Forum » The Bulldogs held a 33-26 lead late in the first

Theres a reason there hasnt been a meaningful work stoppage in pro football for almost 27 years, and its not because this is a sport where the players have nothing to complain about. Philadelphia Phillies Shirts . The very nature of the sport makes it difficult - some might say near impossible - to keep players united during a work stoppage because work stoppages are always about making sacrifices in the short term to benefit in the long. And for a great number of players in a sport with short careers and non-guaranteed contracts, there is no long term. But perhaps even more difficult to overcome is the fact that in football a small number of players on every team are paid far more than the rest, especially the large number of players on every team who will earn at or near the league minimum. And it is those star players, who already enjoy the biggest paydays and the most job security, wholl gain the most as the result of a successful work action. Look at any roster in either the CFL or NFL and youll probably be surprised to earn how many players are earning at or near the league minimum, which this NFL season will ranges between $420,000 and $645,00 for players from zero to three years of service in the league. In the CFL, that figure will go from $45,000 to $50,000 for this season based on what the parties have agreed to so far during current CBA negotiations. Since payrolls for CFL teams arent public, lets use an NFL team as an example to illustrate the payroll dynamics in pro football, which are similar in both leagues, albeit on a different scale. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers enters this season with an average salary of $22 million, nearly double that of anyone else on the team. Among Packers currently under contract, there are only four with an average salary of more than $7 million season, and another four at more than $4 million. There are eight players listed at between $2 million and $4 million, and 67 whose average salary is less than $1 million, 49 of whom are due to earn less than $600,000. The numbers in the CFL are obviously smaller but the manner in which they compare to one another is similar, with star quarterbacks earning roughly $500,000 per season while a large portion of each roster earns less than $60,000 per season. The truth is that whatever gains are made for the players in either league usually mean the rich will get richer. For example, the NFL will operate this season with a salary cap of $133 million dollars. But if that figure was suddenly increased to $200 million, the primary beneficiaries would be the Peyton Mannings, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Bradys and Richard Shermans of the world, while the leagues rank and file would essentially remain un affected. Same thing in the Canadian Football League - where if the CFLPA were to get its wish and have the salary cap jump immediately from $4.4 million to $5.8, the benefits would go to players such Ricky Ray, Darian Durant and the rest of the players whom fans pay to see. Of course theres another dynamic in the CFL game that doesnt exist south of the border. And thats that starting Canadian players - the ones mandated by the leagues quota system - also stand to benefit handsomely from any increase because of the laws of supply and demand. But the question becomes how do you convince the great number of players earning at or near the league minimum - young American players or backup Canadians - to commit to a work stoppage when theres little or no chance many of them will benefit from it? Standing up for a much higher minimum salary might help boost support among the rank and file, but that never seems to be the priority in either league. And therein lies the challenge of trying to keep a union full of professional football players all on the same page during a negotiating process. Consider that, despite having the leverage of being able to shut down the most profitable sport in North America, NFL players werent much interested in testing the resolve of their membership by missing paycheques when the league locked out its players during the off-season three years ago. They settled before that could happen. In Canada, the CFLPA has made a lot of noise about being disappointed in the leagues various offers this spring. But it hasnt said anything about having all of its membership on side, or being unbreakable, or being willing to miss game cheques in order to reach their goals in negotiation. The truth is that if the CFLPA were to strike a portion of the season, a great number of players will never get that money back - even if the owners were to capitulate completely. Many would simply be out of the league before they could benefit or would be left to watch the windfalls go to star players while they continue to earn similar amounts. All of these dynamics play to the owners advantage. And in the CFL, where were talking about players needing money to simply pay for the cost of living, the advantage is even greater. Will we see a CFL players strike later this month? Perhaps while its just training camp being missed, when no one has to make a true financial sacrifice to benefit the group for the long term. But in a sport where the rewards of such an action are likely to wind up in the hands of a select few, expecting anything more may be asking too much. Tony Taylor Jersey .com) - Scott Parel carded a 5-under 65 on Thursday and he grabbed a 1-stroke lead after one round of the season-opening Panama Claro Championship. Scott Kingery Jersey .com) - Rick Nash scored twice and Derek Stepan chipped in a goal with one assist as the New York Rangers claimed a 5-2 decision over Calgary at the Saddledome. https://www.cheapphilliesjerseys.us/2157n-ranger-suarez-jersey-phillies.html . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Steve Mason, Philadelphia (4) - Mason was brilliant all night long with save after big save on Benoit Pouliot, Carl Hagelin and Derick Brassard.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Domantas Sabonis had 14 points and 10 rebounds and 10th-ranked Gonzaga held off St. Johns down the stretch to record a 73-66 victory and capture the NIT Season Tip-Off. Gary Bell Jr. added 13 points and Byron Wesley scored 12 to help the Bulldogs (6-0) remain undefeated with a hard-earned result in front of a pro-St. Johns crowd on the Red Storms home court of Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm whittled a 15-point second-half deficit down to three in the final minute and had a chance to tie it late. However, DAngelo Harrison was called for an offensive foul with Gonzaga clinging to a 69-66 lead with 15 seconds to play. Phil Greene IV sparked the Red Storms near-comeback by netting 13 of his 20 points after halftime. Rysheed Jordan finished with 18 points and Harrison had 15 for St. Johns (4-1). Gonzaga appeared well on its way to a sixth straight double-digit triumph to open the season after building a 56-41 lead with nine minutes left. The Bulldogs then got sloppy with the ball and missed several foul shots, however, and St. Johns capitalized to get back in it. The Red Storm put together an 11-2 run, during which Gonzaga had three giveaways and went 0-of-3 from the line, to pull within 58-52 with less than 5 1/2 minutes to play. The margin was slimmer when Greene canned a pair of 3- pointers around a Wesley layup, with the second cutting the lead to 69-66 with a minute remaining. Gonzaga came up empty on its ensuing trip down the court, but Kyle Dranginis denied Jordans baseline drive and the ball went out of bounds to the Bulldogs with 26.9 seconds showing. However, Greene pressured the inbounds pass, which landed off the right knee of Beell to give St. Richie Allen Jersey. . Johns possession with an opportunity to tie. Harrison dribbled into the lane but was whistled for pushing off, though, and Kevin Pangos hit two free throws on the other end to seal the outcome for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs committed 17 turnovers and were plagued by miscues early on, giving the ball away four times in the games first 3 1/2 minutes. They trailed 20-19 with 7:24 remaining in the opening half after 3-pointers by Jordan and Myles Stewart sparked an 8-2 Red Storm run. Gonzaga then asserted control via an 8-0 spurt that Sabonis capped with a run- out slam off a Pangos feed, and never trailed thereafter. The Bulldogs held a 33-26 lead late in the first half before Jordan capped a 13-point period with a layup that pulled St. Johns within five at the break. Greenes basket just over four minutes into the second half had the Red Storm down just 40-37, but St. Johns didnt hit another field goal for nearly six minutes as Gonzaga embarked on a 13-1 tear. Bell had six points during the surge, which Kyle Wiltjer capped with a layup to stake Gonzaga to a 53-38 advantage midway through the final period. Game Notes Gonzaga is off to its third 6-0 start under head coach Mark Few, having previously done so in 2008-09 and 2012-13 ... Pangos tallied 11 points and nine assists but had three turnovers after committing just one over the Bulldogs first five games ... St. Johns forward Chris Obekpa had just one point in 22 minutes before fouling out with 6:41 left ... Gonzaga has won its last four meetings with the Red Storm, the most recent occurring in the Second Round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. ' ' '