To NFL Players "Gettin' Paid": Help the Country Out

Reading the newspaper, watching the news broadcasts, and speaking to family and friends, you hear the same things all the time:

"The economy is slumping."

"We are in a recession."

Major brand-name stores are closing and people are losing their jobs, their homes, and even the shirts off their backs.

But NFL free agents? They're still looking to "get paid."

The top player in this year’s free agency just got a $100 million deal with $41 million guaranteed. What does a man playing a kid's game want with $100 million?

The bad part about an athlete getting so much money is that those who attend the games pay for his contract and will never see that kind of money. But worse than that, those people in the stands are struggling to survive and pay their bills.

With the economy in such a bad state, NFL players should show some compassion and a little patriotism and donate half of their paychecks (or at least take a pay cut) to show they care about their fans and the hard times we as a nation have fallen on.

Times are tough. I know the NFL’s motto is "Play to Win," but at this point, I think the NFL should change its slogan to "Play to Win, but Care About Our Fans As Well." Knowing that their supporters are struggling, NFL players and owners should donate towards helping this country get better.

Just recently, the NFL revealed that on Feb. 27, 2009, Commissioner Roger Goodell’s pay was reduced by 20 to 25 percent. I think the owners and players should follow this example and not contribute to the downfall by asking for more for themselves. 

I know that asking anyone to take a pay cut seems unfair, but in years past, airline pilots took pay cuts to save money for the companies they worked for. Just look at the US Airways Pilots Union: They proposed an average 26 percent pay cut (a savings of $328 million annually) to help the carrier return to profitability.

If upstanding citizens like those pilots can take pay cuts, why not NFL players?  If they don’t, the NFL may soon be in the same boat as the airlines were: struggling to exist.

I love the game of football, and in times like these, sports are sometimes all I have to look forward to. Working a seasonal job, I count the days until I am laid off, like many Americans.

The fear of losing their jobs is probably one of the biggest reasons those airline pilots opted for a salary decrease. The pro football players of this nation need to use current layoffs as an indicator; they must change their policy in regards to excessively high wages and save the NFL from meltdown.

Being proactive can and will save many future jobs in our country. Just think: Ten percent of that $100 million spent on one player could save hundreds of jobs around the United States.

An example that NFLers can look to would be Midwest Air Group, Inc. CEO Timothy Hoeksema will have his pay cut by 40 percent as part of a restructuring aimed at keeping the operator in business and out of bankruptcy.  

According to a recent survey by SHRM.com, in the last 12 months, 5 percent of businesses have reduced salaries. Other cost-cutting measures included reducing work hours or benefit offerings, early retirement options, and salary freezes.

One of the most recent freezes that I am aware of occurred in government agencies across the US. In Child Support Offices around the States, holds on pay increases were put into place, and if any of those agencies lost workers, they were not allowed to fill the empty spots. Yes, those left behind have to accomplish more work for less pay.

Doesn't sound like something the NFL players would ever agree to, huh?

I am not saying that these men of the gridiron have not worked hard enough for their dough. But I am saying that soon enough, reality will smack each and every one of them dead in the face with a wakeup call: America is no longer able to support such exorbitant salaries.

As I speak, America’s dollar is losing value and many other countries' currencies are becoming stronger. Just look at the yen: Its value has increased since the recession began.

Though the U.S. dollar holds firm at 91 yen, it is still slipping in value across the world. The U.S. Government is scheduled to release the non-farm payroll data for January soon, and market participants expect a decline of more than 500,000 jobs.

I am not the only one who thinks this way. A recent poll on the Washington Post's website (conducted by twigs.com) concluded that 79 percent of America believes NFL players can and should afford pay cuts for the good of the nation.

As I researched sport players taking pay cuts, I found that even Greg Norman, a professional golf player, has suggested taking a wage decrease; he has spoken out, stating that

"There’s got to be a lot of sensitivity shown. If I was PGA Commissioner, that's what I would be recommending...I think golfers need to take a pay cut as the global economic crisis bites."

We've seen athletes willing to get less paper so that a key player can be signed to their team. Larry Fitzgerald stated that he was willing to restructure his deal to make room for Anquan Boldin to get a new deal.

Unfortunately, just because he is willing to "restructure" his contract doesn’t mean any of that money will go back into the local economy. What’s sad about this is, players are willing to take less to make their teams better, but they are not willing to earn fewer greenbacks to create jobs aor stimulate small business.

Furloughs are becoming necessary due to our crisis. And not even government employees are exempt from these forced, unpaid periods off. CBS News stated that California is requiring state employees to take temporary leaves of absence, and more workers nationwide are facing unpaid time off, from teachers to local government workers in almost every state. Even the post office is considering cutbacks and is asking Congress to let it cut its service from six to five days a week in an effort to save money and jobs.

When our federal and state administrations are seeking ways to mend the current economic infrastructure, it seems irresponsible that an embodiment of recreation, like a pro sports league, should be excluded from providing any economic relief.

Let’s look at it this way: If NFL players continue to get paid all this money and the American dollar continues to dip under the Mendoza line, even their ridiculous quantities of cash won't be worth a damn. Sooner or later, NFL players will come to their senses and make a change for the better.

But if it doesn't happen soon, their league will cease to exist. Children in history class will read about a sport that would not bend to the current economic situation and was forced to disappear like the XFL.

Show some compassion and patriotism.

Resources

• Many different articles from espn.com
• Many different articles from nfl.com
• “Midwest CEO to take 40 percent salary cut; other employees see pay reduced,” http://www.bizjournals.com, July 2008
• “Company news: U.S. Airways Pilots Offer to take pay cut,” http://query.nytimes.com, June 2002
• “Dollar remains firm around 91 yen line in mixed Tokyo trading,” http://www.breitbart.com, February 2009
• “Goodell takes $2 million-plus pay cut, league trims 169 jobs,”  http://www.cbssports.com, February 2009
• “Fitzgerald willing to redo deal to keep Boldin from boltin',” http://www.profootballtalk.com, January 2009
• “Pay Cuts Spreading As Economy Worsens,”                                 http://www.cbsnews.com, February 2009
• “Same job, less pay,”  http://money.cnn.com, January 2009
• Many different articles from washingtonpost.com    
• “Greg Norman suggests a pay cut for golfers,”  http://www.golf.com, March 2009