Actually, the players get paid no matter what. It is the Maloofs (and season ticket holders) who are invested. The rest of us can stop buying tickets whenever we want.
Booing can act as an acknowledgement of the fans that the team isn't playing hard. A random game of lackluster effort is one thing, but multiple instances in a short time frame is another, and the fans pay money to see effort, just like my boss pays me for good effort. If I don't work hard, I hear about it. Shouldn't they?
I'm not saying I support indiscriminate booing, but I think the fans have a right to voice displeasure as well as support.
Maybe the players need to realize the only thing we want is for them to bust their butts. Stolen lazy passes and no defense deserves something other than cheering, I think. I can live with losses as long as the effort is there. I want them to win, but somebody has to lose. Maybe this year it's our turn to underachieve, for whatever reason. As long as they work hard and play the game smart, I can live with the results.
I am not upset at Brad - he's one of my favorite players. I hope whatever he said was in some larger context that clarifies the statement and if not, eh, he had a bad day at the office. Cut him some slack. I still think these guys will gel some more and play somewhat better than we are seeing now.