of bonus money from the University making a ton of money off of football? In fact, quite the opposite, doesn't a lot of the money basically go to fund sports that would not be supported otherwise, and other student activities?

Yeah some administrators at Ohio State don't make money of the football players, just off the WRESTLERS: http://deadspin.com/ohio-state-ad-gets-18-000-because-a-wrestler-won-a-tit-1551289573

So do you think the AD is more deserving of that $18K compared to the athlete?

 

[noeynox]

ex

Those people are at the tops of their respective careers. The college athlete is more akin to an intern than those you listed. Many internships are not paid, I know I wasnt when I interned at the state capital. Should I of demanded the same wage as the Governor was getting?

The highest paid NFL salaries make those you cherry picked look like chump change. The players right now are interning for those NFL jobs. In the meantime they're compensated handsomely in ways I only wish I was. Must be a hard life being the man on campus and on the football team with no student loan debt to worry about and girls falling over themselves to get at you. Poor saps.

Except, as an intern, and I am going to make an assumption here, you weren't the fuel in the engine that generated millions upon millions, heck billions of dollars in revenue. People will counter that most schools lose money on sports, yet there are real millions being generated by these college athletics. No one ever tuned in to CBS on a friday night to watch you perform your intern duties. No one is paying astronimical prices to be at the Garden this Friday to see Delany, Saban or Pitino. All this money is being paid to watch these kids do what they do.

I understand that unionization and stipends are two different ball games. The real problem is that these kids aren't stupid. They see what basically amounts to five cartels band together and call themselves the "Power 5". (Heck the ACC basically acted like the Sinaloa Cartel in how they systematically destroyed the Beltran Leyva Cartel/The Big East, with the help of the Government/Espn, kidding of course) They see Delany and others talk about projections of up to 40 million per school annually in TV rights alone. So all of this increased revenue and players are supposed to be happy with the scholarship, room and board and the "education".

Dexter Manley sure got an education at OK State back in the day. Some of those kids that would struggle to do the work at the local community college are used for their athletic ability plain and simple. There are millions of dollars generated off the backs of these kids that go directly into the pockets of old, rich, men. I realize this threatens college sports as I have loved it, but the real problem is the greed exhibited in this gigantic money grab of TV dollars.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Those people are at the tops of their respective careers. The college athlete is more akin to an intern than those you listed. Many internships are not paid, I know I wasnt when I interned at the state capital. Should I of demanded the same wage as the Governor was getting?

The highest paid NFL salaries make those you cherry picked look like chump change. The players right now are interning for those NFL jobs. In the meantime they're compensated handsomely in ways I only wish I was. Must be a hard life being the man on campus and on the football team with no student loan debt to worry about and girls falling over themselves to get at you. Poor saps.

I thought the same exact thing. I wish I could have interned for free AND got a free ride through my entire college career. I think these kids are compensated very well for what they bring the the schools they play for. No places that I know of will offer you free on job training (playing college football in the case) with a nice back up plan (college degree) in case that falls through. I can get behind the stipend thing because, as posted before, most graduate students get free education with a stipend so why can't that model work for college athletes at well? Just my line of thinking.

 

[BlueMAB]

Is this a bad thing, ending college sports as we know it? IMHO, college sports could use a shake up and I'm OK with labor doing the shaking.

Yes. This is a bad thing. A very bad thing. College sports go way beyond men's football and basketball.

College baseball. Say goodbye. Why? Because with title IX schools that choose to pay athletes will need to save money while keeping enough (revenue losing) women's sports around to comply with the law. Why keep baseball around when kids are drafted out of high school and there is an established minor league? Hockey? Soccer? Many schools could slash those too.

And yes, let's let big labor take over, a corrupt organization that looks to silence the individual and take away your voice as an individual do what they think is best for their coffers.

Take Alex Rodriguez, the most over-paid and hated player in MLB who was willing to do the unthinkable and take a pay cut in order to play for the Red Sox until the union came in and told him he didn't have the right to work where he wanted to to work for what he wanted to work for.

What happens when that star football player wants to take a pay cut and transfer back home to State U to be closer to a sick family member. Is the union going to allow it?

