aaron johnson, ben mader, connor roach anthology

8/6/2019 Aaron Johnson, Ben Mader, Connor Roach Anthology

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Table of Contents

A New NBA Trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 3-9

-By Aaron Johnson

NFL: Controversial Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 10-19

-By Ben Mader

To be or Not to be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 20-25

-By Connor Roach

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 26-27

Works cited for cover picture:

American Football Silhouette. Photograph. Eu.fotolia.com.

Jordan-brand-holiday-2009-preview. 2009. Photograph.Http://dimemag.com.

- Both Pictures taken from Google images then photo shopped together to make onepicture.
http://dimemag.com/http://dimemag.com/http://dimemag.com/http://dimemag.com/


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A New NBA Trend

The American sports associations have begun to change during the past few years. We start off

with some changes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and then move into the changes into

the National Football League (NFL). The NBA is one of the many changing. The new NBA trend is the

creation of a super team. These super teams started off with two star players on a team, but have

recently changed to three superstar players all on one team. It started with the Boston Celtics and now

the Miami Heat. This new trend will eventually be good for the NBA by showing changing player

attitudes, the dispersions of talent, intense playoffs and finals. Not only are owners looking at this, but

the players want to be part of this too. This new positive change may bring the NBA to better age.


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The New NBA Trend

The 2010 Miami Heat made surprising additions during the offseason. They added superstars

LeBron James and Chris Bosh from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. James was one of the

youngest players to join the NBA at 18 years old, and Bosh was the franchise player in Toronto for many

years. After adding these two players to the Heat, Dwayne Wade may be looking at another NBA Final.

After this move and the move of The Big Three (Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnet) in Boston

three years ago has led many superstars to look into teaming up onto one team. This raises the

questions on whether these Super Teams will be good or bad for the Nation Basketball Association

(NBA). It most likely will be positive for the NBA.

Many fans argue that players dont actually play to win games, but to make money. Many argue

that these players just play the games so that they will get paid and that winning a bunch of games or

the championship comes second. Now teams are putting that rumor to rest. By combining star players,

teams are increasing their chances of winning championships. The whole Super Team concept started

with the Boston Celtics. Their main superstar was Paul Pierce. During the offseason of 2007, Boston

made a couple of amazing trades. They acquired Kevin Garnet from the Minnesota Timberwolves, but

for a hefty price. The trade required Minnesota to receive five players, two first-round draft picks, and

cash considerations (NBA.com). They also received Ray Allen from the Seattle Supersonics. Allen was

not as high priced. He only cost Boston a first-round draft pick, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West.

(McNamara) With these three superstars (Pierce, Garnet, and Allen) a new trend had started. They

later went on to win the championship their first year together and made it to the Finals the again over

the next two years. This put the idea that this is how you win championships. Last year the Miami Heat

followed suite with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Halfway through the season the New

York Knicks had begun talks of getting two more players to complement Amare Stoudemire. They are


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halfway there after they acquired Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. The teams are not the

only ones realizing the prospects of winning. The players are taking notice too. Chris Paul was at

Anthonys wedding and spoke of Stoudemire, Anthony, and himself all playing together on the Knicks.

(Berman) Another player wanting to move is Dwight Howard. The 610 Orlando Magic center wants to

move to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would join Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Although this last

trade is not likely to happen, many players are changing views. Players are no longer as focused on

money, but on winning. Of course there are the few exceptions that potentially get both, such as

LeBron James and Kevin Garnet.

Before these new three-player super teams started up, Super teams have long been just duos

throughout the league. The Chicago Bulls are a good example of this. They had Michael Jordan and

Scottie Pippen, two great players. This created a Super Team because of their multiple championships

and because Michael Jordan was such a phenomenal player. Together they won multiple

championships and dominated games for many seasons. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille ONeal of the Los

Angeles Lakers are another example. These two worked together so well that they teamed up for 51% of

their teams points and also won many championships together. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-

Jabbar were another noted Lakers duo.

