HardyBoy

Correct, logging and mining and whatever else should not exist if the owners of the companies, likely raking in massive profits should not be allowed to exploit people. I'm confused how this is even a question in your mind? You're cool with corporations that outsourced manufacturing to other countries using contractors that pay their workers less than a dollar a day? You don't think that's exploiting them? You'll probably say, well they shouldn't accept the job if they don't like it and if that's all they can do, well that's on them...do I have your perspective right? How about when we've gone into those countries and destroyed their local economies through things like donations, which on their face sound awesome, but the local person making clothes...well would you rather buy a shirt or get a bunch of 90s bills super bowl shirts for free? Why aren't there other opportunities for them? Now, if that's something that was done externally, you don't think for a second that stuff might be occurring internally here and has been going on for a very long time? Like this "no excuses" approach without looking at the potential systemic structures that cause kids born in certain zip codes to have a massively higher chance of ending up in poverty than kids born in other zip codes...it's unfair, and taking advantage of that lack of fairness is exploitation. You aren't born with bootstraps dude

The whole system is a scam...how many of the people playing in the UFL have college degrees? How many only got into the college because they could play football, and then their scholarship doesn't even pay them lunch, and until recently they couldn't even work. How many would have been better off going to a vocational school that are now in situation where they need to accept $55k for playing a season of football where the chance of long term sigingificant injury is high, and the chance of getting an injury, likely a lingering one is really high. Why are there so many zip codes where what I'm saying above is the case. You didn't have a choice on where you were born; your zip code should have no input into how much opportunity you have to meet your potential, be it the most urban zipcode or the most rural or some suburb in between. We are not responsible for the sins of our parents, I thought that was a core tenant of all of this...fairness is a fair chance for everyone, the players destroying themselves for not enough to buy a fairly nice car, and likely not enough for a year's worth of car and house payments after all is said and done with taxes and paying for your nutritionist and agent and whatever else is required to stay in peak athletic shape on your own dime. If the league has no money to pay fair wages, they should not exist...period...end of story... that's literally the point I am making. It is not enough money and the benefits are too low...cool, let's talk about another example of how spring football doesn't work instead of how we can blame the exploited for getting into a situation to be exploited...like for real dude, listen to yourself spouting out just things you've heard...go listen to My Back Pages Good and bad I defined these terms, quite clear, no doubt, somehow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.

I'm not going to get into the nuance of why those prospects are the way they are and the exploitation that is being faced by many, if not most players in that league across their lives and the profound lack of fairness based on predictive outcomes based solely on zip code. Paying desperate people low wages for extremely risky work that they accept because they are desperate and calling it a decision they make...I don't agree with that as being a fair choice, i believe it to be an exploitative ultimatum and the reason unions should exist honestly. We probably agree on more than we disagree on this topic for what it's worth, I'm just saying that $55k for playing professional football with all we know about what the risks and long term impacts are is really low and if the reason that you might say it's not is because they're willing to take such low pay because they are desperate...I mean it's kinds the definition of exploitation. Anyway, I'm about to see Sierra Hull in a small venue and I'm super pumped for that

They believe they are being exploited, they are choosing not to play under the current conditions. The NFLPA came around to protect against what players perceived as exploitation by NFL teams against the players. I think it's fair to say likely the same reasons the NFLPA was something the players felt necessary in terms of perceived exploitative actions and likely present in the case of the UFL. Like the basic issues of player compensation and fair compensation and benefits are present in a league such as the UFL as well, I don't think it's somehow special or different. Also, absolutely it's the players choice, but making what I read above as $55k of a season, where you have a damn good chance of experiencing life long pain and disability, if not catastrophic life long injury is not a fair trade...especially when looking at the hourly rate and taking into consideration that when they are traveling or spending the night in a hotel the night before a game...that is all work time. Also, "it's $55k for four months"...like they aren't keeping their bodies in shape all year long and paying for personal trainers...$55k a year for the majority of players playing in a nationally televised football league is flabbergasting low and I'm sorry, but bone on bone arthritis at 35 is not something that $55k compensates for fairly, even if the people playing are in situations desperate enough to accept that as payment...training, nutritionists, massages, agents, etc...cut that in half post taxes and then take the overhead out of the rest...it's pathetically unfair

Do you realize how insane it is for people in terms of affording stuff, especially younger people... I'm not talking food, but like owning a house without previous equity to put on a down payment...do you have any idea how much rent has gone up in the last 5 years? You can't get a car loan under like some wild number now without a solid down payment, plus the car's crazy expensive. The UFL not being able to afford to pay fair wages and benefits because the league could clearly not secure enough funding to ensure proper payment and protections...there potentially never should have been a league. They're very likely being intentionally exploited, and you're not even willing to entertain that extremely likely situation. It's like the NFLPA exists for literally no reason

I don't think the American people are greedy on the whole honestly, look at tipping, look at bills fans donating to charities, etc. That said, agreed and what they tried to do to the Champions League in Europe with that super league they tried before fan backlash was so crazy (US owners drove that). It's not infecting the world with greed as much as going in and taking control (like they did with top level EPL teams) and changing things from inside.

Do you hear yourself and how contradictory your first sentence is compared to the rest?! They're literally saying we're not going to play if you don't treat us at a level of these specific standards. They're literally saying they are willing to not play...nobody is forcing them and they're saying they won't play in these conditions...like seriously dude, seriously with this?!

