EVENT: NFLPA UStream Event Location

[MoLewisrocks]

I doubt that was Ian's intent. He's just doing what all fans and fan sites do when anyone expresses an interest in talking to them...they get excited and think it means they matter. If this event comes off it will be the same double talk canned responses (rhetoric) as all the lucky folks who got to attend that ask the Commish meet and greet got.

Bert Breer drew the short straw at NFLN so he is getting to stand outside the DC location and monitor the comings and goings and can elicit no responses or gleen any insight beyond they are sharing a catered 6' sub for lunch as we speak and if we can find out how that was split % wise we may have some indication if any progress is being made...LOL

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I doubt that was Ian's intent. He's just doing what all fans and fan sites do when anyone expresses an interest in talking to them...they get excited and think it means they matter. If this event comes off it will be the same double talk canned responses (rhetoric) as all the lucky folks who got to attend that ask the Commish meet and greet got.

...

Perhaps, but "Block the Lockout, Let us Play" sure sounds like taking sides to me. Just sayin'.

I think of the Board as a place where smart and opinionated people come to disagree, sometimes heatedly. Taking sides during one of the most important moments in the League's history isn't what it's usually been about.

 

[Ian]

So, is the board coming down 100% with the players in this? I don't have a dog in this hunt from either side, but I do think each side has merit in what it is saying. Count me out if you're putting the board behind one view or the other.

That's where I'm at also.

Perhaps, but "Block the Lockout, Let us Play" sure sounds like taking sides to me. Just sayin'.

I think of the Board as a place where smart and opinionated people come to disagree, sometimes heatedly. Taking sides during one of the most important moments in the League's history isn't what it's usually been about.

I'm not taking sides. I thought it was interesting that they decided to get the fans involved, and they had requested I (along with many other NFL fan sites) arrange an event to watch the broadcast. I had wanted to do something like this and it gave me a decent reason to do so, and they just happened to send me the shirts to hand out for people who want one.

Trust me, I have issues with both sides. So I am curious to see how/if they answer some of the questions we submitted and want to hear some of the responses, especially if Smith is present for this.

Ian

 

[PATSNUTme]

Just got back from a weekend trip to Burlington,VT. I'm saddle sore from all the driving, so I won't make the event.

How about a box of tee's that read:

"Billionaires vs Millionaires: Dear God, please make it stop!"

 

[Ian]

I doubt that was Ian's intent. He's just doing what all fans and fan sites do when anyone expresses an interest in talking to them...they get excited and think it means they matter. If this event comes off it will be the same double talk canned responses (rhetoric) as all the lucky folks who got to attend that ask the Commish meet and greet got.

That's not exactly true, I'd actually say I was more intrigued than excited. Although it was a good excuse to bring some people together and I thought it was interesting that they're taking questions from fans on some of the issues. I was glad that we were the ones who had the chance to have some people from here submit questions and be able to be heard. Now I'm more curious to find out how much they let on tomorrow and whether or not they answer some of the tougher questions that were submitted from here - we'll see if that happens.

Everyone's got the UStream link - which was in the previous post. We'll be running the broadcast and the audio through the screens at the restaurant, and I'll be interested to see what topics are discussed. Although also I'm looking forward to hopefully meeting and spending some time from some of the people from here. I've gotten a bunch of e-mails, PM's etc. from people going, so it should hopefully be a good time. :eat3:

Ian

 

[PatsFanSince74]

That's where I'm at also.




I'm not taking sides. I thought it was interesting that they decided to get the fans involved, and they had requested I (along with many other NFL fan sites) arrange an event to watch the broadcast. I had wanted to do something like this and it gave me a decent reason to do so, and they just happened to send me the shirts to hand out for people who want one.

Trust me, I have issues with both sides. So I am curious to see how/if they answer some of the questions we submitted and want to hear some of the responses, especially if Smith is present for this.

Ian

You're on thin ice.