Although it is good that players are more focused on winning, it also creates too few good teams

which can create a less enjoyable game experience. Because there are so few players that are

considered superstars, when you put multiple superstars on one team it creates more bad teams than

good. There will potentially be four or five very good teams: the Heat, the Celtics, the Lakers, and

possibly the Knicks and Bulls. This leaves 26 other teams that wont be as good. This means that when

a person goes to a game of a lower team, they will pick games that are against these few very good

teams. So the majority of the games would be against bad teams which would make for bad games.


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There will be way less attendance at these games than at games with better teams (Bessi, 14). The

regular season may not initially be as good, but the playoffs will be great. It will end up with a few great

teams playing against each other creating great playing atmospheres. This will help create a better fan

experience as well.

Fan attendance at a game is a big factor in all this. When a player is traded from a team or

leaves a team, the main reason for the trade is so the team or player can win a championship. It can

also be for off the court issues, but seldom do the owners look at the effects on the surrounding

community. When a superstar player leaves a team/city, depending on the terms it can sometimes have

a lasting effect. The Cleveland Cavaliers lost LeBron James to free agency last summer. Their team is

now last in the league and has no chance of making the playoffs for a few years. This is not necessarily

true for every team though. Some teams flourish after a superstar leaves. The Denver nuggets are a

great example of this. When Carmelo was traded, the Nuggets played more as a team and didnt rely on

one player. The made it as the fifth seed in the playoffs.

When a player arrives to a new team it will usually have a reverse effect. With a new better

player, the new team will usually result in more wins, which results in people coming to this teams

games. When it is a superstar joining another superstar it creates very big hype. The Boston Celtics are

an example. A new player can also have an effect on the economy. When Michael Jordan returned out

of retirement, his first game received a rating of 10.9% on NBC. This percentage corresponds to the

number of households that watched the game. This states that 10.9% of American households watched

his first game back, which is a very large amount. To compare, when Jordan played against the Celtics

in the 1993 Finals, the games received a 17.9% rating. This is a large amount and it was a very important

game. Jordans retirement return game was a regular season game and was not as important, but

because it was Michael Jordan (a superstar) large amounts of people watched. A returning player can


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also affect the economy. When Jordan was deciding to return from retirement, his endorsement stocks

rose. He hadnt even returned yet and was just thinking about returning and his stocks rose for Nike

(3.4%) and McDonalds (6.5%) (Hausman, 2). By just stating he was going to return to the NBA he helped

spiked the economy a little bit.

These new super teams will initially create big problems with small-market teams. For some

teams, a star player is the only reason people come to watch. The Toronto Raptors were a good

example of this. Before Chris Bosh left, the raptors were not an amazing team, but they occasionally

made runs at the playoffs and made for exciting games. Once Bosh was out of the picture, they have

rarely been talked about, and because they are now way worse, finishing 22-60. This has also affected

the Sacramento Kings. This was also evident in the Seattle Supersonics. After trading away star players

Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen, This team went way downhill and with money problems and new owner

motives, was forced to move to Oklahoma City. A larger market team like the L.A. Lakers would easily

be able to handle losing a superstar. If Kobe Bryant, L.A.s superstar, were to retire after this season,

their attendance would not be significantly affected because it is such a large-market team. A few less

people would go to games and pay attention to the team, but it is significantly less compared to the

effect on a smaller-market team.

When a team is looking to trade their first idea is what key part of the team is needed. Then the

next question is how much will the piece cost. If a team is looking to add another super star this is

usually the first question. While having this new player can be good for the team, it usually cost a large

amount. Anything from multiple players to draft picks, which limits a team expansion with new players.

One good thing about super teams is that it helps bad teams get better draft choices. If a team trades

away a super star they will most likely get some draft picks for the player. Without their super star, the

team will most likely not do as well throughout the season. The worse a team does, the higher their


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chance for a good draft pick in the draft lottery. For example when the Cavaliers had LeBron they were

a decent team. Because of LeBron, they were able to make it to the playoffs almost every year.

