People are worried.

They’re not so much upset as anxious, concerned.

The worry is of a possible tragedy this fall: no NFL.

A lack of NFL is, of course, no tragedy, but it’s another example of the nation’s lack of logic. So let’s fix it.

First things first: Players, be quiet unless you’re actually offering something relevant, something that can’t be taken out of context, something that’s not stupid.

Hellooo, Adrian Peterson and company

Peterson’s usually pretty bright, so let’s assume somebody was in his ear when he blurted out the nonsense about slavery.

True, employers pretty much treat employees however they want. Such is the benefit of power and all that goes with it, good or bad.

But players, unlike slaves, are more than free to flip off the boss and move on. Y’all think you can do better, guys, have at it, and let us know what planet you’re doing better on.

Second, let’s go back to that “E” word: employees.

I’m guessing more than a few players have a business of some sort along with employees.

So the players as owners will acquiesce to the same demands of their employees as they demand of the owners? The nannies, drivers and managers of the two Subways can demand more money because you make so much, and they want you to open those books?

Pause while players as owners guffaw at that thought.

Plus, nobody has to open their financials to anybody but the IRS, and if the players want the teams to do that, then the owners could subtly suggest the same for the players, since they utilize no loopholes, either.

We know the average salaries of players, who pretty much pay for only the big-ticket items -- houses, cars, lawyers -- and get way too much comped anyway. We have an idea of the profitability of teams.

But here’s the thing. Players will always have a team. Teams don’t always live, because they’re a business.

Baltimore lost a team for a long time. Anybody playing in L.A.? Houston went belly up for a bit, and Jacksonville is struggling.

All of those players will have a job should that business fail, and they’ll push out other players in the process.

This goose is just about as gold as it can get.

Players want the power to tell owners how to spend their money and don’t want to be told anything in return.

Haven’t we read how many players are broke within five to 10 years of retirement? Anybody else see the “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” on HBO about that and about players whose health -- read “raging obesity” -- declined and killed them?

Do players really want to be told how to spend their money so they don’t go broke?

Don’t make us laugh.

The funny thing is they should just go back to the old collective bargaining agreement -- and, of course, make sure it’s valid in Wisconsin -- with minor adjustments.

Take 18 games off the table. Period. It’s barely worth arguing about.

Say yes to three preseason games at half-price tickets and no ticket commitment. Football’s preseason is substantially more relevant than baseball’s because repetition in a more team-oriented sport with 10 percent of the games is huge.

Fix the absurd overtime rules and some of the new kickoff silliness. Say “yes” to the rookie salary cap. It’s like grading college recruiting classes: You don’t grade somebody before they take the test.

Tweak the revenue sharing. Nothing lasts forever, so come up with a scale that starts at $8 billion and put that other billion into health care and retirement benefits and catch up. Both sides desperately need to catch up in payments to their predecessors.

Do some of this, and we can take both sides more seriously.

And as part of every first day of preseason, make players and owners sit in a room and watch a video that consists of the tales of Dave Duerson’s suicide, the tragedies in Japan, the suicide of former Philadelphia safety and Fort Valley State assistant coach Andre Waters, the homelessness of Pittsburgh center Mike Webster before his death and something of problems in each NFL city.

And yes, manipulate them with a 10-year-old kid in the front of the room to talk about how his favorite team makes him happy.

Hey, if they can toy with our emotions, we can toy with theirs. Or at least those who have them.

Contact Michael A. Lough at 744-4626 or mlough@macon.com