The NFL’s Divide-and-Conquer Approach
Roger the Hutt and Princess Jane (click to enlarge)
Now that the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) has taken center stage in the negotiations between the NFL and NFLPA, it’s getting down and dirty between the owners and the players and the war of words is heating up between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. And naturally, the old divide-and-conquer approach that worked in the past is getting rolled out again in an attempt to pit active and retired players on opposite sides of the fence by making “offerings of peace.”
So recently, the NFL announced its new Spinal Treatment Program (read about that in an earlier post HERE) to add to last year’s phenomenally successful – albeit relatively unused – Hip Replacement Program from which Dave received a whopping $517.63 for over $100,000 of surgery and rehab! (Dave’s going in for more spine surgery next month.) Roger must have been inspired by his short-lived Revival Meetings with retired players to listen to what was most important to retired players (Duh! Like no one knew!).
Some days, you can relate this whole saga to the long-running Star Wars series of Good against Evil and the rebellious Jedi warriors against the ominous Empire: an unlikely band of retired players going up against the money and power of a corrupt and overwhelming group of owners and old guard bent on destroying them. Boy – can we have a field day with this one! So for a quiet Friday, we present Roger the Hutt and his captive – or captivating – Princess Jane, conspiring on how to divide the insurgent rebels (with apologies to Jabba the Hutt and George Lucas). Who would you choose for which roles?