Because they did so well in the season, they didnt have a high draft pick. Although they had LeBron,

they didnt have anyone to compliment him. By trading away players for a superstar, the team may also

have a shortage of players. This results in less depth for the team, which forces key players to play more

minutes, which may have a lasting effect on their bodies later on in the season. When a superstar

leaves, the old team usually takes a heavy hit on their record. A teams record is what gets the team

into the playoffs and a chance for the championship. When a teams record goes down, so does

attendance, and then profit decreases as well.

The new three person superstar team is having its effect on the NBA. Not only are owners

looking to create these teams, but so are the players. There are many good things about super teams.

Players playing to win, high quality playoffs, and the eventual leveling of the teams are all good for the

NBA. The majority of the games will be meaningless and not as fun to watch, but after a few years that

will change. The playoffs will end up including two of these super teams which will create very intense

match ups. After a few more years these teams will level out creating a very fun playing atmosphere.


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Works Cited

Baade, Robert . "The Impact of Sports Teams and Facilities on Neighborhood Economies: What is the

Score?." The Economics of Sports. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment

Research, 2000. 21-51. Print.

Berman, Marc. "Paul toasts Knicks' future dream team with Stoudemire, Anthony - NYPOST.com." New

York News. New York Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.

Berri, David J., Martin B. Schmidt, and Stacey L. Brook. "Stars at the Gate: The Impact of Star Power on

NBA Gate Revenues." Journal of Sports Economics 5.1 (2004): 33-50. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.

"Celtics vs. Lakers: That '80s show." USA Today5 June. 2008. sec. Sports: 1c. Print.

"Celtics Acquire 10-Time All-Star Kevin Garnett | Celtics.com - The official website of the Boston Celtics."

NBA.com . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.

David, DuPree. "Lakers 1-2 duo Leads way." USA today[New York] 26 Feb. 2002, sec. Sports: 4c. Print.

Hausman, Jerry A., and Gregory K. Leonard. "Superstars in the National Basketball Association: Economic

Value and Policy." Journal of Labor Economics 15.4 (1997): 586. Web. 24 Mar. 2011.

McNamara, Kevin . "Celtics trade three players for Ray Allen." Rhode Island, Providence. The Providence

Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.

"Shaq And D-Wade Blaze The Miami Heat To Its First NBA Title."Jet10 July 2006: 48-50. Print.


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Introduction

This particular commentary is a recent and rather interesting part in the Anthology.

Along with the rest of the commentaries this one is two about the sports aspect of the world.

Issues with sport topics are probably one of the most common things to discuss. This will

introduce a topic that is being debated still today. Flags and penalties in the NFL (National

Football League) has been an issue over the years but fans were more interested in the game

then the penalties. Over the last football season (2010-2011) the controversy over penalties

has really taken a jump. This commentary talks about the problem with penalties and how

some fans may feel about the topic. It also gives quotes and information about the players

view on the rule enforcements in the NFL.

This piece was selected to be the second commentary and the middle of the Anthology

for a few reasons. The Anthology starts off with the topic of the NBA and how teams seem to

combine superstars on one team in order to make a supper team. This gives the anthology a

sports atmosphere. After discussing the NBA football is the next big sports topic that comes up

and this is a commentary worth reading and introduces the next commentary well.


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NFL: Controversial Changes

When we talk about football what are the main conversations that are had? Something

that might be heard after a NFL (National Football League) game might be: Did you see that

huge play in the game last night? Or that hit was so hard that player got laid out. These plays

are what stand out in the game of football. Without these plays and hits, what makes the game

exciting? Football is probably the most widely watched sport in the world. The exact number

of viewers is extremely large but how many watch football is dependent on the schedule of the

viewers. This is why football is on public channels and on Sunday (according to Hallvard

Johnsen). What would the NFL be like with rules that seem to force less big hits and change the

physicality of the game?

Since football first started it was a game of toughness, both physically and mentally.

