So for the last couple of months the billionaires that own the NFL teams and the multi-millionaires that play the game have been wrangling over how to split the roughly $9 billion in revenue that the league generates annually.
The argument basically boils down to the owners' position being: "Hey we put up all the money and financial risk (of which there really isn't any) and in return we want a bigger slice of the pie" .
The players position is basically:"We are the product, without us there is no game. We have a short lifespan as players and want to be compensated even further for our pain and suffering".
It should be noted that the average salary in the NFL is roughly $1.8 million per year and the average career length is 3 1/2 years, which means the average NFL player picks up around $6.3 million for his troubles, so it's not as though the NFL is really "modern day slavery" as running back Adrian Peterson claimed in an interview with Yahoo sports in March.
Regardless of which side you support, or even if you don't give a damn there are other consequences, many lost jobs, hours of television programming to fill, bookies with nothing to make money off etc. but what I hadn't considered was that the lack of NFL games will lead to an increase in crime.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis,who knows a bit about crime , explains in this interview that crime, and evil in general will increase without the NFL because, quite simply, without the games "there's nothing else to do".
Mr. Lewis does not explain why crime doesn't spike in the off season of non labour stoppage years but I'm assuming it's because the mere knowledge that the NFL will return is enough to keep evil at bay.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
The New Math is Awful
Here's a quick math question: When did 24.3 become equal to 54.2 ?
The answer, sadly, is on Monday May 2nd.
The results of Canada's latest federal election are in and the sweater vest crowd would have you believe that they have received a resounding mandate from the populace to make all the political decisions for the next 4-5 years. That is, of course, because the Conservatives won 167 of 308 seats in Parliament (54.2%) and a s a result the NDP/Liberals/BQ/Elizabeth Mays' can grouse all they want but the bottom line is the Steven Harper Government (remember when it used to be called "the Government of Canada" ?) have a majority in both houses and can ram rod through whatever legislation they want.
Of course this is because the majority of the Canadian people voted for the Conservatives, right ?
Well no actually it only took 39.6% of the vote to capture the 54.2% majority, but still 39.6% of all Canadians support the Conservatives, right ?
Well no actually since only 61.4% of Canadians even bothered to exercise their right to vote it means that only 24.3% of all eligible voters in the country support the Majority Government.
The bottom line is the system is badly broken, the outdated "First past the Post" system we have was never intended for a world with more than two parties and was certainly never intended for a world where only 61.4% of people can get up off their ass and bother to vote.
Electoral reform is needed, either an MMP system as New Zealand uses or an Alternative Vote system like Instant Run Off need to be explored because it is absolute insanity that 24.3% of the public can create a government that has carte blanche for 5 years.
Of course mandatory voting might be an idea as well but heaven forbid we tread on our citizens' inalienable right to be too lazy to help determine the political course of their country.
The answer, sadly, is on Monday May 2nd.
The results of Canada's latest federal election are in and the sweater vest crowd would have you believe that they have received a resounding mandate from the populace to make all the political decisions for the next 4-5 years. That is, of course, because the Conservatives won 167 of 308 seats in Parliament (54.2%) and a s a result the NDP/Liberals/BQ/Elizabeth Mays' can grouse all they want but the bottom line is the Steven Harper Government (remember when it used to be called "the Government of Canada" ?) have a majority in both houses and can ram rod through whatever legislation they want.
Of course this is because the majority of the Canadian people voted for the Conservatives, right ?
Well no actually it only took 39.6% of the vote to capture the 54.2% majority, but still 39.6% of all Canadians support the Conservatives, right ?
Well no actually since only 61.4% of Canadians even bothered to exercise their right to vote it means that only 24.3% of all eligible voters in the country support the Majority Government.
The bottom line is the system is badly broken, the outdated "First past the Post" system we have was never intended for a world with more than two parties and was certainly never intended for a world where only 61.4% of people can get up off their ass and bother to vote.
Electoral reform is needed, either an MMP system as New Zealand uses or an Alternative Vote system like Instant Run Off need to be explored because it is absolute insanity that 24.3% of the public can create a government that has carte blanche for 5 years.
Of course mandatory voting might be an idea as well but heaven forbid we tread on our citizens' inalienable right to be too lazy to help determine the political course of their country.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
I, almost, feel sorry for them
The Vancouver Canucks that is.
I say almost because the truth is I loathe the Canucks, I never liked them but after John McCaw swooped down and fleeced local boy Artie Griffiths and the team became a group of carpet baggers I lost any affection at all. The sale to the son of a slum lord, local though he is, did nothing to bring me back and the Canucks fans are the icing on the cake.
I can't imagine having the sense of entitlement Canucks fans have when your team has been in the league for 40 years and never won anything, but that's not really the issue.For me tonight my empathy is with the players and coaches .
These are guys who for whatever reason now find themselves in a "must win" situation about three weeks earlier than might have been expected, and should they lose they will be forever tarnished. Yes, the team won the regular season crown, the President's Trophy, but ask the average man on the street who won the President's Trophy last year and I bet less than a third will know. Team success in the NHL is measured by one thing alone, winning the Stanley Cup, apologists will drone on about Conference finals and consecutive playoff appearances and blah, blah, blah but it's all a sham.
Win the Cup or you have failed as a team, a year's efforts are wiped away and you have to rev up the engine again in October to try again.
The Canucks have had a marvelous season but lose tonight and they are forever footnotes. There is always the possibility that the team will rise to the task tonight and this first round struggle will be what galvanizes them on their run to a Championship .
Don't worry though, if they do lose it will be someone else's fault.
I say almost because the truth is I loathe the Canucks, I never liked them but after John McCaw swooped down and fleeced local boy Artie Griffiths and the team became a group of carpet baggers I lost any affection at all. The sale to the son of a slum lord, local though he is, did nothing to bring me back and the Canucks fans are the icing on the cake.
I can't imagine having the sense of entitlement Canucks fans have when your team has been in the league for 40 years and never won anything, but that's not really the issue.For me tonight my empathy is with the players and coaches .
These are guys who for whatever reason now find themselves in a "must win" situation about three weeks earlier than might have been expected, and should they lose they will be forever tarnished. Yes, the team won the regular season crown, the President's Trophy, but ask the average man on the street who won the President's Trophy last year and I bet less than a third will know. Team success in the NHL is measured by one thing alone, winning the Stanley Cup, apologists will drone on about Conference finals and consecutive playoff appearances and blah, blah, blah but it's all a sham.
Win the Cup or you have failed as a team, a year's efforts are wiped away and you have to rev up the engine again in October to try again.
The Canucks have had a marvelous season but lose tonight and they are forever footnotes. There is always the possibility that the team will rise to the task tonight and this first round struggle will be what galvanizes them on their run to a Championship .
Don't worry though, if they do lose it will be someone else's fault.
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