The NFL (N----- For Labor)

From an interview of Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, on the Shutdown Corner blog by yahoo.com's Doug Farrar:

SC: We're talking about 15 minutes after the NFLPA sent in the paperwork to decertify, so the lockout's on everybody's minds. I've talked to a lot of players about this recently, and I always ask the same question — what is the message you want to get out to the people who love the game and are tired of hearing all the labor talk?

AP: We're business-minded, also. It's not just fun and games. A lot of football players, whether it's Sunday or Monday night — we're out there on the field, competing, hitting each other. But people don't see everything else behind it. It's a job for us, too — every day of the week. We're in different states, sometimes thousands of miles away from our families and kids, and a lot of people don't look at it like that. All some people see is, 'Oh, we're not going to be around football.' But how the players look at it … the players are getting robbed. They are. The owners are making so much money off of us to begin with. I don't know that I want to quote myself on that…

SC: It's nothing that I haven't heard from other players, believe me.

AP: It's modern-day slavery, you know? People kind of laugh at that, but there are people working at regular jobs who get treated the same way, too. With all the money … the owners are trying to get a different percentage, and bring in more money. I understand that; these are business-minded people. Of course this is what they are going to want to do. I understand that; it's how they got to where they are now. But as players, we have to stand our ground and say, 'Hey — without us, there's no football.' There are so many different perspectives from different players, and obviously we're not all on the same page — I don't know. I don't really see this going to where we'll be without football for a long time; there's too much money lost for the  owners. Eventually, I feel that we'll get something done.  But this crazy idea about an 18-game season … I'm sure they want more entertainment and more revenue, but we're not going to see a pinch of that (the increased revenue), and it's just the business we're in.

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OK…I’m really trying to side with the players.  I’m trying.  I want to.  And by saying what I’m about to say, I’m NOT siding with the owners here.  In fact, this further entrenches me into consciously NOT taking either side  

BUT – let me see here.  Let me see if I get this straight.

Slaves:

• weren't paid,
• were taken from their homeland and had to endure sitting in the bottom of a cross-ocean ship-ride, in chains,
• had to do manual labor,
• were beaten regularly and sometimes murdered without consequence,
• had their wives raped and kids taken from them,
• and they were sold at auction. 

NFL players:

• are paid more (and MUCH MORE) than most people,
• voluntarily started playing football and voluntarily continue to do so,
• play a game,
• are consciously physical, and in some cases, admittedly try to cause pain,
• some have multiple girlfriends, in some cases abuse said girlfriends, and in some cases father multiple kids,
• get traded.  OK, maybe this is a fair comparison.  Oh wait.  When a player is traded, many times they end up making MORE money. 

Do me a favor:  shut your ig'nant ass up.