NFL Owners Perspective: "Big Red Speaks!"

"Still Wanna See My Book?"

Hi, I'm Big Red, owner of Big Red Records from the 1991 musical drama "The Five Heart Beats" directed by Robert Townsend. I've since moved on from the music industry doing very well for myself and now I own an NFL franchise. I'm as disgusted by this whole CBA situation as the rest of you. With that being said, let me give you the owners perspective on this whole thing. First of all, the players have no leverage, straight up. I own the joint and have more money so therefore, I get to call the shots. You have to remember that this team is my 4th job. I was a billionaire before I got into this business. So therefore, I don't need football to survive. I can take my money out of this and do something else very easily. Now I realize that we're talking about $9 billion collectively, so I'm willing to at least listen to some of this but my patience is growing thin.

You want me to open my books to the employees? Is that what you're saying? Remember what happen to the last guy that asked me to open my books? As an owner of a business, I'm not obligated to show you anything, it's my business. Where else can an employee demand to see the financial records of a company, especially if it's privately owned?

As players you either roll with what I'm saying or don't play. It's that simple! Where else can you make several million dollars a year playing football? I've given you that opportunity and it doesn't exist anywhere else. Also according to a Sport Illustrated article in March of 2009 entitled "How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke" explains even further why I don't need to negotiate with players.

If I just sit tight they'll be broke enough to give me everything I want. According to that article, by the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce. So if I know that, why would I be interested in negotiating with some guys that could potentially be broke in two years.

I didn't become a billionaire by making dumb moves and sitting at the table wrestling with people that don't understand business. Think about this, many of the guys you want me to sit down with are living way above their means buying 10 to 15 automobiles and several homes and none of them are paid for. I can simply afford not to play football this year. How many of them can?

Knuckle heads like Antonio Cromartie had to get a half a million dollar loan from the Jets after being traded to them last March before he'd even played  a down to get caught up on child support payments. He has 7 kids by six different women and he's not the only one out there like that. Now, you think I'm going to negotiate with that knowledge?

I was a billionaire before many of them were even born. Making money is what I do and I know exactly what I'm doing. These guys haven't earned the right to sit down with me because many of them were broke college students when they were just recently drafted. You 've got to bring something to the table, because as an owner, I take on all of the financial risks. As a player there isn't any financial risks, no up front money etc. All you do is show up and play. It doesn't cost you any money to be good. Of course, you train and lift weights but I pay for that by having a strength and conditioning staff on site.

I want an additional  two games so that I can make more money. All I hear is you complaining about risk of injury. However, you've been playing this same injury plagued game for free since you were 8 years old. Now you're making millions to play and two games is going to end your career? How many people in this country are taking furloughs on their jobs and have to either deal with it or quit. I see policeman, fireman, construction, mill and iron workers risk their lives daily for not even a tenth of what I'm paying you and you're complaining?

I'm simply going to sit in the cut and wait because I can!! Now my office hours are between 9 and 5!!

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Jay Graves
 Twitter: @jaygravesreport