I Now Life Both Robert Kraft and Odell Beckam Even More

      Which is saying something as I-like many NFL watchers-have always had a very high regard for Kraft as an owner and as for ODB how can I as a Giants fan not love him?

       However, the young phenom said something now that makes me have even more respect for him: that he and his fellow players deserve more money.Amen. I'm all for NFL players demanding what's theirs. For a long time they've had a bad reputation of being led by a toothless union-the 2011 CBA is what puts us in the current mess with Goodell decreeing himself judge, jury, and executioner with Tom Brady and Deflategate. 

      After hearing Beckam, my feeling is that somewhere the Spirit of Marvin Miller is smiling:

      "Odell Beckham Jr. sits as the brightest young star in America's most popular sport and the current cover boy of Madden 16 is using his platform to establish his belief that NFL players deserve a pay bump."

     "I think that we should make more money, personally," Beckham told The Huffington Post.

     Beckham's own rookie contract guarantees him $10.4 million over the first four years of the deal. The crux of the second-year wideout's argument is that NFL players should earn more than basketball or baseball players because football, their chosen profession, is more physical.

    "I understand that basketball plays 80-something games, baseball plays this many games, soccer plays that many games, but this is a sport that's most-watched in America," he said. "A sport where there's more injuries. There's more collisions.

     http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000493131/article/odell-beckham-nfl-players-should-get-paid-more

     Of course, there will be those who will sniff about how much players already make-the average player makes $2 million. Well so what? Why is it sports where the believers in free markets disappear?

     As ODB points out, an NFL career has major risks of severe injury. Between the dangers and risks that most people couldn't handle and the unique talents-ODB himself may well end up being the greatest receiver every to play the game' that catch of his against Dallas last year is considered by many football experts to be the best catch ever-it's simple supply and demand. 

    There is a very great demand but very little supply for this level of football talent. It's silly to look at what players make and sort of arbitrarily declare some amount 'too much'-when debating what someone is worth it's not just about an absolute value-yes $2 million is a very healthy salary but what do others in the industry make?

   If anyone believes that it's impossible to make $2 million and feel underpaid then they have little imagination. If $2 million is 'enough' for the average football player why isn't $2 billion 'enough' for the average football owner?

   However, as far as owners go, Kraft is now owner of the year is the not the millennium for the way he is standing by his Hall of Fame QB and his team. I appreciate so much his pushing back. It's going to be a lot more difficult for Goodell to try to bully Brady now. 

   There are a number of things not to like about how this has been handled:

    1. The punishment is excessive; if you are to compare it to previous penalties this is the worst crime in NFL history-worse than Bountygate where players were paid to injure other players. Reports now say that some other owners agree with Kraft that it was excessive. 

    2. The Wells report had no proof-nothing but a little circumstantial evidence

    I've got to thikn that Goodell now realizes this is going to be a major knife fight that just may not be worth it

    Perhaps for this reason, some think there may be a deal between Kraft and Goodell. 

    http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap3000000493169/Silver-A-deal-is-possible-probably-less-likely-for-Brady

    Yet, I don't get how there's a deal for Kraft but not Brady as if you change the punishment for Kraft you've done the same thing for Brady.