NFL Players Hold Phone Updates on Lockout

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By BARRY WILNER

Buffalo safety George Wilson likes what he sees and hears about the players' recent discussions with the owners to end the lockout. The Bills' player representative also cautions against getting swept away by expectations of an imminent settlement.

"We're definitely optimistic we're moving in the right direction," Wilson told The Associated Press on Saturday. "Right now we feel like we're having meaningful discussions. ... We feel we have the right people in the room, discussing the right things and both sides want to get a deal done. But even though we're moving in the right direction, we're not there yet."

Wilson said conference calls held in the last two days mark the first time in a while players have been briefed on a lockout that is in its fourth month.

"That's because there haven't been any developments the last little while," he said.


Read more: http://sports.excite.com/news/06252011/v0930.html

[dballance]

1. Oh Please - It's just football

It's not like it's people volunteering to do something important. A bunch of overpaid asses knocking each other in the head is hardly a worthy endeavor. If they never play again it won't be a loss to mankind.

[DarthDem]

2. Do You Go Around . . .

. . . and deride every post regarding a sector of life that you don't deem important? If so, you're probably very busy.

P.S., having pro sports is actually a benefit to the economy and has postitive psychological value.

[dballance]

3. Oh You Are The Epitomy Stupid If You think football is necessary

Why on earth would you think football is important? Really? It is an important thing? How laughable. Can you possibly justify the amount of money we pour into the NFL? We should put that money into works for poor people. We should spend the money helping people not financing rich football players.

[xenoturkey]

6. Don't be so quick to judge

Please get off your high horse. Bread and circus' have been around forever because they make people feel good. Football and other sports are nice distraction from the tragedy of life. Just because you don't enjoy it doesn't mean it is not an important part of our culture.

I don't enjoy a lot of different types of music. Should I infringe on your right to enjoy music because the artists make millions of dollars?

[On the Road]

7. Maybe I'm the "Epitomy Stupid" Too

All I can say is that I would hate to live in your poisoned world.

[Fastcars]

8. I May Be The "Epitomy" Of Stupid.....

But at least I can spell "epitome" correctly.

[dballance]

10. So sorry I mispelled epitome. I guess the Y will have to be why you're such an ass.

But my point still stands. I knew I'd get a rash of crap from my post. You still have to figure out how you can justify the NFL though. It's not a terribly productive part of the national economy and doesn't bring much value to people's lives. The poster who says it's a pleasant escapist distraction might try reading a good novel. That's a pleasant escapist distraction and mentally rewarding. Meat heads knocking the crap out of eachother does not quite have the same value.

And the jobs the NFL creates are low-wage jobs. People selling popcorn other snacks and cleaning up a stadium. Not quite high-tech or manufacturing jobs paying a living wage and providing benefits. We've transferred those to China.

Hell, even the Wall Street Journal wrote an article saying as much. The Wall Street Journal is pretty much the most business friendly publication in the US. So when it publishes an article saying sports teams are really not a plus for cities people should listen. Tax abatements and public funding for sports teams stadium's are a disgrace in a time when we have trouble funding education for our youth.

Really? You want to really say the NFL is more important than the education of our kids? Is that really what you want? Hundreds of millions of dollars for sports teams and their stadiums. But butkis for our kids. Well we certainly have our priorities in order don't we?

[Fastcars]

11. Never Said The NFL Was Important....

What I was trying to point out was if you are going to call people stupid you may want to spell a fairly easy word correctly.

How many entertainment businesses are really "needed". Art? Movies? Music? Plays? Couldn't the same question be asked: Wouldn't the the billions of dollars spent making movies be better spent feeding the poor?

[dballance]

4. Oh, and by the way pro sports don't provide good jobs.

It is quite clear pro sports provide low-paying jobs. They provide jobs that are under the minimum wage. That is a fact and you can look it up. Too bad reality entrenches on the right wing's version of reality.

[Suji to Seoul]

5. It's a pleasant escapist distraction for 3.5 hours during the Fall where

I can enjoy a beer or two and not worry about how my country is falling down around us.

I need that to keep my sanity. Movies do not cut it because after the first time, movies are a rerun.

Please talk your haughty, superior attitude elsewhere. Some of us want our football back, even though they truly do not care about us.

[Fastcars]

9. I Worked In Pro-Sports For Years.....

Although at the minor (AA hockey, Arena Football and indy baseball) league level, and I don't know of a single co-worker that made "less than minimum wage".