Who would have thought that the Good Lord would call an end around?
Ever since Scott Walker “dropped the bomb” to curtail collective bargaining rights for most public workers (and I don’t
know how many times I have typed or quoted that line in the past 19 months) divisiveness and protest have erupted on the streets, in the legislature, in the courts. But, who would have predicted how this war could have spread to the most intentionally apolitical, corporate driven fantasy (they even promote that!) – the Naitional Football League? I mean this is like a scene from the movie “Borat”.
The NFL goes to great lengths to keep politics out of the corporate sponsors free fall of fantasy where men with deep voices give manly accolades to big trucks and where shiny happy people gather around high top tables, laughing and joking under the influence of their favorite beer. Politics would just ruin everything for them. One stance on an issue by the NFL could result in the drop off of sponsorship of corporations who thrive on the fantasy of a world of shiny happy football fans.
Fans go “All Wisconsin” on the NFL
Green Bay loses their game against Seattle because of a series of absolutely ludicrous plays so bad, Seattle should have forfeited out of principle.
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Union-Busting GOP Governor Scott Walker Demands Return Of Unionized NFL Referees
The National Football League’s decision to lock out its unionized officials at the beginning of this season has had serious consequences, as the incompetence of the replacement referees has jeopardized player safety, led to obvious mistakes, and drawn criticism from fans, the media, coaches, and players. And now, elected officials are getting their jabs in too. After the Green Bay Packers were robbed of a win by an blown call during Monday Night Football, union-busting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) — a Packers fan — took to Twitter this morning to demanded the return of the league’s unionized officials: |
Will “Union Busting” break the apolitical bubble of NFL football?
Only some higher power could have orchestrated the mysterious turn of coincidence that has come to haunt the NFL. After an unholy trinity of weeks underscoring the incompetence of the non-union stand-in refs – they seem to have thrown a game against the Packers – the team from the State of Wisconsin, the State of “Union Busting” Scott Walker – the State that is the birthplace of the collective bargaining law! Who could have planned this?
Face book, Twitter, and cyberspace is filled with early rumblings of revolt
Below is a smattering of chat on the morning after the game:
| Nick Nice: It would be nice if everyone who’s bitching about the scab refs (& it’s literally my entire feed right now) cared this much about teachers b/c it’s all connected. When you try to break a union like the NFL is attempting to do, this is what happens. And while we’re not there yet the continued attacks on public education are forcing many good teachers to retire or seek other work while the new ones are the equivalent of these scab refs. Get your priorities straight. Football is just a game. Education is our reality & future. |
| Deb Christianson Don’t think one week will do it. NFL digging their heels in over ref pensions. It’s apparently a right to work sport. |
| Dean Witman Shred your No. 12 jersey and mail what’s left to Mark Murphy at 1265 Lombardi Avenue. Write Aaron a letter asking him why he is playing with scabs, that is, why HE is a scab. |
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I just signed a petition to Steve Bornstein, President and CEO of the NFL: The signers of this petition have pledged to boycott watching the NFL until an agreement with the striking referees is met. Not watching the NFL until the real officials are rehired and their demands are met signon.org |
| Heidi Vote-Obama Waddell Why does this get National Attention while striking workers, occupy movements, solidarity singers and others denied first amendment rights gets none? We obviously need to tie our interest to feed, educate, and provide medical help and homes for those in need to the NFL. Maybe they can also help the veterans. |
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Kathy Brady George Corneliusson — NFL SPONSORS: Please contact them and let them know how you feel. Your Lockout of the NFL Referees and the Negative Impact on Football |
| Perry Buck Workers who can organize and bargain collectively do the best work. I guess that is why Washington State is the most heavily unionized state in the country and Wisconsin is –Fitzwalkerstan. Just saw what Act 10 did to my wife’s health insurance here and I can’t wait to move back out there. So long, suckers! |
All this against the backdrop of the strike-down of the Wisconsin law
Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen filed the administration’s request for an appeal on Tuesday this week and asked Judge Colas for a stay on the (unconstitutionality of the) ruling. Van Holen said, “At some point, the litigation over Act 10 will be over and there will be a definitive answer as to whether it meets the requirements of state and federal constitutions. In the meantime, it does not serve the public interest for parts of the law to be invalidated only to have them restored on appeal.”
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http://dgjigvacl6ipj.cloudfront.net/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf
Watch Van Hollen discusses appeal of Act 10 ruling on PBS. See more from Here and Now. |
It all makes for a Political Superbowl
God, grant me the power to change the things I can. (and all your help)
Now that the NFL has caused the fans to go “All Wisconsin” on the lockout of union refs, we have all the makings for a bust in the bubble of the corporate fantasia. Will the union players finally take a stand and support their stripped union brothers? Does this revolt of fans threaten to break the apolitical mission of the NFL. Did the lockout color the collective bargaining court case in favor of the unions?
Stay tuned!
fitzwalkerstan 