ivanvamp said:This is an interesting dynamic. In a factory, the product they sell may be assembled by the workers, and if the owners can find other ways to produce the same quality product (see: automation), they'll do it with little regard for the labor.
But in pro sports, the labor IS the product. Without the labor, there's nothing to sell, and no way for the owners to make money. So it's irratonal to have this disdain for labor in pro sports because without them, pro sports, and the gobs of money the owners make through pro sports, simply would not exist. I understand they want the labor to perform as cheaply as possible, but that's different from having a disdain for and and adversarial relationship with, the players.
I'm afraid you haven't shown me enough of a distinction. The widget is the widget. A gets to z regardless.