Living Tribunal

I, for one, do not think anyone should get their hopes up regarding any political intervention at this point. I'm part of the camp that believes that all of this discussion regarding Mr. Wilson meeting w/ politicians and such is all just posturing on both sides. But, honestly, why would Congress intervene? You have the owners and players all getting together and negotiating the CBA. It was voted for and approved by a vast majority. No one except for Mr. Wilson has spoken out against it (not sure the Bengals owner has said anything). No other small market team owner has come out and said he/she regretted signing it. The complaints of a lone dissenter on an agreement approved by a wide margin is hardly cause for a congressional investigation. Let's remember: no laws were broken here for Congress to scrutinize. The NFL is a partnership, and its partners (owners and NFLPA alike) have agreed to the terms of this labor deal. Nor should anyone expect the court system to get involved; a deal like this would only be scrutinized if there was something grossly unfair about it. But that isn't the case. This country is defined by two basic principles: democracy and capitalism. This deal was upheld by a 30-2 vote, well w/in numbers needed to pass. And there's nothing fundamentally unfair about a deal which actually takes money from wealthy franchises and gives it to poorer ones. The fact of the matter is, no city has an entitlement--constitutional or otherwise--to a football team. The NFL is set up to try to level the playing field as much as possible for its members, but it is NOT intended to do so at all costs. Small teams can still be competitive under this system (e.g., Green Bay, Pittsburg), but there does come a time when a market can simply no longer sustain a team financially. I'm not saying Buffalo is there, but that's what everyone is trying to figure out now. My point is, the NFL is a business. We can't lose sight of this fact. There's nothing inherently noble about it that requires Congress or the courts to step in in order to maintain its sanctity. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business and football is America's favorite sport, with fans from every state, even those without pro football teams. THe NFL can survive (and even thrive) the loss of any member, even the high profile ones, like Dallas or New England. That being said, I'm sure Mr. Wilson realizes all this, which is why I think he's doing this all to increase public awareness of the issue. He knows he's fighting an uphill battle, and the more public support, the better. But I certainly don't think anyone should harbor the illusion that now that the issue is decidedly improved now that a politician is involved. Just my two cents. Good luck.

That reverse merger definitely wouldn't work, and for the same reasons that other leagues (like the XFL) will never work: not enough talent. Let's face it, if the league split up into big-market and small market teams, the best players will go where the money is: the big markets. What you would end up w/ in the smaller markets is a less-talented product. It won't be as bad as, say, NFL Europe or the XFL, but it would clearly be inferior. And where do you think the networks would go? And the sponsors? And don't forget that the NFL could fill the void left by the smaller market teams w/ larger market cities like San Antonio or Los Angeles. Even cities like Las Vegas or Portland are possibilities. In the long run, the new league would end up being nothing more than another farm system for the NFL--a more talented NFL Europe--with the best players every year running off for the riches of the NFL. I may be wrong, but I don't think it's an effective solution. Just my two cents.