Are there going to be tiers for compensation? Is that based on their experience? How do you justify a redshirt freshman QB making more than a 5th year MLB?

What happens if a player doesn't want to be in a union? What happens to walk-ons? Are they in the union? We've sent former walk-ons to the NFL. Should they have been paying union dues?

There is a much easier way to manage this and it's with individual contracts between each school and each player, without anything to do with unions.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

And yes, let's let big labor take over, a corrupt organization that looks to silence the individual and take away your voice as an individual do what they think is best for their coffers.

First things first: You have little or NO voice as individuals in the first place! "United we stand, divided we fall". Wall St. and Big Corporations know how important is to advocate for their interests, which is fine with me, as long as there is a balance and employees also advocate for their rights. Once you have that balance gone you big corporations figuring out ways to ck with their employees and exploit every loophole possible. Its the way it works in capitalism: if you have an interest you fight for it... If you can unite with 100million more Americans to do so, even better

----
in regards to corrupt organizations

Corrupt organization? No doubt there are some bad apples within the organizations, like any other organization. But to deem labor unions as corrupt organizations is misguided.

 

[BlueMAB]

First things first: You have little or NO voice as individuals in the first place! "United we stand, divided we fall". Wall St. and Big Corporations know how important is to advocate for their interests, which is fine with me, as long as there is a balance and employees also advocate for their rights. Once you have that balance gone you big corporations figuring out ways to ck with their employees and exploit every loophole possible. Its the way it works in capitalism: if you have an interest you fight for it... If you can unite with 100million more Americans to do so, even better

----
in regards to corrupt organizations

Corrupt organization? No doubt there are some bad apples within the organizations, like any other organization. But to deem labor unions as corrupt organizations is misguided.

Wrong.

And wrong.

You have little or no idea of what you're talking about, but there is no changing your mind, so I won't waste your time or mine explaining it to you.

Unions are great for the lowest common denominator. For achievers, not so much.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The NCAA makes 11 BILLION dollars off March Madness alone but yeah the players are the greedy ones. (not that you're saying that, I'm summarizing the general attitude of those opposed to players get paid.)

And no, I haven't seen a perfect solution proposed yet but it boggles my mind that everyone jumps to a doom and gloom scenario, when the money IS there, just for everyone but the athletes.

I agree that there is plenty o money to go around. I'm all for the redistribution of income - when it comes to stuff like this. Why? Because the conference offices - the commissioners - the college football post season......the NCAA itself - has produced NOTHING to earn the television broadcasting income. It's the athletes (and the coaches) who do it.

It's been 30 years since the flood gates were opened. In those 30 years, there is only one intercollegiate conference in the entire country that has not had major shake up and some sort of problem around the growing divide between athletics and academics (two things - which IMSNHO - should be closely tied together) and that conference is the Ivy League.

The Ivy League doesn't give crap, b/c they among their 8 institutions have more money than the GDP of most countries on the globe. The rest of the division 1 intercollegiate world actually has to be concerned about things like annual budgets and fund raising, etc.

I don't have a solution, other than what I've already suggested - which I don't even know if it's legally possible - but I hope so. This thing needs to make it's way very quickly to the U.S. Supreme Court, and at that point, the Supreme Court needs to figure out a way to close the gates they opened up 30 years ago, and establish some kind of order again.

As far as the doom and gloom, I do disagree. Once a student - ANY student - in any way shape or form at an academic institution is considered "labor" the entire concept of an educational system is corrupted. I think it's pretty clear that if this thing makes it through the courts and is upheld, is that scholarship athletics is finished - and that means ALL sports - no more athletic scholarships. And those schools that want to try to keep the academics and athletics combined mission going will be what real academic institutions are supposed to be - (no more UNC football).....OR - the schools like UNC......will just begin to use all the money to start financing a new professional sports conglomerate of all kinds of sports that carry a particular university affiliate name and brand.

 

[Dizzy21]

Yeah some administrators at Ohio State don't make money of the football players, just off the WRESTLERS: http://deadspin.com/ohio-state-ad-gets-18-000-because-a-wrestler-won-a-tit-1551289573

So do you think the AD is more deserving of that $18K compared to the athlete?

