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Rishard Matthews and the modern NFL player


Mr. WEO

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https://deadspin.com/rishard-matthews-retires-from-nfl-is-happy-to-leave-be-1837189893

 

Here's a guy, 7th rounder, bounced around for 7 years yet made almost 15 million dollars (that's $170K per game and $67K per catch!) ---and upon "retiring" he decides to dump on the sport that made him more money than he earned. 

 

Mind you, this was the guy who, last year after signing a 1 year extension with the Titans, demanded a release due to lack of playing time--after week 3!!  The Titans granted him that request.

 

Just look at that BS he put on Instagram.  "Brainwashing"!!

 

A lot of these guys are really bad adults.

 

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35 minutes ago, Logic said:

I just read his Instagram post, and I had absolutely no problem with it. He makes lots of great points.

?‍♂️

 

 

Which ones?

 

He's referencing racial prejudice, envy of his teammates, brainwashing and (most laughably) income inequity.

Edited by Mr. WEO
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7 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

Which ones?

 

He's referencing racial prejudice, envy of his teammates, brainwashing and (most laughably) income inequity.


The one about the NFL owners -- who are already wealthy -- paying only a tiny percentage of their profits to the guys who actually lay their lives on the line for peoples' entertainment.

The one about racial inequality in America.

The one about there being so much ego and "fakeness" that it's hard to remember who you are.

The one about the money he's making no longer being worth the amount of time he has to spend away from his family.

I'm not asking you to agree with me or with Matthews. I'm just telling you that I think he makes salient points, and I have no problems with anything he wrote.

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1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

https://deadspin.com/rishard-matthews-retires-from-nfl-is-happy-to-leave-be-1837189893

 

Here's a guy, 7th rounder, bounced around for 7 years yet made almost 15 million dollars (that's $170K per game and $67K per catch!) ---and upon "retiring" he decides to dump on the sport that made him more money than he earned. 

 

Mind you, this was the guy who, last year after signing a 1 year extension with the Titans, demanded a release due to lack of playing time--after week 3!!  The Titans granted him that request.

 

Just look at that BS he put on Instagram.  "Brainwashing"!!

 

A lot of these guys are really bad adults.

 

We, as fans, have absolutely no clue what goes on within an organization behind closed doors...and we never will.

 

He earned that money by putting his body on the line for our enjoyment, just like every player does every Sunday.

 

So he demanded to be in a better position to contribute and earn his money...meanwhile coaches, GMs and owners cut guys all the time to save money.

This all begs the question, "who the hell are we to judge these guys?" (For anything they do or say, especially after retirement.)

"Bad adult." Seriously, worry about yourself. For you to worry about what another man says, or does, makes you an immature/insecure adult.


Good on him for making his money...and for having the balls to speak out about how f***ed up the NFL can be, it's nice to see someone do it.

Edited by JustWinPlease
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I've read a few of his posts.  He seems like a thoughtful, well-intentioned young man.  

 

Though I don't necessarily agree with every opinion.  If I had been talented and dedicated enough to play in the NFL, I think I have had a more positive attitude about it than he does.   But as Sean Peyton says, "It's not for everyone."     I wish him only luck in his future endeavors.  

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24 minutes ago, Logic said:


The one about the NFL owners -- who are already wealthy -- paying only a tiny percentage of their profits to the guys who actually lay their lives on the line for peoples' entertainment.

 

this is ludicrous. don't they pay close to 50% of revenues to players?

 

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meh  - sands the "putting your body on the line" (which isn't a secret BTW) he just described...  a job

 

the consequence model here is making hundreds to thousands to millions and what's required; he's in the latter and doing that off the talent god gave him, he made the choice and organized football has been quite predictable for many years; he made his bed, slept in it and made $15mm - my sympathy is lacking here...

 

he realizes the $$ wasnt worth it - ok a mature statement but he's still walking away with it still; i challenge him to give it all to charity and go find a job (desk, field) and earn a salary then come back and give me his words of wisdom.

