NFL lockout

The NFL lockout that is going on right now is a good example of Public Advocacy in action. The NFL is currently in a labor dispute with the players association. The owners want a larger portion of the revenue from the league. The players want better health care for when they play and also after they retire. The players association also want a revision to the rookie wages. Top draft picks are payed extremely large amounts of money without ever playing a pro game. The veteran players want this to be lessened and the wages be determined by how the players preform on the field. This dispute has resulted in the league locking out the players and preventing them from playing football until a deal is reached.

The disputed issues make up the exigence in this situation. It requires the two sides to get together and communicate/negotiate to solve the issue. The players feel that they deserve better health care, better wage division, and to keep their share of the revenue. They feel that since they put their lives on the line to play a very violent game, that they are entitled to these things. They have spoken out in an attempt to gain support in their argument. Their audience includes the people of the football community(fans). The players have even reached out to the court system by filing lawsuits against the NFL for locking them out. This displays a key idea of public advocacy. It is not often an easy process, but the players believe in their cause and continue to fight for it, even if they do not succeed immediately. The players hope that if they continue to fight for their cause that they can eventually convince the public and the NFL to see their point of view and, as a result, a fair deal can be reached.