The Biggest Loser in a NFL Work Stoppage

A while back I was listening to sports talk radio. The hosts were doing an interview with former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick. He had a most interesting take. When asked about who'll be the biggest loser in a NFL work stoppage, he did not mention the owners or the players. He said that the biggest losers would be those who work at games.

When you think about it, Billick's answer made a lot of sense. Those who would be most affected by a NFL work stoppage is those who can't least afford to lose the money they earn by working at NFL games. Billionaire owners and millionaire players will take a hit. But nothing compared to those who work at NFL games.

A perfect view of the NFL economy can be found on Route 1 in Foxboro, MA, the long time home of the New England Patriots. It was their home when they played in Foxboro Stadium, a glorified high school stadium. It's still their home in the new state of the art Gillette Stadium. When you enter the stadium, you will see people taking the tickets from the fans. Inside the stadium, you will see people working the concession stands. Throughout the game, you will see ushers and security guards as they deal with rowdy and drunk fans. Long after the game, there's a crew, cleaning up the stadium and the parking lots. Up and down Route 1, you see many restaurants and bars. Businesses that prosper on NFL Sundays. All across America, there's numerous other bars and restaurants who make a lot of money and NFL Sundays. Including bartenders and wait staff who use the money they make on Sundays to pay their bills This is the working class of the NFL economy. They make a fraction of what the players and owners make.

Some of them might be a factory worker who takes a second job on Sundays. Others might be a single mother pouring beers for football fans. Perhaps some might be a laid off factory worker who's just glad he found a job picking up litter in the stadium parking lot. Across America, there's 31 other Route 1's in places like Green Bay and Pittsburgh. 31 other towns full of people who will be drastically affected if there's a NFL lock out later this year.

Of course, if there's a NFL work stoppage, it'll won't be the first time a major sports league was shut down because of a work stoppage. The World Series was able to play through two world wars and the Great Depression. But a World Series was canceled because of a player's strike. The NHL lost an entire season because of a lock out by the owners. Now this. I'll spare you the boring details. Basically, the NFL owners have long been unhappy with this current collective bargaining agreement which is due to expire in March. They want to reduce the percentage of revenue they reserve for players salaries. The player's union of course object to this. So there is a general belief the the owners will lock out the players if a new CBA is not agreed to.

No one wants to hear billionaire owners and millionaire players fighting over money. Especially in this grim economy. I also find no credibility in either side crying poverty. I'm not an expert in business or economics. But if pro sports was a money losing venture, you wouldn't be seeing business tycoons spending millions of dollars to buy franchises. You wouldn't be seeing the networks bid barrels of money for the rights to broadcast games. The players would be working the the fields in which they went to college for. They wouldn't be playing football if they weren't getting paid well.

Either way, both sides are going to make a lot of money. So please spare us the crying poverty propaganda. Meet somewhere in the middle and sign a new CBA. While your driving around in your Bentleys and charging people $50 to park in the stadium lot, think about the working class of the NFL. The coming lock out will hurt them much more than it'll hurt you.