Chicken wing biz terrified of extended NFL lockout
Last week’s Sports Illustrated featured some shocking figures on the NFL and what an extended lockout might mean – not just for players and owners.
According to the magazine’s graphic, a single NFL game generates some $20 million in local economic activity and, if there is no 2011 season, about 100,000 stadium workers might be out of work.
Daunting numbers? No doubt, but the latest victim to cry fowl – er, foul – over a possible NFL work stoppage is the chicken wing industry, who says a lockout “would kill wings. It would be terrible on wings.”
Indeed, those are the apocryphal words of Sanderson Farms chief exec Joe Sanderson, forecasting how his biz might fare if football does not kick off this September as usual.
Currently, NFL owners have locked out their players over disagreements on league pay and profit sharing, among other issues. On April 6, a federal court will hear an antitrust suit filed by NFL players.
There’s no telling what a football stoppage might mean for other related industries, but the wing sector may be especially hurt after soaring business last year.
According to Reuters, demand was so high for wings during last year’s NFL season, Sanderson Farms could hardly keep up with distribution.
Now, as the threat of an extended lockout looms, chicken wing prices are plummeting.
Ahead of the 2010 Super Bowl, wholesale wings went for $1.74 per pound in Georgia, for instance. At this year’s Super Bowl, those same wings cost $1.04 per pound and, as demand continues to sink, can now be had for only 95 cent per pound, by U.S. Department of Agriculture numbers.
Obviously, such a chicken wing catastrophe will be prominent on the bargaining table when players and owners meet next.
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Chip | Mar 23, 2021 2:38:06 AM
Since all these Millionaires pigskin punchers and team execs won't be flying back n' forth to all their games... the airlines will lose revenue and hike their prices accordingly. Or maybe they'll blame this on oil prices in Egypt and Libya too !! Betcha the chickens will be happy though !! Maybe Sanderson Farms can send their extra chicken parts to people who are actually starving. Gawd... next thing you know... the North Am beer industry will collapse and all the online and Vegas bookies will be lining up at the unemployment offices.
Posted by: Pluck This | Mar 23, 2021 8:54:26 AM
While I somewhat feel bad for those 100 000+ workers and other industries impacted by this lock-out, the wing industry does not need to be affected. McDonald's has always wanted to introduce wings but the Poultry industry talked them out of it because there weren't enough birds around to supply enough wings. And if you do sell wings, you have to sell the rest of the bird somewhere to be profitable.
So if a strike does happen, the Golden Arches will come to the rescue.
On the flip side, if North America consumes less wings, just maybe people will shed a few pounds and feel healthier in the end. God forbid if this becomes successful and new diets are formed. Now the whole fast food industry will be on a decline and cry foul. My BAD!