The way I see it, you're giving voice to one side as it tries to circumvent the media blackout via third parties, in this case, via this Board. By your publicizing the event and giving a market for the slogan, you're taking sides, however you might rationalize it.

I've been around national media markets. You're being used. I stand by my post.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

...

"Billionaires vs Millionaires: Dear God, please make it stop!"

That I can agree with.

 

[JMarr]

You're on thin ice.

The way I see it, you're giving voice to one side as it tries to circumvent the media blackout via third parties, in this case, via this Board. By your publicizing the event and giving a market for the slogan, you're taking sides, however you might rationalize it.

I've been around national media markets. You're being used. I stand by my post.

So what? Most of the fans here are not multi-billiionaires and thus are naturally to be a tad more sympathetic with the players' "plight." IMO neither side has entirely clean hands, but because of the TV revenue situation, the owners hold all the cards this time and are acting like it. So screw em.

Any true fan of this game is more a fan of its players than of the suits who happen to have enough money to own professional sports teams.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

So what? Most of the fans here are not multi-billiionaires and thus are naturally to be a tad more sympathetic with the players' "plight." IMO neither side has entirely clean hands, but because of the TV revenue situation, the owners hold all the cards this time and are acting like it. So screw em.

Any true fan of this game is more a fan of its players than of the suits who happen to have enough money to own professional sports teams.

I actually agree with some of what you say, but the Board itself shouldn't be coming down on either side. I'll stick by that.

 

[Ian]

You're on thin ice.

The way I see it, you're giving voice to one side as it tries to circumvent the media blackout via third parties, in this case, via this Board. By your publicizing the event and giving a market for the slogan, you're taking sides, however you might rationalize it.

I've been around national media markets. You're being used. I stand by my post.

I'm not debating the fact they obviously used me to reach out to fans and have people submit questions and to make people aware of what they're doing today - clearly that was the case. And they're not circumventing the media blackout via this board, they're doing it on UStream. They e-mailed me and as a result I let everyone know they were doing it, and at their request I gathered questions from people who are looking for answers. There were many people, including people like Miguel and others who are trying to get a better understanding regarding some of the demands that they're making. I doubt that anyone here (myself included) who watch it are going to be naive enough to not realize whether or not they're just feeding fans nonsense depending on what they say.

All of us are concerned about the potential of a work-stoppage, and we want football next season. I'm like everyone else and can't imagine not having games on Sundays. Let's face it, it's going to be bad enough not having free agency start on time, let alone the season. Not to mention the fact that after all the time and effort and $$ I put into upgrading the site to run smoothly on gamedays, it's going to be extremely frustrating if - after all that - there aren't any games being played next year.

Had someone from the owner's side come forward and done something similar, I would have done the same thing - and still would. I really don't care about either as long as there's football next year. I suppose had I not organized a gathering and just wrote an article about the fact they were doing it - you might feel differently. Reading your comments regarding the T-shirts they sent, I get what you're saying - so I do understand your reasoning there.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I'm not debating the fact they obviously used me to reach out to fans and have people submit questions and to make people aware of what they're doing today - clearly that was the case. And they're not circumventing the media blackout via this board, they're doing it on UStream. They e-mailed me and as a result I let everyone know they were doing it, and at their request I gathered questions from people who are looking for answers. There were many people, including people like Miguel and others who are trying to get a better understanding regarding some of the demands that they're making. I doubt that anyone here (myself included) who watch it are going to be naive enough to not realize whether or not they're just feeding fans nonsense depending on what they say.

All of us are concerned about the potential of a work-stoppage, and we want football next season. I'm like everyone else and can't imagine not having games on Sundays. Let's face it, it's going to be bad enough not having free agency start on time, let alone the season. Not to mention the fact that after all the time and effort and $$ I put into upgrading the site to run smoothly on gamedays, it's going to be extremely frustrating if - after all that - there aren't any games being played next year.