The main point of the game is to outscore your opponent. However, the fans love it when their

team not just wins the game, but makes entertaining plays. The fans really cheer for the big

plays whether it is a long pass, an amazing catch, a break out touchdown run, or a big hit that

forces a turnover and can change the momentum of the game. Players lift to get strong and the

stronger the player is the more of an advantage they have over their opponent.

The players who need the strength the most is the defense so that they keep the

offense from scoring. By Rule the offense is down after the player is tackled, but over time the

wrapping up of players has declined. The hard hits to knock the offense to the ground have

risen. This kind of physical play has led to more injuries to the body and even more scary the

head. Since the hard hitting type of play has been progressing the league has stepped in and


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seemed like the better quarterbacks seemed to get more protection. It was like whenever the

quarterback was touched there was a penalty called that gave the offense free yards.

Quarterbacks such as Payton Manning, Eli Manning, and Tom Brady were almost

untouchable. Players and Fans took this in a bad way. In the Magazine The Huddle there is

an article about Ray Lewis and his roughing the passer calls against him on Tom Brady. In this

article it puts into perspective that the quarterback is being protected. Rodney Harrison; a

former Patriots player was quoted saying Take off the skirt referring to Tom Brady not being

able to take a hit. "Without totally going off the wall, it is embarrassing to the game. Brady is

good enough to make his own plays, let him make the play. When you have two great teams

that are going at it, let them go at it. Did (the penalties) win or lose the game? No, but it got

them 14 points. This was said by Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens linebacker). They said that

these players got all the calls because they were so good and were so important to the game

and the league couldnt risk them getting hurt. I, along with most others, feel the quarterback

did get better treatment then the rest of the players.

Players go into the league based on their skills but it is expected that those players

know what they are in for once they commit to the game of football. Players know this is a

game of hard hits. Every player should condition and prepare themselves for anything that

could happen on the field. Players should be ready for any situation and be able to take any

kind of hit because it is part of the game. This is what I feel should be the mentality of anyone

who wants to play this game.


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Even though these new protectionrules brought controversy, they were and are still

enforced and the complaining soon stopped. Player safety became the main focus in the NFL.

In response to the hits on the field, players get bigger and stronger in order to be tougher on

the field. Depending on their position they work to get faster or catch better. This aids in their

ability to be able to both take and deliver a hit. Also players believe the more muscle and

stronger they get the less likely they are to be injured while playing. In a sense this is true but it

has another affect. As a result of players getting stronger it improved them from getting

injured more frequently in normal contact situations. However, on the flip side, these same

players are hurting and injuring other players through violent hits.

Many injuries occur in the NFL. Things such as sprained ankles, pulled muscles, broken

bones, and the worst of all, concussions. All these injuries frequently occur in the NFL, but for

the most part have been thought of as part of the game. From another perspective think about

what the game of football would be like if all the players, whom we love to, watch make big

plays, were hurt? The fans, including myself, feel that the more penalties that are added to the

game the worse it is to watch.

A problem that is clear is the NFL has become almost obsessed with protecting players.

They use this reasoning for almost every time they decide to put in a new rule. After years of

hard hits and very physical play, the league has decided to take action. First, rules such as

defensive players leading with their head in order to take out the offensive player were

implemented. The late hit penalty has been in effect for a long time. This rule ensures that

once a player is down or out of bounce the defense can no longer make a hit on that offensive


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player. This rule in understandable because it is expected of the players to be physical and be

able to take a hit when the game is in play. But once the play is called dead the offense stops

going and the defense sometimes delivers hits when the offense is unsuspecting.

The leading with the head penalty can be controversial. At first it seemed like it took

away from the defensive hits and made it hard for the tackler because they had to make sure

not to use their helmet. I believed that this made it hard for the defense and allowed the

offense to gain yards. After further thought this rule is good for both sides of the ball. Leading

with the helmet can seriously affect the offensive player but it can cause a career ending injury

to the defensive player. When hitting with the helmet it puts strain on the neck and if the hit is

hard enough it can seriously hurt the spine and cause the player to be paralyzed. When the

league says they want to protect all players this rule is one of the best examples.