So they should continue being exploited? (allegedly, I don't know the details, but I'm assuming their requests aren't ridiculous otherwise we would hear about how they're being outlandish with their requests instead of shut up and play it's better than flipping burgers)

Feel like we know which mathematical theory you subscribe to: Chaos theory (or chaology[1]) is an interdisciplinary area of scientific study and branch of mathematics. It focuses on underlying patterns and deterministic laws of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. These were once thought to have completely random states of disorder and irregularities.[2] Chaos theory states that within the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems, there are underlying patterns, interconnection, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals and self-organization. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory

Yeah, but he was born on a leap day... he only has a birthday every four years, so...

I guess, but their importance in the offense has also been decreasing up until this year or last year... offense are playing bigger personnel again to take advantage of smaller defenses that were designed to stop spread offenses. Also, I'm not really sure supply and demand applies fully...first scheme fit is super important, because finding strong offensive line talent is hard, and think about how both Moss and Singletary struggled running run schemes they weren't the strongest at...and how the Bills offensive line had weak links in zone and weak links in gap (Kromer is amazing in terms of building lines around individuals strengths and not forcing players to do things they're not good at). Second, agents are super influential and they set expectations.

What if the RB market is resetting though? The Cowboys traded Cooper because they didn't want to pay what at the time felt like a huge contract, but would have been excellent value just a couple years later. Cook is a weapon...I know you can find running backs easily on rookie deals in the draft, but they're not going to be weapons. I'm not saying definitely sign him, but are we splitting hairs a bit between $10m/yr and $15m/yr when the cap is looking like it's going to take a massive jump in the next few years anyway? Obviously that means you're projecting he's going to maintain his level of play over the contract.

The Edge of Seventeen is one of my all-time favorite movies fwiw... she's incredible in it, and so are Woody Harrelson and Krya Sedgwick

But there are rules and laws that prevent people from doing anything at all that they want to do...

I think the LeBron comparison is better overall and he also finally was able to beat teams that had beat him consistently. Allen hasn't ever had the mental aspect to overcome in terms of LeBron not being able to post up JJ Barea, but Allen is so much closer in personality to LeBron than Jordan was...everyone loves Allen, not the case with Jordan...also Allen and LeBron were physically dominant, and I will say Allen did have a mental challenge to overcome as well, which he has this year so amazingly...not big play hunting and taking check downs. Also, LeBron would physically impose his will on Jordan...and LeBron is a significantly better three point shooter (which he massively improved over his career)...I'd say a better Jordan comp would be Lamar Jackson honestly...and none of this is a knock against Jordan, I was a huge huge John Stockton fan... Jordan broke my heart several times...actually you could argue that Allen truly opened up his game when he began to play more like LeBron early in games, setting up teammates and picking his spots and then taking over in the 4th quarter...actually I always consider Chris Paul a good comp for what I hoped Allen's game would resemble in terms of setting up teammates early and then dominating in the clutch and key moments.

Not sure if this has been said yet, but fans are not their customers

They intentionally sabatoged that pass interference challenge rule...didn't they over turn like two all season or something insane like that?

I don't think it's a libido thing... the type of stuff he's doing (allegedly) is about control and power dynamics

It really is a super highly nuanced situation...another huge issue is developers...we are building and living in places that are not long term viable and then people are using insurance to mitigate that risk (I am not blaming victims here). The problem, this isn't just an issue with people building properties on the coasts, in places that get regular wildfires/wilderness areas anymore. People are losing coverage all over the country because places are at higher risk of major storms and such now. But... I'm gonna bring it back to another issue...things are way more expensive to fix now than before too...and I don't mean like inflation and not enough skilled labor, which is an issue. The main issue is we are building houses that are way too big and cars that are way too expensive. The reason you can't find a $150k house or a $15k car isn't because cost of materials is so high...it's because housing developers and car companies are not building houses and cars that cost that much. Short term profit maximization at the expense of long term sustainability. Plus you add in private equity buying up all the existing houses and turning them into rentals and now the price of existing houses are crazy expensive and not just new constructions because the houses are so crazy big. I moved away from Ft Lauderdale in 2020 in large part because I was tired of the stress of hurricanes, our families are in NYS and we weren't flying because of covid, so we wouldn't see family for a really long time...but one of the absolute key reasons was because I was worried they would stop giving 30 year mortgages down there (which will happen at some point) and we would be stuck.

Anyone know if Josh Allen's house is at risk at all?

I live in raleigh, we get the panthers preseason games. Obviously it's against players not in the nfl, totally get that... the accuracy and the ball placement on those short throws is insane for a player with Josh Allen's physical toolkit (not sure on his arm strength compared to Allen). Plus how he seemingly has a plan when things go off script and he's moving to set stuff up and not just bailing...

Joe Milton had looked that good all preseason and not just in preseason games, reports out of training camp were that he was absolutely crushing it all camp

Totally get that, but his poise and ability to move in the pocket to buy time...he's gonna be really really good I think and they drafted him in the freaking 6th round...hopefully they trade him the the giants for their second this year...I wouldn't be super shocked if a new coach comes in though and names Milton the starter...I don't think he's just better than Maye, I think Milton could be elite (hopefully someone who actually knows football can weigh in on this, but like I said, I based this off watching Milton in the preseason and the bills game)...also, the bills weren't playing the 75th player on the preseason roster...he played against mostly legit nfl role players...granted the bills defense isn't the best version, but these are players that have been rostered on nfl rosters all season largely.

I think there is a real and legit chance that Milton is better than Maye and I thought that after watching Milton in the preseason...like yeah them losing the first overall pick is a massive loss in value... but Milton just raised his trade value significantly with that performance and it might honestly potentially even out (though I'm guessing Milton already had a significantly high trade value following his preseason performances)