| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Ralph Nader Speaks... On Terrell Owens? |
| 2005-11-16 |
| In this week's edition of "WTF? Magazine"... November 10, 2005 Jeffrey Lurie Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Philadelphia Eagles 1 NovaCare Way Philadelphia, PA 19145 Paul Tagliabue Commissioner National Football League 280 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 Dear Messrs. Lurie and Tagliabue, I am writing to urge you to rescind the misguided suspension and planned inactive designation of Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens. If the Eagles management declines to remedy its mistake, Commissioner Tagliabue, you should intervene to overturn the team's decision, which dishonors this country's traditional respect for free speech and cheats fans of an opportunity to see arguably the best receiver in football. Let him play. Free speech apparently includes disparaging teammates, demanding to renegotiate a written contract and employing an obnoxious, over-the-top agent to reiterate the same asinine demands. There is no question that Terrell Owens' comments have been boorish and unwarranted. However, the comments were just that -- comments. Comments that are subject to team and / or league policies for 'conduct detrimental to the team'. It should be the policy of the Eagles and the National Football League, as well as other sports teams and leagues, that players not be punished merely for what they say. That's correct, but TO went over that line too many times. Is there no such thing as a code of conduct, which nearly every employee in the US is subject to, Ralph? There is a great tradition in this country of respecting free speech, and the Eagles and NFL should express those values in handling even churlish speech. This is not a matter of law: U.S. constitutional speech protections and most state speech protections do not extend into the workplace; and the NFL collective bargaining agreement affords teams the right to suspend players for "conduct detrimental" to their team, a provision that has been interpreted to cover speech and other expressive conduct. No, it is not a matter of law, but of principle. And the principle should be: employees are not penalized for speaking out, even if what they have to say strikes management as ill-informed or offensive. Getting into a fight with Hugh Douglas and accusing Donovan McNabb of getting tired during the Super Bowl apparently qualify as cohesive behavior. That the Eagles' proposed punishment for Owens -- a four-game suspension followed by an inactive designation for the rest of the season -- is so harsh, and so far in excess of punishments applied to other players who have engaged not in ill-considered speech, but criminal conduct or serious wrongdoing, points to how injudicious the Eagles' approach is. The team resumes paying him when he goes on the inactive list, so it's hard to see how unjust the decision really is. Financially speaking, it's not. There is, as well, a consumer issue at stake here. Fans have purchased tickets for Eagles' games, in Philadelphia and elsewhere, on the assumption that they will see one of the game's most exciting receivers, so long as he is healthy enough to play. The Eagles' action denies them this opportunity. Great - a class action's in the brewing. Will you take the case pro bono, Ralph? If the Eagles do not want Terrell Owens on their team, then they should release him. Instead, the Eagles propose not just to suspend him for the term permitted by the collective bargaining agreement, but to make him inactive for the duration of the season. This vengeful approach keeps him as an effective hostage -- kept away from the fans who would like to see him play. I believe there are salary cap reasons for not releasing him, but I haven't seen that angle yet. I also question his assertion about fans wanting to see perhaps the most egotistical athlete in the solar system; I'm more inclined to change the channel. I look forward to your response, and would be pleased to discuss these matters with you further. "Bwhhhaaahahahahahah!" - joint statement from Jeff Lurie and Paul Tagliabue. Sincerely, Ralph Nader Founder, League of Fans At least he didn't play the race card... |
| Posted by:Raj |
| #5 Ralph Nader has reached his Nadir. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-11-16 20:32 |
| #4 Thank heavens that poor, downtrodden multimillionaire professional athletes have Ralph nader to stick up for them. (Can't really play the race card vere effectively, as T.O. got suspended for trashing Donovan McNabb.) |
| Posted by: Mike 2005-11-16 19:48 |
| #3 STFU, Nader. You bought a ticket to see The Eagles, not "Terrell Owens featuring The Eagles" This ain't no Philadelphia Sound Machine. |
| Posted by: BH 2005-11-16 18:36 |
| #2 Isn't Ralph Nader white? He's got no dawg here. The Rev. Jesse has already come to the |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-16 18:00 |
| #1 Nader, nader...Isn't he that weird, horror movie dead guy? |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-11-16 17:28 |