Monday, March 14, 2011

Collateral Damage in the NFL strike

Here in America, of course, we are sad and concerned for our Japanese friends....and of course we are riveted by the frightening videos on the news. But, American males are far more concerned about March Madness (The CU buffs got SCREWED!!!!) and the NFL labor dispute.

Friday night I was watching the CU-Kansas game at the local sports bar with a bunch of guys, several of whom may or may not be entrepreneurs who provide the service of allowing sports fans to take a financial interest in a sporting event. These guys do most of their business during the NFL season, that is, if they are even in this business, and I am certainly not saying that they are.

These businessmen are of course very concerned about the NFL situation, and the news about the breakdown in labor talks had just come out Friday afternoon. One of these guys, who may or may not be named Alfonzo, had this to say:

What about us? These guys don't care about us. If there is no NFL season, I am going to have to go out and get a job. And I have some serious holes in my resume. Would you hire me?

My answer to Alfonzo is that I would, since the fact that he may have been involved in the business we were discussing for so long means to me that he is likely both trustworthy and good at math. But, I am not in position to hire anyone, and understand his angst.

Here is my sports labor prediction: The NFL is making too much money, both the players and owners, to kill their golden goose. Players with short careers can't afford to miss a year, and a lot of teams need cash flow to pay their debt service on new stadiums. So, the season will not be canceled. The NBA, on the other hand, has some serious business model problems that may require an NHL like lockout to solve.

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