Even with the rules set and the penalties being enforced, players still committed these

penalties. Over time more and more players have been seriously hurt because of the major

hits. Recently the NFL has decided to take further action on the matter. Along with the in-

game penalties, there are now off field consequences. Players now are fined if they make a hit

that is considered to be too vicious or have a type of dangerous helmet to helmet contact.

James Harrison is a pro football player who has been fined many times for hitting to hard. He

threatened to retire because he felt these penalties were unfair and not letting football player

do what they know, hit.

"I understand the league is trying to make it safer for the players, but their plan isn't

working. Why is James Harrison being fined every time he plays the way he was taught to play since


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he was a kid?" This was a statement made by Harrisons agent. This is the same reaction I along

with other fans have with the new penalties. This is how all the players were taught and it is the

reason they got to the NFL why should they change their style of play?

Fining of players came about after the new rule that if a receiver come across the

middle of the field and is unprotected the defensive player has to use their shoulder and wrap

up in order to tackle. After some really big hits that have resulted in concussions this rule was

put in place. I, the fans, and even the players felt like this rule was very unfair. Many believe

that the receiver has to expect that they will be hit as soon as the ball is caught no matter

where their position is on the field. Other arguments are that the coaches are partially at fault

for putting these plays in the play book and the quarterback who leads the receiver into these

dangerous zones.

Even when player safety is figured into the situation is this rule still fair to the defense?

The safety of the players is very important and yes it is dangerous for receivers to go into the

middle of the defense. The penalty that rewards the offense is fair but fining the players seems

to be taking it too far. From my perspective, this seems to almost change the whole game of

football. It makes it a lot easier for the offense to gain yards and almost impossible for the

defense to stop them from scoring.

Every down has the possibility of a crazy play or something unexpected happening.

Now after every turnover or a big play such as a hard hit happens it is almost expected that

some kind of penalty will occur. This takes away from the possibilities of momentum switch or

defensive scores. The players may be protected and able to have a longer year in the NFL but it


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takes away from the excitement of the game. It makes it almost one dimensional and even

predictable which isnt what I or anyone else wants.

The NFL is currently undergoing a lockout which means the players are currently not

playing football. The NFL players union is discussing money matters with the NFL owner and

trying to work out a new collective bargaining agreement. What would it be like if there was no

football to watch on Sundays? This is a very big topic in the world but even in the middle of

discussing if there will be another NFL season, new safety rules are still being put into the rule

book. This shows that these new rules are so important to the league that they are adding

more even with a possibility of there not being anymore football.

The newest rule now is that the kickoff will be moved up five more yards and this is

supposed to cut down on all the injuries on special teams. The big argument now is that kickers

will kick it out of the back of the touchdown and make it very rare for the returner to even have

a chance to run with the ball. This will definitely lead to fewer injuries on kickoff but there will

be no more need for a good kick returner and it seems almost easier to just get rid of the

kickoff and start from the twenty yard line.

All these rules have recently gone into effect within the middle of the 2011 season and

into the beginning of the off season. Is it fair to protect the players to this extent? There is

much controversy over these issues and even though it is mainly for the safety of the players,

according to the league, I feel as if it is ruining the game. There is no doubt that these rules are

changing the game. Is this good for football or not? The league has the final decision and if and

hopefully when there is another season it will be interesting to see how all these new rules will


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be handled. It will be even more interesting to see if the game of football will remain the

exciting physically and mentally tough game that it has always been.


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Works Cited

Sullivan, Justin. "NFL: 'A Higher Level of Discipline Is Needed' to Prevent Hard Hits." News, Travel,

Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. US Today, 18

Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.

"NFL Fines 3 Players Total of $175K." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Sports. Associated Press, 19

Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. .

Leahy, Sean. "After Series of Concussions, NFL under Fire to Eliminate Hard Hits to the Head."News,

Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. US

Today, 18 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.

