Jessica Puente

Yesterday, The Daily Beast dared readers to test their knowledge of the NFL and the U.S. government.

A government shutdown looms and the NFL is locked in a labor dispute. But which conflict costs the most? And which has the most bitterly embattled players?

Undoubtedly, both conflicts are going to cost Americans a whole chunk of change. But who are the fiercest players in the game?

Maybe Republican Rep. Darrell Issa should be starring in those famous California commercials.

Darrell Issa has an estimated net worth of at least $156 million. As far as the highest net worth for a pro footballer, your guess is as good as ours, but Peyton Manning was the top-paid last year, with a $15.8 million guaranteed salary.

That little fact should be an ego boost for the priorities of Americans. At the very least it seems we know it takes a well-paid beast of a man to win football games but it takes far more incentive to have the power to subpoena, investigate and, some would say, harass the Obama Administration.

Truth be told, Rep. Issa made is fortune recording voice alarms for cars. So he doesn’t count.

Moving on, where would Americans be without pizza? Probably a ton of stretchy pants less.

But did you know…

The 1995 shutdown boosted the business of a local D.C. pizza eatery thanks to the needs of overworked congressional staffers.

Melting cheese and assorted meats isn’t only for frenzy football fans. Issa knows how important it is to keep his staff happy.

He tweets, “If gov’t shuts down, we won’t. I believe those who choose to come into work fall under my Constitutional arm. Accountability must continue.”

I bet he is bringing them pizza.

After all it is all about negotiation right?

Sadly, some have been accused of a “take it or leave it” attitude! Can’t we all just get along?

At a press conference in the lobby of RNC headquarters in February, Boehner said. “If some of those jobs are lost so be it. We’re broke.”

If that is who you guessed too then you are wrong.

John Mara, co-owner of the New York Giants, has criticized the NFLPA for refusing to budge at the bargaining table.

“This obviously is a very disappointing day for all of us,” Mara said.  “I’ve been here for the better part of two weeks now.  And essentially during that two-week period the union’s position on the core economic issues has not changed, one iota.  Their position has basically been ‘take it or leave it,’ and they’ve in effect they’ve been at the same position since last September.”

Ok so we’ve covered the important things such as pizza, who is make the big bucks and who is willing to hold hands and sing Cumbaya around the campfire.

But now to the crucial questions.

Which shutdown would affect approximately 115,000 workers?

I’m not entirely sure how to take this.

NFL Strike. The government shutdown would affect as many as hundreds of thousands of workers—though a precise estimate is impossible to glean.

I’m sure the thousands of workers will understand that this isn’t an easily resolved fight between millionaires and billionaires. If you stop to think how many small businesses are directly affected by the NFL, you would probably take longer than it is taking the commissioners and owners to come to a conclusion.

To put the lockdown into perspective…

Each of the 32 national football teams could reportedly lose $160 million, which boils down to about $46 million a day for the league for each of the 112 days of play in the season. What’s the comparative cost at stake in a government shutdown? Around $90 million per day, based on an inflation-adjusted calculation of the $1.4 billion lost during the shutdown in 1995.

As is stands both looming decisions will bring dire consequences. So who will you be writing a letter to? Your congressman or your NFL owners?