Comments on: Lions start staff furloughs

By: axespray

axespray — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:33:53 +0000

the players are gutless for not accepting the proposed CBA from the owners.

By: smacklayer

smacklayer — Tue, 24 May 2011 02:52:55 +0000

A business is not a charity. If it weren’t for these owners having the business to begin with, these employees would not have these jobs. Yet you condemn them when they need to make tough financial decisions which affect peoples lives.

Would you condemn them if they just kept their money in a bank account and not invested in a business that employs people?

These owners are not sitting back lighting cigars with $100 bills laughing at the employee going home on furloughs. These are people they work with everyday, friends, family, etc. I am sure these decisions are coming from a genuine business motive.

I know this is a foreign concept for people who are lifetime union members and the like, but sometimes business owners need to cut costs if they want their business to succeed. I know you union guys would rather have the business go under before you would ever consider taking a pay cut, but this is a reality. Just look at the INSANE reaction of the unions in Wisconsin when they DARE try to make some VERY reasonable changes to the compensation system there.

Would the players/partners like to pony up some of their cash to avoid furloughs and layoffs?

By: robertallen1958

robertallen1958 — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:33:05 +0000

shian11 says: May 23, 2011 5:38 PM

Again, will someone please explain to me how anyone one in there right mind thinks this would make sense!!
1. Owners are not paying roster bonuses
2. Owners are not paying workout Bonuses
3. Owners are not paying signing bonuses to free agents
4. Owners are not having to pay negoitiators (obviously)
5. Owners ar making more money on raised NFL merchandise

No games have been missed, no tv money has been lost. Why would they need to cut payroll during the offseason if they normally don’t!!

Then again, I am a season ticket holder who already paid for games that may not happen!! At least I know I paid for an actual seat !!

this gentleman is exactly right, teams wouldn’t be doing a whole lot right now anyway, and Gregg Rosenthal your writing is always good as well as the rest of the PFT staff, and @smacklayer, i just hope you never get laid off and have to feed and house you family on what you get from unemployment benefits, and if you don’t like this site no one is twisting your are to come here…..idiot

By: motorcityroar

motorcityroar — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:24:31 +0000

The Players Association union has been dissolved. If I walked out on a contracted job and demanded more revenue from the business owner that hired me without representation by a union, I would not have that job any longer.
There are a lot of people that feel under appreciated and under paid at their current positions. For many Americans that is just a part of life. If you don’t like what you are getting paid and you don’t like your job for the amount of money you are receiving then you should go find a different job.
I work for the government and I am forced to take furlough days just like these team employees. Am I going to threaten my boss and tell him I want more money? I don’t think so.
Yes, the owners are greedy, but is that a news flash to anyone? If players don’t like it then they should buy their own team and give away as much money as they would like (which wouldn’t be much, because they are just as greedy). Until then you have to tow the line, just like millions of other Americans that don’t agree with or even like their bosses. We live in an economic system that rewards greed. It is time to get back to work or get a new job!

By: dewalt2990

dewalt2990 — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:44:06 +0000

This isn’t Ford’s first time around the block when it comes to cost saving. It’s a business. Had they sold out their season tickets like the Saints, it might be a different story. Tough times call for tough measures.

By: ernieernie

ernieernie — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:41:12 +0000

I hate to see this happen but there is a war going on if you will and everyone in the NFL is involved, everyone.
Owners aren’t getting paid, players and now the staff.
Its life get over it.

By: vetdana

vetdana — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:28:15 +0000

Don’t they feel they owe something to the employees who have been loyal to them?

When it comes to money……GREED rules the day !!….Loyalty ?….. What is that and who has some for sale ? The Owners and Players have NONE ! How about FAN loyalty ?? NONE !

By: chatham10

chatham10 — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:17:02 +0000

Will somebody explain to me why the lockout is the main topic? Why did the players walk out? Why did the players dissolve their union? Why didn’t the players come back with a counter offer?

By: spankymcwanky

spankymcwanky — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:10:42 +0000

To me this seems like some kind of violation of business morals and business ethics. The owners are the ones who pulled out of the agreement and instituted a lockout, and knew of the possibility for almost2 YEARS. It’s not like this is September and the games aren’t being played and the TV revenue isn’t coming in. Its freaking May!!! They should have prepared for this. Don’t they feel they owe something to the employees who have been loyal to them?

By: skoobyfl

skoobyfl — Mon, 23 May 2011 22:02:09 +0000

I’m Fairley certain that the $9 Billion a year that the NFL brings in will overcome the % differences.

