Maybe I'm not the one best suited to weigh in on why comparing labor negotiations to slavery is a bit offensive, but it seems apparent somebody needs a history lesson. Any time you mix emotion with a live recorder, you're going to get someone saying something ill-advised like AP did in this interview with Yahoo! Sports. We've seen it with Dwayne Wade and his Heat losing streak/9-11 comparison. We even saw it a few years back when Floyd Mayweather Jr. called the $12.5 million contract he was being offered by HBO a "slave contract".
Let's all agree that Adrian Peterson's "modern-day slavery" comment was foolish to avoid someone like myself, a white man who got all his slavery era info from his History textbooks, the awkwardness of being outraged over a black man making slavery comparisons. My issue with AP's comments are two-fold: One, why are you even making stupid comments in the first place? The NFLPA and the owners are in the midst of trying to repair the CBA so that your happy ass can have a job this fall. Why say anything that might force rich old farts to be even more spiteful? Let DeMaurice Smith do the talking. That's why you hired the man. You want to make a few cliche comments here and there, fine, but why say something this fucking stupid in an era where reporters are looking for stupid fucking comments to sell papers or generate clicks on their blogs(sort of like what I'm doing)? I understand you're worried there might not be football this season and these negotiations are frustrating but don't think that the American public should feel sorry for you.
That's where my second issue lies with AP's comments. He claims normal people are getting mistreated working every day at their regular jobs. That very well may be true(though whether it's comparable to slavery is not my place to say). However, Adrian Peterson doesn't work a normal job. Maybe his family or friends of his do, but he certainly doesn't live the life of Joe Public. Adrian Peterson will make $10.2 million to work four months of the year if there's football in 2011. Do you think he'd like to switch places with, let's say, me and trade his salary and schedule for my 12 bucks an hour and work year-round....you know, since he relates so much to the everyman? Fans are already upset that America's favorite sport may be cancelled this year because of greed by both the players and the owners. They definitely don't want to hear, in a recession no less, about overpaid athletes bitching about being mistreated. The guy having to work 60 hours a week at Arby's to make ends meet is probably getting mistreated. Adrian Peterson isn't getting mistreated. He and the other players may be entitled to more of the pie given the work they put in, but they are hardly digging in the couch for quarters to buy a pizza for dinner.
Don't try to play it off like your situation is similar to that of every day working folks, Adrian. You're not working this year because billionaires and millionaires can't find an applicable way to divide up $9 billion. Others are unemployed because we are in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns in decades(even if things are slightly better than they were a few years ago). You don't scoff at $4 a gallon for gas the way we do. We appreciate your concern for us "normal people" but I'm afraid the tax bracket you currently find yourself in makes you a tad bit ill-equipped to be someone worthy of OUR sympathy.
Sometime this spring, player reps and owners will sit down, man the fuck up, and agree to a deal that will put football back in the lives of the "normal people", but until that day comes, Mr. Peterson, consider your mic cut off!
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