Are You Ready For Some Football?

It has been a summer full of headaches for NFL Commissioner Roger
Goodell and his associates. Fortunately, some quick thinking by the NFL
owners turned the players into the enemy in the fans' eyes – possibly
resulting in the two sides reaching a deal soon.

In what has become a summer long chess match between the NFL's players and owners, it looks like the world is finally ready for some football.

And for the players, it's checkmate.

Using the shrewd tactic of appealing to the fans – something the players should have done a long time ago – the owners of the various clubs managed to get a stronghold on a situation that's has gotten almost out of control.

With the NFLPA still looking over the contract – a contract that includes a 14-year labor agreement to keep a lockout from happening for several years – the players now have a choice. Do they accept the bargain as is – ensuring there will be an NFL season – or do they reject it and possibly lose the loyal support of their most prized possession, the fans?

Either way, the players lack of action has put them between a rock and a hard place – not that many Regular Joes would sympathize with then multi-million dollar athletes anyway.

Its sad, really. If you look at the strikes in Major League Baseball, and the NBA lockout, every time it seems like the players turn into public enemy No. 1. When in reality, we should sympathize with them more. While they're paid massive salaries, they are only able to work a few years before their career is over.

I honestly believe that the players want to play the game – they just don't want to do it for peanuts like circus animals. They have been dying to get in the weight room and lace up the pads all summer. Now, the time has come for them to decide if they can work with the owners and get this thing straightened out.

And should that happen, I shall echo my fellow herd of NFL fans when I say, "It's about time!"