Dan Graziano.

I have people that feels to me like they're saying constantly.

The NFL is turning into the NBA with the way the Stars air taking so much control over what happens in their careers and for their teams.

Is that an accurate way of summing up the situation in football right now?

Yeah, I think it's a simplified way of doing it, but it is accurate to some degree look.

I mean, you have guys that have forced their way out of situations they didn't like via trade.

You have.

I mean, you have to Shawn Watson trying to do it now at the highest level in terms of a quarterback.

But the more it happens, these guys watch the n b A and follow the MBA.

And they say themselves, Why not?

If James Harden could do it, then then why can't I on DSO?

I think it will continue.

The owners obviously hate it and and and hope that it doesn't continue down this path.

But the players, especially the ones that are high profile and make a lot of money, feel like they have leverage on they are right to an extent that their predecessors really never understood or at least activated or at least never really had the leverage or clout or ability to do.

I think that's an important part of this, And so that is why I really wanted to talk to Dominic about this.

Not only is a former player, but in your capacity, having been the president of the NFL Players Association, I know how strongly you feel about players take being able to take control of their situations.

I get that part of it.

But let's not deal in that.

Let's deal in whether in the big picture it is good or bad for the sport that these sort of things happen.

Can you remove the players had and answer that question independently?

I mean, obviously have some biases, and it's hard for me to remove those biases, but I'll do the best I can.

I think that if the owners have a problem with it, it's because it puts pressure on them and that pressure is on.

Lee gonna make them better, like I don't understand how the product gets worse.

If someone is holding you accountable, that's something that always make things better.

So if you're mad that your quarterback wants to leave or your star player wants to leave, don't look at them and call them disloyal or be upset about not be able to control it.

Look at yourself and ask the questions.

Why am I failing here?

What about me is what about this place is so bad that I can pay this person hundreds of millions of dollars and they're like, No, what?

Keep it.

I need to get out of here.

So that's the first way that it makes it better than the other way that I think that it makes it better.

It's something that you brought up greenie.

This is not basketball.

Basketball is position list in a way that it allows you to stockpile superstars.

There's only one quarterback.

Nobody is gonna go be a backup quarterback because they wanna play because Russell wants to play with Aaron Rodgers like it'll never happen.

And I think it adds to the intrigue of the off season.

It makes it exciting, and we saw something similar to that, I guess take place down in Tampa Bay when Tom Brady went there.

The available stars.

They weren't superstars, but the available stars that were out there wanted to go there.

And who could say that would happen?

This year was bad for football.

I think it's crazy, right?

But the most important point I would agree with it doesn't compromise competitive balance as it has in basketball.

And that's a problem.

RC ultimately is a good or bad for the sport.

I think it's good if your Los Angeles Rams fan are you excited that you have Jalen Ramsey.

If you're a Seattle Seahawk fan, are you excited that you have Jamal Adams?

You absolutely are.

And if you're the team that gets the Shawn Watson, are you not gonna throw a party?

And if you have somewhere to put a boat parade, do that as well.

You absolutely are like this game.

It is no different, but it's not basketball.

You know, basketball is like, Hey, I'm a D.

I'm tired of being in New Orleans.

It ain't really for me.

I wanna go to L.

A.

You know, Jalen Ramsey is in a situation where he said, in front of people, and they demean them and and and they made him feel inferior.

Jamal Adams is in the situation in New York.

Well, hell, greeny, I ain't got explained New York to you.

You know exactly what it is.

And then you look at the Sean watching and what he's dealing with with the Houston Texans.

Russell Wilson isn't saying that he wants to leave.

He isn't saying that he's demanding anything.

He just said, You know what?

That dialogue would be nice, and I agree.

There were countless times Coach Tomlin didn't necessarily include me in personnel decisions, but he said they are.

See when you were playing so and so how did you feel about him when you've watched this defensive player on film?

Is he a Pittsburgh Steeler?

Is this a guy that you'd like to play with?

And I think that's all Russell Wilson is asking for.

Russell Westbrook has a saying, and it's why not rust?

I think now Russell Wilson is saying, Why not rust?

It's a very interesting news right now.

I didn't know that you were.

You were a part time GM while also being a safety.

I didn't know that I congratulate.

Here's the small, timid executive.

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