In the grand scheme of things, the lockout of the NFL players is a trivial blip. The disaster in Japan, the famine in Africa, and the destruction of the American Dream by the Corporate Tea Party are more important than football, and will fundamentally impact world history.
But many of us are football fans. We enjoy watching the Eagles make their annual futile attempt to garner Super Bowl rings. Rumor has it that there are even some fans of the Giants and Jets in New Jersey.
Certainly, the NFL provides an economic boost to the cities in which it plays - an important factor in these troubled economic times. So how can today’s labor-management impasse be resolved?
Ex NFL offensive player and current Congressman Jon Runyan should step in and personally take charge of the negotiations. He’s in an ideal position to do so. As a player, he understands the difficult labor issues facing these future millionaires in their short careers. As a congressman and a student at the world-renowned Wharton Business School, he understands the “management” side of the issues.
It’s difficult for a freshman congressman to make an impact. But Runyan has a golden opportunity to do so by rolling up his sleeves, bringing both parties to the table, and using his legendary toughness along with the “kindler, gentler” Jon that he espoused during his campaign, to come up with a solution that’s fair to both sides.
Some may say that this would be too ambitious - after all, Runyan’s full-time job is that of a congressman, and diverting his attention to resolving the NFL labor dispute would be too much. But during the campaign, Runyan showed himself to be a hard worker, and if he misses a some sessions in Congress, so what? He always votes lock-step with the GOP majority, so a few missed votes won’t make a difference.
So come on, Jon. Show us that you can accomplish something positive. Use your political capital and football connections to bring both sides together and negotiate a settlement. Hire someone to take care of your donkey farm for a few weeks. And let me watch your former team disappoint me on Sunday afternoons this Fall.
But many of us are football fans. We enjoy watching the Eagles make their annual futile attempt to garner Super Bowl rings. Rumor has it that there are even some fans of the Giants and Jets in New Jersey.
Certainly, the NFL provides an economic boost to the cities in which it plays - an important factor in these troubled economic times. So how can today’s labor-management impasse be resolved?
Ex NFL offensive player and current Congressman Jon Runyan should step in and personally take charge of the negotiations. He’s in an ideal position to do so. As a player, he understands the difficult labor issues facing these future millionaires in their short careers. As a congressman and a student at the world-renowned Wharton Business School, he understands the “management” side of the issues.
It’s difficult for a freshman congressman to make an impact. But Runyan has a golden opportunity to do so by rolling up his sleeves, bringing both parties to the table, and using his legendary toughness along with the “kindler, gentler” Jon that he espoused during his campaign, to come up with a solution that’s fair to both sides.
Some may say that this would be too ambitious - after all, Runyan’s full-time job is that of a congressman, and diverting his attention to resolving the NFL labor dispute would be too much. But during the campaign, Runyan showed himself to be a hard worker, and if he misses a some sessions in Congress, so what? He always votes lock-step with the GOP majority, so a few missed votes won’t make a difference.
So come on, Jon. Show us that you can accomplish something positive. Use your political capital and football connections to bring both sides together and negotiate a settlement. Hire someone to take care of your donkey farm for a few weeks. And let me watch your former team disappoint me on Sunday afternoons this Fall.
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