Fans Are The Only Losers In NFL Dispute

Let me preface my remarks by saying I love football, and the best football is played by the National Football League. And I love the Dallas Cowboys. I have only missed one Cowboys game (either in person, on TV, or on the radio) since the birth of the club in 1960 -- and that was because I was being operated on to have a bullet removed from my stomach. Even then, my first question upon coming out of the operating room was "Did the Cowboys win?". I'm a die-hard fan.

In spite of that I'm pissed off. It seems that the negotiations have broken off between the NFL and the players' union. The union has decertified itself and it looks like the owners will lock the players out. The whole mess is headed to court, where it will probably languish for months -- delaying, shortening or killing completely the 2011 season. And it's all because of greed.

The players will whine that the owners aren't being fair and paying them what they deserve. The owners will also whine, saying the players want too much and won't let them make a decent profit. Both sides are lying and both sides are greedy. There's $9 billion dollars in this already overpriced sport, and I find it hard to believe there's not enough money to make everyone happy there.

The only people getting ripped off are the fans, who have to put up with overpriced tickets and exorbitantly priced food and souvenirs. Even watching the game on TV or listening on the radio the fan is bombarded with far too many advertisements. Both the owners and the fans are getting rich and the fans are getting screwed. And now the long-suffering fans have to put up with this greedy squabble. Frankly, I've had enough. I'm disgusted with both sides.

I know there is an argument floating around that not all players are millionaires, and I'm supposed to be feeling sorry for the "low-paid" players. Horse manure! I looked at the salaries of my Cowboys and the minimum base salary paid to any player is $310,000. Then there is a signing bonus on top of that. And they get a training camp salary (which I admit is small compared to their base salary -- but is what a lot of ordinary people are trying to live on). And their travel expenses are paid during the season (with a meal per diem). I'm sorry, but I just have a hard time feeling sorry for these guys.

But don't take that to mean I'm on the side of the owners. They're also greedy bastards. I'm about to reach the point where I don't care if there's a season or not. Either way, I'm not going to be without football. Both colleges and high schools play a very exciting brand of football, so I (and millions of others) are going to be able to get our football fix.

When the owners and players finish their little game of greed, let me know. I'll be happy to go back to watching -- as long as they don't do something stupid like raising ticket prices or going to pay-TV. They may not think there's a limit to what fans will put up with, but I think they're wrong -- and I think they're getting very close to that limit.

I love my Cowboys, but I'm not rich or stupid. Fix it -- or that NFL goose may stop laying those golden eggs!