The NFL lockout has officially ended, but the U.S.’ debt-ceiling debate and crisis has yet to be resolved. The similarities between the NFL owners’ disrespectful lockout and the Republican’s ridiculous debt-ceiling posturing are depressingly similar.
For one, the actors in both debates knew about their respective deadlines long before they began working towards a compromise. The entire NFL knew back in 2008 that the former collective bargaining agreement would expire after the 2010 football season. Politicians may not have known a specific due date, but the need to raise the debt ceiling by this summer was certainly known.
The Republicans have decided and the NFL owners did decide to dangle the U.S.’ financial rating and the 2011 professional football season over the side of a cliff. In return, these two groups demanded changes that favored only their political or financial interests.
All members of Congress have one interest always in mind: re-election. The 2012 elections are only a year away, and they are the sole determinant for the Republicans’ theatrics. Ever since President Obama won the race to the White House in 2008, Republicans have been waiting for an opportunity to undermine his hope for re-election. They obviously decided that the need to raise the debt ceiling provided the best opportunity.
Meanwhile, nobody in the NFL loses money, especially the owners. Most owners are already extraordinarily wealthy and own teams that gain value every year and franchises that make a profit. But, they demanded an even larger share of the NFL’s revenue.
Both of these selfish motives ignore larger problems that threaten the country and the NFL. The U.S.’ educational system lags behind other countries, the country remains involved in numerous expensive military conflicts around the world and the country’s infrastructure desperately needs an overhaul. The NFL continues to drag its feet on player safety, which may honestly endanger the sport of football as a whole.
When the Republicans and NFL owners hold such valued commodities in the balance, of course their colleagues – the Democrats and the NFL Players’ Association – will have to cave in at some point (the NFLPA already has). President Obama and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith tread the same water; they knew Congressional Republicans and NFL owners were bluffing, but they did not know how far the bluffing could go.
Essentially, extreme measures were taken for relatively little gain. No one will look back on the 2011 NFL Lockout or debt ceiling debate as necessary or productive. If either side of either of the skirmishes made a stand for a serious issue, the public would presumably understand. So much for that, though.
As citizens, and as fans who pay taxes to fund Congress and most NFL stadiums, we were used. Congressional Republicans and owners wanted to see how far they could inch out onto the street before being hit by the public outrage bus. Sadly, this tactic will probably end up in their favor when the Republicans who fought are re-elected and the owners rake in more NFL revenue.
It must be said that the Democrats and the NFLPA will reap some benefits, but their intense fear of collateral public image damage denied them the chance to realize much more.
Thankfully though, a new CBA has been signed between NFL owners and players and will not expire for another decade. On the other hand, Republicans are willing to fight this same debt-ceiling debate next year, during the thick of election season.
I can’t wait for that political mess. Heck, maybe the NBA lockout will be over by then.
Wesley Vaughn is a senior majoring in public relations and political science.