By: willycents

willycents — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:50:26 +0000

commoncents says:May 23, 2011 4:47 PM

You’re gutless Gregg for not printing comments contrary to your beliefs. I wish some of the staff at PFT would take furlough months, starting with you.
==============================

He printed mine and it definitely was contrary to his beliefs, maybe insensitive language and obsceneties are his bane….lol

By: alewatcher

alewatcher — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:39:09 +0000

Gutless indeed, especially considering the millions the Lions paid Matt Millen to run the team into the ground.

By: shian11

shian11 — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:38:16 +0000

No games have been missed, no tv money has been lost. Why would they need to cut payroll during the offseason if they normally don’t!!

Then again, I am a season ticket holder who already paid for games that may not happen!! At least I know I paid for an actual seat !!

By: jamie54

jamie54 — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:21:43 +0000

Waiting for PFT to start their furloughs. I mean what, really, do you report on? Over 50% of your content is innuendo and insinuation or fluff articles filling space. Bye bye.

By: klunge

klunge — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:12:38 +0000

PFT should furlough Rosenthal and give us all a break from his so-called “reporting”.

By: willycents

willycents — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:11:48 +0000

“More and more NFL owners are making their employees pay for their mismanagement.”

Sounds like this “mismanagement” should be investigated further. Gregg, please provide us with the details of this. In fact, even provide us with some conjecture if you don’t have details. Or, what the hell, just invent some, and explain what a more astute businessman you are than the owners and point out how you would run the Lions differently and make them a more successful business.

waiting….waiting…..

By: bigdan7885

bigdan7885 — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:10:35 +0000

Fairley Furlough over here…

By: ballen7

ballen7 — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:06:57 +0000

Sounds like the kind of stuff Judge Nelson was talking about.

By: joeyballgame4

joeyballgame4 — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:06:52 +0000

well they still owe $350 million for the “luxurious Ford field”, and now all the employees can join the rest of detroit on the unemployment list…

By: btownbucfan

btownbucfan — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:05:23 +0000

This lockout is going to far.

Like we’re supposed to believe the Lion’s are hurting so bad they have to take money from their own employees?

Not everyone has millions in the bank. Many of these victims are hard working folks just trying to make ends meet.

By: smacklayer

smacklayer — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:00:43 +0000

Who are you to all these teams gutless or mismanaging their teams? Have you ever run a business? Unfortunately businesses need to make cuts in staff occasionally. The Lions and Cardinals are not giant money makers like Dallas or New England.

No employee (players included) is ever guaranteed employement, especially in difficult economic times amidst a labor problem. Your emotionally based opinion simply strip you of all credibility in my opinion. The good news is that these people still have jobs to com back to.

Secondly most states allow you to get some type of unemployement compensation for these types of furloughs. So please, leave your bleeding heart liberal bias at the door. We all know this site reeks of siding with labor and players, but your silly sophmore idealistic labor jabs just make your writing subpar.

By: steelerrc

steelerrc — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:58:14 +0000

The longer this lockout goes, the worse the owners look……

By: 2mannings1cup

2mannings1cup — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Still a team on the rise, but this is just bad publicity. Its too bad we are having to see thisd happening.

By: seatown12

seatown12 — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:53:51 +0000

wow even the GM n coaches? This is bad bad bad for everybody. This ship is sinkin faster n faster

By: chatham10

chatham10 — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:52:37 +0000

Gregg, just join the players bandwagon, it suits you fine.

By: alewinsk

alewinsk — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:52:04 +0000

How is it that the Lions are all of a sudden interested in saving money?

If I were an employee being furloughed, knowing full well all the money that was wasted on people like Joey Harrington and Matt Millen, I would sure be annoyed.

By: cleanslaton

cleanslaton — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:50:19 +0000

Before furloughs, they should’ve tried getting some of that Matt Millen money back. He seems pretty dumb (based on his moves as GM), so maybe they could steal it back with the ol’, ‘Hey Matt, look over there–’ trick.

By: commoncents

commoncents — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:47:32 +0000

You’re gutless Gregg for not printing comments contrary to your beliefs. I wish some of the staff at PFT would take furlough months, starting with you.

By: lionsmaverick

lionsmaverick — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:46:58 +0000

The lockout is really beginning to hurt teams like the Lions. They are up-and-coming, and should have had an offseason full of building the strengths that everyone saw last year and fixing the weaknesses to alow them to creep into contention.

Especially in a city economically as hurting as Detroit, this lockout needs to end…