Thomas, Katie. "N.F.L.s Policy on Helmet-to-Helmet Hits Makes Highlights Distasteful." The New

York Times 21 Oct. 2010. Print.

Keriloff, Aaron. "NFL Owners and Players Are in a Pain Conflict." Businessweek 4 Nov. 2010. Web10 Mar. 2011.

Caine, Dennis J, Caroline G. Caine, and Koenraad J. Lindner. Epidemiology of Sports Injuries.Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1996. Print.

Woods, C. "The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries inprofessional football--analysis of preseason injuries." British Journal of SportsMedicine 36.6 (2002): 436- 441. Web. 24 Mar. 2011.


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Even without its TV money, the NFL will be well prepared for the possibility of a lost

2011 season. Owners have stockpiled enough money to carry them through a potential

cancellation of the 2011 due to the current lockout, the Wall Street Journal reported. That

report, which came more than a week after a federal judge ruled the league cannot use its TV

revenue as lockout insurance, was evidence of the league's plan for the CBA fight. Several

owners and players have already said they expect the lockout the league imposed on Saturday

will be resolved before the start of the regular season. The league and the players association

had been advising teams and players, respectively, to save money in anticipation of a potential

lockout over the past year. The NFL collects billions in TV revenue that the NFLPA had

contested in federal court. A judge blocked the league from accessing that money during the

lockout. The league generates about $9 billion in revenue annually, and the sides are searching

for a resolution to a collective bargaining dispute centered on how to split that money. Rodger

Goodell needs to end this scrutiny. He will go down as the NFLs worst commissioner of all time

and I do not believe Mr. Goodell wants to be thrown under the bus like that.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704027504576198823607805368.html#project%3DNFL1103%26articleTabs%3Darticlehttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704027504576198823607805368.html#project%3DNFL1103%26articleTabs%3Darticle


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TO BE, OR NOT TO BEWhat will the late months of 2011 and early months of 2012 be like if there is no NFL football to

be watched. NFL owners and players were both given the timeline of March 3rd to come to an

agreement on the issue and if they cant agree the NFL will officially be locked out. Does this mean that

this could be the first time since 1987 that there will be a stoppage in the NFL? It seems very inevitable

that we could be on the edge of our seats this whole summer, wondering whether or not our team will

be playing a game starting in September.

The issue of the lockout is the players and owners cannot come to a bargaining agreement oh

how much they should get paid. Players get 60% of the NFLs income and the owners are not pleased

about that fact. Players want more money or for the NFL to provide them with health coverage for

them and their family because it is not available for them when they retire as of present

(dcplayersbox.com). The NFL was locked out for 43 days; there will be a draft but who knows what will

happen after that. The NFL is unlocked now that the judge ruled that players may return to practice

facilities.

The most baffling disagreement between the NLFPA and the league owners is the argument

over whether or not there should be 18 regular season games instead of the usual 16 games. Rodger

Godell sure seems to think it will benefit the NFL thinking it is giving the fans what they want to see.

But we all know what Godell really wants to see and that is more revenue. This past season we have

seen more fines handed out to one player in a season than we have the past two seasons. You all know

who I am talking about he contemplated retirement, James Harrison. If Godell is all for player safety

why on earth would you have 18 games, it makes absolutely no sense. A starting running back averages


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about a 6-year span in the NFL of being productive and healthy. Maybe Goodell should ask an NFL

running back if they want to add two more games to the 16 game schedules.

This is not the first time the NFL has been locked out. Players have sued the NFL again and

again on antitrust grounds amid a nasty labor dispute that resulted in a lockout that will threaten the

2011 season (USA Today). With more and more owners being money hungry; everyone seems as if they

want the power and revenue that Jerry Jones (Cowboys Owner & GM) brings in. But to be able to do so

the owners and other representatives need to work with the players in doing so, they cant just cut the

players income by 50% to get back to the 1992 NFL salary average which $489,000. If they tried to do

this, one no one would play most players would protest the situation. In 2010 the average salary has

nearly quadrupled to 1.8 million. How does this problem somehow get put on the players shoulders?

