I really don't know where you are going with this or got this feeling. It seems really odd. As a small business owner with about 10 years in I can say that our people are great. We love them like family. I've gone many paychecks where everyone got paid and I didn't. We've had our good times and bad. My top technician makes twice the regional average because he deserves it. You can find my crew regularly huddled around the grill at my house when we randomly decide to take half a day off on a Friday due to reaching a goal or just because. Family members are invited. I've been known to carry cash with me and drop $200 to a guy just because or out of appreciate. We work hard and play hard. Cigars ans scotch are a regular occurrence for me and the guys. Just back porch type of stuff and talking life. I love my guys and wish I could pay them more.
Our company has a very low tolerance for complaining, laziness, excuses and people who feel that they are owed something. Those types are easy to spot and are sent packing quickly.
You have absolutely no idea what we've been through to get to this point. We risked it all before and lost everything when we had in our first business. House, cars, poverty, food stamps...you name it. But my family is happy no matter what because we knew the risks we took. We didn't cry about injustice. My parent are drug addicts and I spent most of my youth in TYC. I went into the 8th grade for about two weeks and thats it. 23 years ago I met my wife in a Narcotics meeting and used a girls bicycle for transportation. Now I have an graduate degree, a business, a small ranch (29 acres (don't laugh) and a farm house that we live in). I've got 6 amazing kids we excel in life, 23 year old pipeline welder, 20 year army nurse (finished 2 associate degrees by 18), a 16 year old star athlete in his public high school, 14 year old genius with artistic skills that score 24tds last year, two beautiful daughters...my life is pretty good.
My wife is fighting a very serious and dangerous form of breast cancer. She has had surgeries and now the most aggressive doses of chemo that a human can handle, followed by 2 different types of severe treatment, followed by radiation over a years time. I personally had a major heart attack three weeks ago and almost lost my life.
But we don't cry, we don't blame, we don't look at the system for our answers, we aren't searching for "causes" or broken things in the world. We try to contribute to society. People who don't that generally aren't happy people. They live life with a victim mentality and rarely dominate this life.
So yeah, cry me a river with college athletes. I've worked 100 hour weeks for years and lived with not much. So what, I could have lived a decent life, got a regular career and blended in. But I chose my path and my dream. Don't bitch about things, do something with your life...that's what I try to live by. If college athletes are mistreated (they were offered a much better opportunity than I could have ever imagined) can chose a different path or try to change the system. I personally can't imagine staying where you feel wronged and crying about it for 4-5 years. Make a different choice.
You seen to be pretty off on your assessment of me. I just don't feel sorry for "victims" who don't look to turn their situation around.