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1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

https://deadspin.com/rishard-matthews-retires-from-nfl-is-happy-to-leave-be-1837189893

 

Here's a guy, 7th rounder, bounced around for 7 years yet made almost 15 million dollars (that's $170K per game and $67K per catch!) ---and upon "retiring" he decides to dump on the sport that made him more money than he earned. 

 

Mind you, this was the guy who, last year after signing a 1 year extension with the Titans, demanded a release due to lack of playing time--after week 3!!  The Titans granted him that request.

 

Just look at that BS he put on Instagram.  "Brainwashing"!!

 

A lot of these guys are really bad adults.

 

I don’t disagree at all. But we live in world where politicians act like bigger children than athletes.  Why do we have higher standards for guys who play a sport?

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28 minutes ago, Logic said:


The one about the NFL owners -- who are already wealthy -- paying only a tiny percentage of their profits to the guys who actually lay their lives on the line for peoples' entertainment.

The one about racial inequality in America.

The one about there being so much ego and "fakeness" that it's hard to remember who you are.

The one about the money he's making no longer being worth the amount of time he has to spend away from his family.

I'm not asking you to agree with me or with Matthews. I'm just telling you that I think he makes salient points, and I have no problems with anything he wrote.

 

The flipside is what would Matthews' employment options be if not for the NFL?

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15 minutes ago, Logic said:


The one about the NFL owners -- who are already wealthy -- paying only a tiny percentage of their profits to the guys who actually lay their lives on the line for peoples' entertainment.

The one about racial inequality in America.

The one about there being so much ego and "fakeness" that it's hard to remember who you are.

The one about the money he's making no longer being worth the amount of time he has to spend away from his family.

I'm not asking you to agree with me or with Matthews. I'm just telling you that I think he makes salient points, and I have no problems with anything he wrote.

 

He's not commenting on this country's income inequality--he's commenting on the inequity between what the teams' make and what they have paid him.  And it's not a "small %"--it's half of the revenue (far better players get more of it, bro).  As for "actually" "laying their lives on the line"--they actually don't.  They choose to make millions of dollars playing a game that millions of others play for free at many levels.  There are many people who, in their real jobs, "actually" lay their lives on the line (I'm sure you can think of a few, no?), not for entertainment, but for the good of others---and they will earn a "small %" in a lifetime what Matthews averaged in a year.

 

As far as race and Ego--he is actually complaining about other black teammates who have "too much Ego to even understand that someone has the same skin as you"--so there's a dig at the guys he plays with, tinged with jealousy.

 

He seems to have just woken up to the fact that he got paid a ton of money to be an entertainer---and he's upset about this?  HE was "brainwashed"?  When he got a nice contract from the Titans and then he complained because he wasn't getting ENOUGH entertaining?  He demanded a release so he could have MORE brainwashing from yet another team?  Teams and teammates not looking kindly on his "what about me" attitude is evidence of "brainwashing" and "dividing of culture"?  What culture is he referring to?

 

The lament about being away from his family is the only legit beef in that bratty screed.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

He's not commenting on this country's income inequality--he's commenting on the inequity between what the teams' make and what they have paid him.  And it's not a "small %"--it's half of the revenue (far better players get more of it, bro).  As for "actually" "laying their lives on the line"--they actually don't.  They choose to make millions of dollars playing a game that millions of others play for free at many levels.  There are many people who, in their real jobs, "actually" lay their lives on the line (I'm sure you can think of a few, no?), not for entertainment, but for the good of others---and they will earn a "small %" in a lifetime what Matthews averaged in a year.

 

As far as race and Ego--he is actually complaining about other black teammates who have "too much Ego to even understand that someone has the same skin as you"--so there's a dig at the guys he plays with, tinged with jealousy.

