Former NFL Player Reflects on Super Bowl, Labor, and Inequality

Dave Meggyesy, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, says the game symbolizes everything wrong with wealth and power in America.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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In this opinion piece, former NFL linebacker Dave Meggyesy reflects on his time playing in the league and how the Super Bowl is a reflection of the wealth inequality gripping the country. Meggyesy argues that the same way the league profited from players' pain, today's corporate class profits from our data, attention, and planet. He says that if players could change the profit system in professional football, we can change it anywhere, and calls for organizing and demanding structural change to address who gets what.

Why it matters

The Super Bowl is not just a game, but a symbol of American culture, celebrity, and values. As the host region, San Francisco sits at the center of the wealth inequality gripping the country, making this year's event a reflection of the growing divide between those who produce value and those who capture it.

The details

Meggyesy played in the NFL for 7 seasons and left at age 29, not because he couldn't play, but because he could no longer ignore the question of "who gets what, and why?" He says this question took him from the trenches of pro football to labor organizing with the NFL Players Association. Meggyesy argues that when players organized, they didn't just win contracts, they changed the terms of power, with free agency and a more equitable revenue split.

  • Meggyesy played in the NFL in the 1970s.
  • The Super Bowl will be held in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2026.

The players

Dave Meggyesy

A former NFL linebacker who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and became an organizer with the NFL Players Association.

Rupert Murdoch

The media mogul who owns networks that have broadcast NFL games.

David Ellison

The media executive who owns networks that have broadcast NFL games.

Jeff Bezos

The media executive who owns networks that have broadcast NFL games.

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What they’re saying

“The phrase who gets what is more than a slogan. It's the open wound of American life, the oldest and most dangerous fault line in our society.”

— Dave Meggyesy, Former NFL Player (48hills.org)

“When my fellow players and I took on the owners, it wasn't just for higher pay. It was for choice —for the basic freedom to decide where to work and to be treated like human beings, not property.”

— Dave Meggyesy, Former NFL Player (48hills.org)

The takeaway

Meggyesy's story of organizing with the NFL Players Association shows that when working people come together, they can not only win better contracts, but also change the fundamental power dynamics in an industry. This provides a model for addressing wealth inequality and corporate power in other sectors of the economy.