Loyalty or Royalties

Brian Dawkins was the ideal player to retire from your organization. He fought hard on every down, motivated teammates by not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. He was a leader on AND off the field. He is what EVERY owner and coach dreams of. He was a great player who also has great character and leadership ability. Jerry Rice is the G.O.A.T. No question in your heart and mind. When people say at the end of the day who is the GREATEST WR to play the game of football, his name is the first to populate thoughts. He gave San Francisco 15 pro seasons, numerous super bowl rings and made 2 quarterbacks hall of famers. What do they have in common? They were both released by the team that they led to glory. What owners, general managers, and coaches are doing is a disgrace. And it is not pledging an allegiance to the players as the players are pledging allegiance to what is the success of their organization and more importantly to them, their jobs…. Numerous players play with injuries, taking the numerous risks on every play going across the middle of the field where killers are lurking to knock them into next week. They carry the ball 300+ times a season, get abused 89% of the time they touch the ball. They sacrifice family time to train, many creating rifts in their marriage in order to be the BEST they can be at any given moment for that team. They give everything in them for that one sack to save the game, that one game saving tackle, that one 4^th down stance, that one completion between 4 defenders, that one catch on the tiptoes to stay in bounds. They give their undying loyalty to their teammates, the owners, the fans their organizations. They are the face of the franchise for numerous years. What are you rewarded with? A call to your agent telling you, “Thank You for the years, but your services are no longer needed.” Then are thrown to the wolves to play for ½ of what they FEEL they are worth. Sounds familiar? Sounds like what LT is going thru right now with San Diego, right? He was the best running back in the league, now people are evaluating his effectiveness because of his age and his mileage. Seriously NFL, are you really doing this to a future hall of famer?The NFL as well as its owners are profiting for these players giving everything they have for their team. They are the face of the NFL on billboards, posters, and community service initiatives. They are selling jerseys with that player name on the back of their TEAM’S jersey. Then when that player is traded, that jersey value goes down to practically nothing. They are forgotten and they are not relevant anymore until it is time for induction into the HOF. It practically shows just how expendable these players are to their teams and where loyalty lies. NFL General Managers and owners... Love your players as much as you love the royalties they bring in for you and the job security they create. As much as they love your organization and they love the game. From dedication grows passion. From passion grows allegiance. Allegiance forms loyalty. When will a passion for the players produce a loyalty to the players? When will loyalty become more important than royalties?