 

He seems to have just woken up to the fact that he got paid a ton of money to be an entertainer---and he's upset about this?  HE was "brainwashed"?  When he got a nice contract from the Titans and then he complained because he wasn't getting ENOUGH entertaining?  He demanded a release so he could have MORE brainwashing from yet another team?  Teams and teammates not looking kindly on his "what about me" attitude is evidence of "brainwashing" and "dividing of culture"?  What culture is he referring to?

 

The lament about being away from his family is the only legit beef in that bratty screed.

 

 

 

My beef is it's awfully easy to gripe AFTER you've made more money before 30 than most people would make in a lifetime.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

this is ludicrous. don't they pay close to 50% of revenues to players?

 


48% of the revenue goes to the players, yes. 

But that still means that 52% of the profits are being split between 32 men, while the other 48% is being split between 1,696 players. 

4 minutes ago, GG said:

 

The flipside is what would Matthews' employment options be if not for the NFL?


I have no idea. How could we know that?

3 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

He's not commenting on this country's income inequality--he's commenting on the inequity between what the teams' make and what they have paid him.  And it's not a "small %"--it's half of the revenue (far better players get more of it, bro).  As for "actually" "laying their lives on the line"--they actually don't.  They choose to make millions of dollars playing a game that millions of others play for free at many levels.  There are many people who, in their real jobs, "actually" lay their lives on the line (I'm sure you can think of a few, no?), not for entertainment, but for the good of others---and they will earn a "small %" in a lifetime what Matthews averaged in a year.

 

As far as race and Ego--he is actually complaining about other black teammates who have "too much Ego to even understand that someone has the same skin as you"--so there's a dig at the guys he plays with, tinged with jealousy.

 

He seems to have just woken up to the fact that he got paid a ton of money to be an entertainer---and he's upset about this?  HE was "brainwashed"?  When he got a nice contract from the Titans and then he complained because he wasn't getting ENOUGH entertaining?  He demanded a release so he could have MORE brainwashing from yet another team?  Teams and teammates not looking kindly on his "what about me" attitude is evidence of "brainwashing" and "dividing of culture"?  What culture is he referring to?

 

The lament about being away from his family is the only legit beef in that bratty screed.

 

 


Fair enough. I respect your opinions. As I said, I'm not looking for you to agree with Matthews, or to approve of MY agreeing with Matthews.

You know what they say about opinions...

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3 minutes ago, Logic said:


48% of the revenue goes to the players, yes. 

But that still means that 52% of the profits are being split between 32 men, while the other 48% is being split between 1,696 players. 

 

 

Welcome to the world of business.

 

And that's a VERY fair split compared to most jobs, some of which are more hazardous than football.

 

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Weo,  football is not some holy thing to not be spoken against, it is just as filled with crappy people and situations  as the rest of society, even more so on some levels, calm yourself, the guy makes very valid points.  The NFL owners are not greedily rich for no reason.  Do you always get this upset when someone speaks out against their employers actions or methods? If you do so you shouldn’t. 

 

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3 minutes ago, Logic said:


48% of the revenue goes to the players, yes. 

But that still means that 52% of the profits are being split between 32 men, while the other 48% is being split between 1,696 players. 

 

Don't misuse revenues with profits.  Players get the share of topline revenues.  Owners get a bigger share of topline revenues, but they bear the full cost of franchise operations.  The profit is nowhere near 52%.  Many franchises are not profitable on a cash basis.

 

3 minutes ago, Logic said:


I have no idea. How could we know that?

 

 

Extrapolate his high school and college grades to real world earning potential.

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The man has the right to walk away and speak his mind. Although it always seems classier to keep it short and sweet when departing IMO.

 

We all go though our own trials and tribulations. Its a personal journey. For him he didn't like being a part of the NFL anymore and gave his reasons. Now will he feel the same way 10 years from now ?....  Yes the money made is under appreciated by many athletes but the toll on the body and the mind is probably greatly under estimated by Armchair QB's. 

We all have to make the decisions that are best for us at any given moment on our timeline. Hopefully he made the right one for himself.

Edited by ddaryl
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