Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Wait, I May Be Confused...

So maybe you are reading this blog wondering to yourself, sure, all of this sounds great, but how do i actually change this.
Sure, you've given me the addresses of several Commissioners, but even then, what do I do, and why?

So lets get into some details. I have spoken about the league and the player's association many times, as well as the collective bargaining agreement. For those of you who are trying to catch up, lets break it down

Every league has a governing body of, usually some white old dudes, that make decisions about the league. This includes the commissioner and other people who don't matter as much. They are the people who help make the schedule and control the league and it growth and such and so forth.

There is also the players association, a union made of up all of the players within a league with former player representatives and current player representatives that make sure the old crazy white men dont get out of control. The players association also handled the licensing for all player-related gear and handles sponsorships and basically anything to do with the players of the sport.

Between these two there is what is called the Collective Bargaining Agreement, or CBA. The CBA control all the relations between the League and the Players Association. This includes the regulations for rookies, player's salaries, bonuses, signing bonuses, playing restrictions, injury information, basically anything that happens between a player and the league.

So- What does it all mean?!
The CBA is the player's lifeblood, with all the regulations and such. IF we can convince the comissioners to add a moral and ethical clause to all of the major CBA's we would be able to regulate athelet behavior and have a set guideline for the proper punishment and reaction to players bad behavior.
If this were to go through, players who decide to be idiots wont be allowed to beg for mercy to be let back into a league. Like, for example, Micheal Vick would be rotting somewhere by himself, and not ruining more lives by being a complete jerk.
This also means that high-profile players wouldn't be allowed free reign, and would not be seen as a cashcow by the league.

So- what am i looking for in this clause?
I want there to be a list of actions and punishments, ones that are not debatable and cannot be lessened by the commissioner.
It will outline acceptable behavior as well as be a guide for players to get involved with the right things (charities, foundations, etc) instead of wasting time dogfighting, drinking and gambling, and making other stupid mistakes.

It would give a strict guideline for player behavior during games, interviews, press interviews, and events so that specific actions could be taken after a player has committed one of these unacceptable behaviors.

So, thats my aim, I know its a pipe dream, but sometimes dreams come true- right?

more to come on CBA's later.

1 comment:

  1. Not only sometimes, but many times dreams come true, especially, at the end of the day, for those most deserving. Think big, Stephanie, think big, bark loud, don't give up. You can change things, even if it is a teensy weensy little bit at a time.

    ReplyDelete