Philadelphia Eagles: A Message To Leonard Weaver From the Average Joe

Twitter is going to be the downfall of many athletes. Today's controversy is no exception. It's no surprise either, other than the fact that it's come from a guy who we all thought was smarter than this. Leonard Weaver said the following.

“We as players want to make a statement that you know what, we love playing for you all, we love you owners, you know? We love you guys very much, but at the same time we need to see some equal opportunity here and stop treating us basically like Adrian Peterson said, like slaves...We as players, we are an important part of this agreement here and an important part of this league. We care about our benefits and who we are. It’s not just about money, but it’s about our livelihood after the game of football. I want people to understand that we as players are gonna stand strong in our opinion, and we’re gonna really fight this thing until it gets solved.”

Weaver later apologized by tweeting, “Now, that I have seen it (the "slaves" comment), I will say that it was hard for me to watch and after thinking about it, I’ve come to the conclusion that I represented my family, friends and organization the wrong way. I’m sorry for those words I used and if I offend anyone, please forgive me. To all my fans whom I’ve disappointed I’m sorry.”

Let's start by saying we all make mistakes, and Leonard Weaver is no exception. We also should all get to apologize. Apology accepted. Let's also say that there is something very wrong with the type of thinking these players have.

I won't insult the intelligence of every reader of this article by showing the comparison between slavery and an NFL star football player. That would be ridiculous. But I'll make the comparison many of them make.

Weaver went on to say, “Not everybody in the NFL makes a million dollars, and on top of that, the signing bonus is all that’s guaranteed...I want [fans] to understand, I’m not coming at you all as a millionaire who was given something,” Weaver said. “I worked my butt off, just like some of these young men and women who are making $40,000 or $50,000 a year; I worked my butt off to get where I am, and I’m appreciative of that. I would never degrade any of those people, because I understand, hand-in-hand, what they’re going through. It wasn’t but 4 or 5 years ago I was in their position."

Let's make our comparison here. We can begin by saying we all know that guys like Weaver worked their butt off to get where they are. You don't get where he is by being lazy. But a comparison to someone making $50,000 per year isn't apt either. Compare the complaints about an 18- game season. Players will suffer more injuries. Their later years will be filled with health problems. 

For this, the average salary for a Philadelphia Eagle is $1.8 million per year. Now on the other side, a Pennsylvania coal miner. Is there another profession where late life health problems surface more? That is when there is a late life?  Average salary—$51,000.  Interested Leonard?

Now, we compare the other big complaint. Share of revenue. The players want the teams to open their books so that a full accounting of the profits are taken into consideration. Player's share of revenue last year was 53 percent. In comparison, let's take a large pharmaceutical company in the Philadelphia area. This company employs over 10,000 people. The share of company revenue taken by employees, 31 percent.  Interested?

Look, Leonard. We like you. We really like you. We accept your apology, but please talk to your union mates. We want you back on the field, but don't compare yourself to the average Joe. And certainly don't compare yourself to slaves. It's unbecoming; it isn't helping your cause and just plain wrong.