Weaver apologizes for 'slaves' comment
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Weaver apologizes for 'slaves' comment
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Update: In a string of Tweets Wednesday morning, Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver apologized for comments he made Tuesday night, in which he said NFL owners should stop treating the players "like slaves."
Here are Weaver's Tweets:
Hey everyone I'm here in therapy an I have seen the recording of the interview....
And I will have to say that I'm very disappointed in the whole interview an the comments I made.
I first want to apologizes for the bad choice ode words, and using the word slavery.
Now, that I have seen it, I will say that it was hard for me to watch and after thinking about it, I've come to the conclusion that.....
I represented my family, friends and organization the wrong way. I'm sorry for those words I used and if I offend anyone, please forgive me.
To all my fans whom I've disappointed I'm sorry.
Weaver, a fan favorite, added that he came off in the wrong way and will explain himself.
ORIGINAL POST
Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver sounded off on NFL owners Tuesday and said he agreed with Adrian Peterson's comparison of the players to slaves.
In an interview with Yahoo Sports last week, Peterson said the players' fight with the owners was like "modern day slavery."
In an interview with Comcast SportsNet's Derrick Gunn, Weaver said that the owners need to stop treating the players "like slaves."
So that there is no question about the context, here is the full version of what Weaver said:
"Are the owners looking at us as players and saying, what if these guys get hurt and we're not taking care of them years up the road? Or what if we cut this individual and he's not making the income that some of the other guys are, and he can't take care of his family? Are they looking at that end of the spectrum for us as well?
"We, as players, we're businessmen as well as they're businessmen. And one of the things that we understand about ourselves is that we are taking all the risk by putting our bodies out there on that field, and we're at risk at death every time we touch that field. What is an owner gonna do for me if I die on the field? Are they gonna send condolences to my family? Are they gonna take care of my family for the rest of their lives? I mean, how does that work? And so we as players want to make the statement that you know what, we love playing for you all, we love you owners, we love you guys very much, but at the same time, we need to see some equal opportunity here, and stop treating us, basically like Adrian Peterson said, like slaves."
Weaver, a fan favorite here, signed a reported three-year, $11.2M deal ($6.5M guaranteed) before the 2010 season.
He suffered a devastating knee injury during Week 1 against the Packers, but told the Daily News' Les Bowen earlier this offseason that he has no doubt he'll be returning to the field.
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- So according to your Roman gladiator comparison, does that make Kevin Kolb a slave?...And if you wanna disagree w/ my views, then we can debate till the cows come home. But if this is just something personal w/ me, keep it to yourself, because you have no idea who I am, and therefore all the insulting assumptions you try to make about me, will get thrown right back in your face...One more thing, you are a non-slave like me, and just like every other football player in the NFL. If you're trying to make a point in regards to Black slavery, then do where it ACTUALLY pertains to Black slavery, this has nothing to do w/ that past injustice.
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The players are rich and the owners are super-rich. The argument that these players should feel lucky to make whatever amount compared to some type of public employee (police/fire/whatever) is not rational. The real point here is that the players deserve a fair compensation RELATIVE to their input as labor to the product that is the NFL. If you are a public employee, you deserve the same RELATIVE compensation.— cfay8636- The players are rich and the owners are super-rich. The argument that these players should feel lucky to make whatever amount compared to some type of public employee (police/fire/whatever) is not rational. The real point here is that the players deserve a fair compensation RELATIVE to their input as labor to the product that is the NFL. If you are a public employee, you deserve the same RELATIVE compensation.— cfay8636
- The "slavery" comparison is wrong on a lot of levels and insulting to the ancestors of slaves, among others. Yet the owners' idea that the safety, well-being, and fair compensaton of the players who make this an actual sport is also wrong if they think that it doesn't matter. The interested public should put their own opinions aside b/c we don't experience the danger the players do in their usual jobs, and we don't own a team and expect a rate of return, either. Just let the millionaires and billionaires have their negotiations, get a season going, and let us have our 3 hours of entertainment on Sunday/Monday/Thursday that allows this whole circus to exist. Stop making historically ridiculous comparisons, get your $$$, and play ball!— cfay8636
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- There ya go w/ your assumptions again...I actually enjoy this stuff, debating social issues. Especially when dummys try to call me out on it by making juvenile-like insults...Seriously, do you have any more knowledge you would like to drop?
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- Well then, what was the point of calling me out in the first place, if I didn't say anything that was worth engaging? The more you write, the more confused you sound...Anyways, hope things get better for ya.
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- You still up? Isn't this latest insult just basically repeating why I just said to you?..."assassinate" hahaha. I'm starting to suspect you're just a lonely troll who doesn't really care about anything other than getting cheap attention, just like all the other thousands of trolls that roam the internet...anyways, feel free to insult me again by regurgitating what I just got done writing about you. I'm going to bed, I'll check back tomorrow for any more words of wisdom you drop...Keep fighting the good fight soldier. (by the way, I was being sarcastic w/ that last sentence)
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- Weaver probably blew any chance of a broadcasting career in Philly after his over the top diatribe. First he wears a NY Yankees hat (sure to be a hit for Philly sports fans) which is the universal symbol for arrogance. Then he says that if a player dies on the field the league won't take care of his family (what about buying life insurance like the rest of the world and workman's comp still applies). To depict an employer-employee relationship as a form of slavery is wrong. Any profession has risks but a slave doesn't have a choice at all in what he is asked to do and he receives no compensation or rights. Hardly the same. I enjoyed listening to Weaver on Daily News Live as a weekly guest. I think you just closed that door on your hand dude!— Philliesguy
- I really liked this guy before this interview. I never thought he would say something that stupid, the most ridiculous comparison I have ever heard. Leonard, take off the Yankees hat and shut your mouth. It's better to keep your mouth shut and let everyone think you are stupid than to speak and remove all doubt.— mikeyboy
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