Yeah some administrators at Ohio State don't make money of the football players, just off the WRESTLERS: http://deadspin.com/ohio-state-ad-gets-18-000-because-a-wrestler-won-a-tit-1551289573

So do you think the AD is more deserving of that $18K compared to the athlete?

Yes, the athlete is way overcompensated as is. A professional wrestler (not the wwe kind, this kind) makes zero dollars, because there is no league. Therefore it would not take a genius to figure out that between scholarship and housing and the benefit of the wrestler being able to do what he loves in wrestling, he is actually making out like a bandit. On the other hand it seems that the Ohio State AD is doing a bang up job across the board and is still paid less that Nebraska's and Wisconsin's ADs and about a third of Vanderbilt's. I would definitely vote to give him a lot more than 18k in a raise...

 

[ecasadoSBU]

Wrong.

And wrong.

You have little or no idea of what you're talking about, but there is no changing your mind, so I won't waste your time or mine explaining it to you.

Unions are great for the lowest common denominator. For achievers, not so much.

That's a nice way to end a discussion. Declare yourself as the intelligent one, yet not add any intellectual value to it

 

[Dizzy21]

Wrong.

And wrong.

You have little or no idea of what you're talking about, but there is no changing your mind, so I won't waste your time or mine explaining it to you.

Unions are great for the lowest common denominator. For achievers, not so much.

Your last statement points to a great fact, how on earth do all these Wall Street guys get filthy rich if they have no Union? I mean wouldn't Goldman Sachs just exploit them and make them work for nothing in a dungeon? They are in fact the big powerful corporations putting down every individual who doesn't band up together and fight the power.

In reality when you look at it, the only ones out there forcing someone to do something they don't want to do is the Unions, forcing you to pay dues. If I want to go and be a teacher because I love it, work for zero dollars a year because I am was a big fat cat Wall Street Greedy Corporate Monster, and I wanted to make up for that, the Union would literally not allow me to do that. I would have to join the union, be paid the wage and pay the union their dues. Something about that sounds evil, and its not the Greedy Wall Street part.

In the end though, I say why don't we just get rid of scholarships and pay the athletes what they deserve. Looking at the D-league salaries that would be about 17,000 minus taxes of course, and looking at Arena Football Salaries that would be 50k minus taxes, which would make it maybe 40k of actual money. Pretty much every other sport would earn nothing, so you would have a situation where every single athlete was worse off than they are now, but hey, no worries, the union would be collecting their dues...

 

[BlueMAB]

That's a nice way to end a discussion. Declare yourself as the intelligent one, yet not add any intellectual value to it

I didn't say you weren't intelligent, just wrong. I'm already certain you think I'm wrong, but I'm not offended by it.

If I thought you'd understand why you're wrong I'd try, but there's no point. You think you're better off hitching your future to 100 million Americans. I have more confidence in myself than that.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

I didn't say you weren't intelligent, just wrong. I'm already certain you think I'm wrong, but I'm not offended by it.

If I thought you'd understand why you're wrong I'd try, but there's no point. You think you're better off hitching your future to 100 million Americans. I have more confidence in myself than that.

No one is hitching their future away to 100 million americans. You are simply fighting for a common cause. How is it better for 100 million individuals to separately fight for the same cause vs. 100 million united. It doesn't make sense. If I walk out right now from work for the next four days as protest for unsafe labor then I'll probably get fired, but if everyone walks out together, who's gonna get fired? You make a bigger statement united. This is something basic. I don't know how you can disagree with that....

This is why you have MLBPA, NFLPA, NBAPA even at the highest level of professional sports where they make millions in earnings but they still see the need to collectively bargain, because the fight never stops. Once you settle down, you start losing those rights that you worked hard for. This is what's happening in America. We had a previous generation that worked hard to get fair salaries at the workplace, yet we are throwing that away and undoing all they've done for us. Look at the inequality gap how it has grown since the 1970s, a serious issue that cannot be fought by a single individual...

With that said, I recognize I've gone way off topic. I'll stop here. Labor unions is interesting topic....


Back to the athletes...