Had someone from the owner's side come forward and done something similar, I would have done the same thing - and still would. I really don't care about either as long as there's football next year. I suppose had I not organized a gathering and just wrote an article about the fact they were doing it - you might feel differently. Reading your comments regarding the T-shirts they sent, I get what you're saying - so I do understand your reasoning there.

thanks for the lengthy response. i take your points. let's see if the meeting can become an opportunity for real communication if the NFLPA feels that the environment is "friendly."

It would be a big plus if the NFLPA comes away from the meeting feeling not that they have been to a "rally," but rather that they have learned that there's not a lot of sympathy in the fanbase across the country or on this board for either side. It will be very beneficial if they hear that while people understand how tough the economy is both on those who are trying to earn a living and on those who are trying to run a business, that those same people have little patience for greed from owners or unreasonable demands by players.

This is a case of people with a lot of invested capital and people with a lot of invested talent trying to find a fairly balanced distribution of wealth. i am completely empathetic with the Krafts and other owners who put their names on the paper to pay for a stadium and surrounding venues and who do it without making state or local officials float huge revenue bonds. that's probably why i reacted to some of the stuff on page one of this thread.

 

[Miguel]

Just want to thank Ian for arranging this.

 

[Deus Irae]

I actually agree with some of what you say, but the Board itself shouldn't be coming down on either side. I'll stick by that.

It's Ian's board. If he wants to come down on one side or another, that's his decision to make.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I'm not debating the fact they obviously used me to reach out to fans and have people submit questions and to make people aware of what they're doing today - clearly that was the case. And they're not circumventing the media blackout via this board, they're doing it on UStream. They e-mailed me and as a result I let everyone know they were doing it, and at their request I gathered questions from people who are looking for answers. There were many people, including people like Miguel and others who are trying to get a better understanding regarding some of the demands that they're making. I doubt that anyone here (myself included) who watch it are going to be naive enough to not realize whether or not they're just feeding fans nonsense depending on what they say.

All of us are concerned about the potential of a work-stoppage, and we want football next season. I'm like everyone else and can't imagine not having games on Sundays. Let's face it, it's going to be bad enough not having free agency start on time, let alone the season. Not to mention the fact that after all the time and effort and $$ I put into upgrading the site to run smoothly on gamedays, it's going to be extremely frustrating if - after all that - there aren't any games being played next year.

Had someone from the owner's side come forward and done something similar, I would have done the same thing - and still would. I really don't care about either as long as there's football next year. I suppose had I not organized a gathering and just wrote an article about the fact they were doing it - you might feel differently. Reading your comments regarding the T-shirts they sent, I get what you're saying - so I do understand your reasoning there.

Makes sense. Yeah the T slogans were mild propaganda but we're fans, not folks responsible for deciding this mess. I have zero problem with Ian and the board here.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

It's Ian's board. If he wants to come down on one side or another, that's his decision to make.

Agreed.

I'd also add that anyone who disagrees isn't being banned or treated differently either. Simply put, there's an event sponsored by one side. If you want to go, go. If you don't, don't. Not sure what the big deal is.

Oh but there are free t-shirts!!! :bricks:

As far as I know, Ian is not a judge or the leader of a democratic nation (apologies if he is). His decisions don't change laws or force people to change their lives. This isn't an assault on democracy or freedom or anything like that. It's just an event put on by the NFLPA for fans who may be interested linked by a football message board.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

So...any earthshattering enlightenment from the NFLPA or was the first half hour I caught about the extent of it...a low level PR stunt hosted by the NFLPA press secretary and a couple of community relations guys...patting each other and their employer on the back. Not sure how many fans attended live events but the highpoint watching the internet stream in the first half hour was about 78 of us...

 

[PatsFanSince74]

It's Ian's board. If he wants to come down on one side or another, that's his decision to make.

Of course it is. And those of us who post on the board and give it our support can express our politely-stated agreement or disagreement with that decision.