Replacement NFL referee Richard Simmons breaks up an altercation between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers after the game. (photo: Steven Bisig/US Presswire)
26 Septmeber 12
isconsin's
union-busting hero Governor Scott Walker can list among his
accomplishments laying the groundwork for Monday night's debacle in
Seattle that cost Wisconsin's beloved Green Bay Packers a hard-fought
win they rightly deserved. Not to mention professional football its credibility.
There is no strike, the NFL referees are not striking.
The NFL players did not strike last year, and NBA players didn't
either. All three conflicts were, "lockouts" orchestrated by the team
owners. The owners decided they did not like the contracts they had
signed, simply tore them up and locked the door.
All three conflicts are part of a far larger war on
unions by American business owners and the government officials who
serve them. Scott Walker's initiatives in Wisconsin to weaken public
service unions and humble their members are an inspiration to big
American interests. They believe as Walker believes that the time is
now to save America by destroying unions, or at least pad their bottom
lines failing that.
What is at issue in this latest big-sports owner
lockout is pensions. The team owners want to alter and reduce the
pension packages they agreed to in their contract negotiations with the
NFL Referees Association, (NFLRA). The refs have thrown a flag and a
fight has broken out. More importantly the owners bared the veteran
referees from working and are withholding their paychecks.
Bring in the replacement referees, (Scabs).
Think workers have no value, think anyone can do any
job, think experience doesn't matter? Ask the Green Bay Packers or the
Detroit Lions or any head coach or player in the NFL, they'll break it
down for you. American workers have value. The NFL like all American
businesses (whether they know it or not) was built on the backs of
workers.
The workers are the process, and in the case of the NFL the
fans and customers as well.
Out the Window With Gruden
The color announcer for ESPN's Monday night broadcast
was former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. At a point in the 4th quarter,
even before the climactic melt-down on the game's last play, Gruden said
in utter frustration, "I feel like jumping out of this broadcast
booth." Maybe the time has come for the NFL's taken-for-granted fans to
go out the window with Gruden. Right now NFL has as much credibility
as Saturday
Night Wrestling
But the bigger question is will Gruden or any of the
other high profile sports figures speaking out against the NFL stand in
solidarity with Chicago's teachers, Wisconsin's public service
employees, the nation's airline pilots or any of the millions of
dedicated employees caught up in the union purges of Walker and his ilk?
We're in the 4th quarter and the game is on the line.
Marc Ash was formerly the founder and Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
READER COMMENTS
+14
#
2012-09-26 07:26
look, I'm a Seahawks
fan and I felt like I should take a shower after that game. That was
absolutely disgusting but that's not the only game where bad calls have
been made. this season has gone from bad to worse and I wonder just how
much worse is going to get.
+14
#
2012-09-26 08:04
Work that requires
skills is work that requires SKILLED LABOR. Even Walker knows this, in
fact following Monday's game he tweeted, “After catching a few hours of
sleep, the #Packers game is still just as painful. #Returntherealr efs,”.
Sadly, Walker is too dumb to realize the failure in his own reasoning.
Sadly, Walker is too dumb to realize the failure in his own reasoning.
+17
#
2012-09-26 08:04
Disgusting Nightmare?
A Disgusting Nightmare is humans being more upset wrapped up and
involved in the really important things in life, such as Football, than
involved with leaving a livable future anything, and actively putting an
end to Endless Wars, Fracking, GMO's, Legitimate Rapist Bankers and
Corporate Political Policy.
Football, like everything else, all folks seem to care about is $ profits, and winning.
Where are we actively involved in creating clean water, food, shelter, and diverse community?
Football is great fun, and, it IS just a game. A healthy future is more than a game......
Football, like everything else, all folks seem to care about is $ profits, and winning.
Where are we actively involved in creating clean water, food, shelter, and diverse community?
Football is great fun, and, it IS just a game. A healthy future is more than a game......
+1
#
2012-09-26 09:48
You're right, without
a doubt, but things like this get the attention of the uninformed
masses and that's a good thing to have the simpletons who vote
Republican see a concrete result of the stupidity of Republican
ideology.
+16
#
2012-09-26 08:19
When will this greed
ever end? It is shamefull. Workers fought huge battles to allow them to
form unions. They deserve to have unions to protect them against greed
of owners etc Americans have been fed alot of anti union propaganda. The
Republican party is gone and what has taken it's place is greed, greed
and more greed and many Americans believe this propagnda, mores the
pity.
+15
#
2012-09-26 08:32
The players could end
this by refusing to play with amateur referees. The fans could end this
by not coming to the games. The television viewers could end it by
refusing to watch and tanking the ratings.
Solidarity!!!
Solidarity!!!
0
#
2012-09-26 10:05
Yeah and turn down almost a half million in a game check? Sure. In your "solidarity" dreams.