The owners and management of NFL teams offered the 100 million dollar contracts to the big time

players. Contracts like that were unheard of in the 90s. This is NOT the players problem; they just try to

make the most money they can in such a short amount of time because there is no guarantee that they

will ever step on the field again. They all have families to take care of; it is there job to make the most of

the opportunity they are given.

A former NFL player Freeman McNeil had something to say about this absurd lockout. He

continued to say, I look at both sides and say, you guys (NFL & NFLPA) are in a partnership. Thats the

way this game is going to be from here to eternity. You (players) have reconciliation, as owners you have

a guaranteed product that will make you money. But these players make the league (USA Today). The

owners need to figure out way that will benefit them the most, which could be finding better sponsors

or new endorsement deals. Possibly cut Reebok and deal with Nike, Under Armor, or Adidas to name a

few.


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DirecTV, ESPN, NBC, CBS, and Fox pay a combined 4 billion dollars for the broadcasting rights

and they will continue to pay that if there continues to be a lockout. On top of the 4 billion, fantasy

football leagues bring in about 5 billion dollars a year (Directvnew.com). Economically this would be like

an atom bomb dropping and if the owners want more money they will figure out a way to deal with

what the players want and will come to a decision soon. This brings great revenue to the owners. Jerry

Jones built the biggest NFL stadium so he could make deals with other sporting venues

What happens to the fans? Will they turn their head on the NFL or will they still support it?

Thousands of fans will be inferior; Vegas wouldnt be the same without football. The NHL is still

recovering from the 2004-2005 lockout season. The NFL would have to win their fans and money back

and the greed driving owners in the league probably dont like that idea. In 1987 they brought

replacement players in for the players that went on strike for five weeks. Even if there are replacement

players there wont be people out of jobs, but the NFL will still lose a lot of money. Im sure if there is a

season with replacement players there will still be fans that watch but it may not be a team of players

you are used to rooting for.

Now lets get back to the players side of the issue. Chad Ochocinco asked DeMaurice Smith how

serious the lockout is and Smith answered, On a scale to 1 to 10 it is a 14 (Smith). Jeff Saturday was

interviewed and said, weve told *the players+ them dont go out and buy a new boat. Dont go out and

buy a new car. Players are going to have to lean how to budget their money, which can be hard for some

players. Brandon Marshall jokingly once said on 103.5 The Rocks, If there is a lockout Ill just have to go

and tryout for an NBA team. He may just have to do so, Ochocinco tried out for a Major League Soccer

Team and made it. So maybe we will see NFL players looking to play their second sport. NFL

Commissioner Rodger Goodell said, you dont make money by shutting down your business. The idea


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owners want to have a NFL lockout is not the case. Thats just not good for anybody. Basically no one

wanted a lockout but since owners and players cant come to an agreement they had to lockdown.

The NFL Draft coming up in a few days and the NFL is going to treat it as if there will be a season

next year. Some draft prospects are worried that if they get drafted there will be no signing bonuses or

up front money because of the lockout. Some players will not attend the draft but it is still too early to

tell who is going to go and stay home. One issue regarding the rookies is, the NFL wants to cut nearly

60% of guaranteed pay for first-round picks, lock them in for five years and divert the savings to

veterans salaries and benefits according to the AP (thestreet.com).

If there is a lockout it will be tough for players to stay in shape there is not as much discipline

when training at home. So some players may rely on their high schools, colleges or for some their back

yard. Players coming to camp overweight and slow just leads to be very injury prone, which could

ultimately get you, cut from the team. Many older players dont have much playing time left in their legs

and bodies so they cannot afford a season off. You could look at that either way. There will be no helmet

to helmet hits or any bone crushing hits so that could actually benefit some players who make the most

of it.

