For venting purposes, a letter to Roger Godell that he will never read

Mr. Goodell-

In response to your article this morning, I think it was just a "smidge" far-fetched.  A judge granted the players an injunction that (for now) ends the lockout... the feeling I got from your article was The Apocalypse has started.  You stated that by the judge blessing that negotiating tactic, the decision may endanger one of the most popular and successful sports leagues in history.

Roger... what do you think is happening now?!  The public perception of the owners right now, or at least from my point of view is that the owners clearly didn't like the old CBA which they still all agreed to and signed for some reason anyway... and then prepared for a lockout by negotiating TV deals that would pay them money regardless if games were played or not and then to solidify their position; they tell the players they want an additional billion off the top because of increasing financial responsibilities but yet the players will never see what those numbers actually are.  The perception is "We're not budging so take our deal or we won't let you play football."  How is that not already endangering football?  The owners are basically showing why there are so many sanctions on Monopolies and this is why the players decertified and took the owners to court.  As a union, the owners figuratively had a gun to the players head.

Nobody wants to happen what you described in your article... not one part of it, but I just don't think that it would even happen.

Do I think the Players Union planned to decertify the whole time?  Yes.  Do I think they brought in D. Smith, a lawyer, as the Players Union Director for a reason?  Yes.  My question is, why do you think they did this? 

The Players knew the only way to get out of this situation with any kind of sufficient deal is to bring it to court.  We all know that everyone ultimately wants to get a deal done, it’s just that there are too many things that have come to light lately that make the owners look way too shady.  Seriously, please give me one good reason why the owners would negotiate a TV deal that in the event of a lockout, the NFL still gets paid whether games or played or not?  How the heck do you expect anyone to trust them?  And again; you think that the players are endangering football?  To the players, the owners look like snakes.  You don't go near a snake and you don't trust a snake. 

How in the world can you possibly write an article in the Wall Street Journal and give all these catastrophic theories if the players win when right now your owners have tried everything under the sun to NOT negotiate in good faith?  Honestly, it’s like somebody giving a speech on what can happen if somebody gets Salmonella poisoning and then serving them molded bread for lunch while listening.  It's beyond hypocritical!

I honestly don't know what the future is for the NFL but I do know what is happening now.  Players are working out on their own right now, in different places.  My favorite team, The Detroit Lions are going to draft 6 young kids this weekend and if this lockout wasn't just lifted or if they NFL wins the appeal; they would be basically kicked right out of the building after they get their pictures taken in front of the press and the only NFL game they will be playing is on their PS3.

Mr. Goodell I'm not taking the players side because I think they are 100% right, but because their way means that jobs will not be lost, football will still be played and the overall product will not continue to suffer.  You want my advice?  Get back to the table and negotiate and persuade the owners hop on board.  Everyone is going to end up not getting everything they want, I think you just need to realize what you have already lost.

Thank you