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. Cheap Real Jordans Free Shipping . 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. Wholesale Jordans China Free Shipping . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap. Cheap Retro Jordans From China .Balotelli uploaded on Instagram a picture of the video-game character Super Mario, with whom the Italy international shares a nickname, with text around the image including jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a Jew. http://www.cheapoutletjordans.com/ .com) - Delon Wright scored 17 points and No.TORONTO -- When Bob Nicholson woke up Friday morning, he turned to the business section of the newspaper and noticed a good omen hours before announcing his resignation as Hockey Canada president and CEO. "I saw that gold had just gone up, so I thought it was the right time to make this announcement," Nicholson joked. Nicholsons tenure will be remembered for 44 gold medals in mens, womens and sledge hockey at various levels in the past 15-plus years. He knows his legacy will revolve around the strength of Hockey Canada, but he really wants to be remembered for his impact on people. "I want it to be about kids, kids playing the game," Nicholson said. "If we have a lot of kids playing the game, were going to win gold medals." Nicholson, 60, has a chance to add a couple more before leaving June 1, but after that the job will fall to someone else. Jim Hornell, chairman of Hockey Canadas board of directors, said hell put together a "blue-ribbon selection committee comprised of many stakeholders in the game to identify and appoint a new president and CEO." Whether Nicholson has any input on that decision is up to Hornell, Nicholson said. In the meantime, hell take some time to relax. "Im going to go out to Penticton, Ive got a spot in Mexico, Im going to go sit up there in a hammock and read a book and just enjoy life for a bit," said Nicholson, who also plans to travel to Minsk, Belarus, in May for the mens world championship. Nicholson said he started to consider resigning just after the Sochi Olympics, when Canada won mens and womens gold yet again. "I have known Bob since I was 15 and he has done so much for my career and for hockey in Canada," said Hayley Wickenheiser, who helped lead the womens team to gold. "No one is more passionate about winning and developing hockey than Bob. He has been a big supporter of womens hockey and is a big reason behind our success." Hornell took time in his remarks at Fridays news conference to point out that Nicholson made major personal sacrifices for Hockey Canada, that the Penticton, B.C., native "has put hockey ahead of so many people and groups competing for his attention." The only time Nicholson got emotional during Fridays remarks was when he talked about sister Lois, wife Lorna and their kids, Mandi, Marijean and Grant. "Lorna, youve done an unbelievable job," he said, choking up. In saying goodbye to an organization hee has been a part of since 1990, when it was the Canadian Hockey Association, Nicholson shared stories about his past and hopes for the future. Wholesale Cheap Jordans From China. One came from a long conversation with Wayne Gretzky. "We were having a laugh and he says, Bob, I remember when you started and wed go out for dinner and I wanted to order dessert and you said, Hey Wayne, we cant afford that. And Id sign a jersey and wed get dinner paid for," Nicholson recalled. "Weve come a long ways." Chief operating officer Scott Smith, who has been mentioned as a replacement for Nicholson, said the organization had 23 employees when Nicholson started and just under 120 now. Nicholson said he had to get introduced to some of the staff recently because the group had grown so big. Managing and building that will be someone elses job. As for what Nicholson does next, he said he doesnt quite know yet. "Im going to see if I can get my old job back in Penticton on the golf range picking up golf balls for the summer," he joked. "But seriously Im going to stay here till June 1 and Im going to take some time. Ive been at this, I dont know how to go half-speed and Im going to enjoy some time in Penticton, see my mom, see my kids. Im sure Im going to do something, but theres certainly nothing in the immediate future." Nicholson will stay on as vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, where he can represent Canadas interests on that world stage. At some point an NHL team could come calling, but he brushed that off for now as speculation. Asked what advice hed give to his successor, Nicholson again brought it back to the people, not the medals. "Care about the game, make sure its safe, make sure that youre in Flin Flon and all the small (towns with) minor hockey across the country," he said. "Talk about sledge hockey, talk about womens hockey. The other stuff will come." That includes more gold medals. Under Nicholson, Canadas men snapped a 50-year Olympic drought at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, won on home soil in Vancouver in 2010 and again in Sochi in February. But the career highlight he pointed to was something different. "Maybe in Torino, going and watching our sledge team win for the very first time," Nicholson said. "Seeing the commitment that they had to do to win that gold medal was special. But you can never take away Salt Lake City, Vancouver -- theyre all 1As." ' ' '