Players cannot use the teams resources that are given to them. Carolina Panthers tight end

Dante Rosario is working out at a local high school near Charlotte North Carolina. He is just happy that

the high school is letting him use their facilities to train. DeMarcus Ware did not accept his $60,000 that

is being paid to assist them financially during the lockout. He went on to say, I gave my money back to

help out other guys that dont have as much money, that is going to help out and bring us closer

together (nfllockout.com). To be eligible for the $60,000 pay, you must be on the 53-man roster during

the previous season. Practice squad players dont get that benefit from the NFL (Washingtonpost.com).


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No one knows what is in store for the future of the NFL Lockout. All me know is that as of April

14, 2011 we are in the 33rd day of the lockout. Negations are off and on, media is forbidden to hear what

goes on inside of the meetings. To say the least no one truly knows if there will be a 2011- 2012 NFL

Football season. We know that certain teams want to trade and sign free agents but that is not possible

until the lockout is lifted. U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson is still considering a request from the

players to issue an injunction against the NFLs current labor lockout in efforts to force the league to

resume business as usual (thestreet.com).

The NFL has always been known as a players game, now it is seemingly becoming the owners

show. They planned all along to lock the players out and put NFL employees out of work. The owners

like Jerry Jones, Jason Richardson (Carolina Panthers), ect., kept from spending in free agency last year,

when they had clear blaring needs. They knew they planned to do this and didnt want to pay salaries on

free agents for a year, they fully intended not to have football. That is why everyone; media and fans

were so shocked that Jerry Jones didnt make any free agent move or hire and expensive coach. The

owners want to bankrupt the players so that they will accept all of the owners demands and for a new

10 year CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). (nfllockout.com)

The lockout is kind of like a Shakespearean story, not knowing what is going to happen next.

Lets be real here though, there has to be a 2011-2012 season otherwise the owners show will not go on

and they will lose millions of dollars. They need to do what is best for the players they are the ones that

make the teams the millions.


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Conclusion

The anthology is a collection of sports topics that have come about through recently

added and discussed changes in professional sports. The first commentary introduced, talked

about the changes in the NBA and how players now have different motives. Instead of just

worrying about the money aspect of the business players are now teaming up with other

superstars in order to better their chances for a NBA championship. These new ideas have

helped to create a better fan experience and to put new marks on the history of the NBA.

Roach doesnt like the super team concept. This ideas creates unfair teams and doesnt allow

enough good games, creating a bad fan experience. Mader feels that this is a good thing for the

NBA. This creates more excitement for the fans and shakes up the teams more in the league

besides just the draft. With the superstars grouped together it makes a dominate team but

when a few do the same then the intensity increases and rivalries really spark.

The next commentary deals with the NFL. Its discusses topics such as the new rules that

have recently been going into effect. These rules are designed to help prevent injuries. These

new rules take away from the game, giving a worse experience for the fans. The two

commentaries mach up well because the both are very popular topics and both relate to how

the fans are reacting to these new concepts. Johnson feels that the quarterbacks should be

more protected, because they are more vulnerable. Johnson does agree that some of the

penalties are too much and ruin the game experience. Roach feels that the penalties are

getting a little out of hand because it all it is doing to the sport is creating less contact for the


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players. Roach feels that football has always been a physical sport and wouldnt be the same

without the physicality.

The last commentary talks about the NFL lockout. This lockout would be one of the

biggest changes to any sports association. If the lockout were to happen the fan experience

would be awful, because there would not be a season. Johnson agrees that the lockout would

be a horrible idea. Not only would fans be mad, but any profit from the football would be lost.

Mader also feels that the lockout is a horrible idea. Mader asks what would it be like with no

football to watch over the weekend. Without pro football it would be one of the biggest losses

in the sports world.

This anthology could be used in a variety of ways. The first would be for research

papers. The commentaries contained show a lot of information on NBA teams, NFL rules, and

also some NFL economics. The statistics could also be used for these papers. For the most part

these commentaries are great reading materials for those interested in the sports world. This is

a way to get a different perspective and read how others feel about the topics besides just in

things like newspaper articles.

aaron johnson, ben mader, connor roach anthology

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