Lockout a 14 on scale 1 to 10

[Striker]

[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4960835"]NFL, players union continue to bicker in labor dispute - ESPN[/ame]

Hope everyone is doing well, been a while since I have been able give any real posts up in here. Thought some of you may be interested in this as I know I have been following the future of the NFL closely.

It seems once again all signs point to a lockout, hopefully this will change in the future but I won't get my hopes too high. There is still plenty of time, however I do not see DeMaurice Smith coming to terms with the owners. As long as he is leading negotiations for the NFLPA, there is a high probability of a lockout IMO.

A man who has never worked in the sports industry, makes lavish promises to the players, while using negotiation tactics that revolve entirely on the owners doing what he says with no middle to meet in, should never have been given this position.

What is yalls take on this?

 

[Hawk096]

I been afraid of this for awhile and talking about it for awhile. As the days pass by more and more it looks likely more and more.

 

[The Brett and Brian Show]

I talk about it briefly in our new show. It's on the website www.thebrettandbrianshow.com as well as iTunes. We had to change URL's one our rrs feed so there are two different feeds for our football show in iTunes. If you enter it and see one posted yesterday your in the right one.
Brett

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

I love how you always blame DeMaurice Smith for the entire thing. They were talking about these issues when Gene Upshaw was still around. And it is not DeMaurice Smith that has to come to terms with the owners, it is all of the players. They all have to vote.

I do think we agree on one thing: the players demanding more of the money the owners are making is absurd and makes little to no sense. If they want more of the profits, they should buy a share of the team instead squandering their money on Esclades. I read that something like 80% of pro athletes are in jeopardy of bankruptcy within 5 years of retirement from their sport. Maybe instead of demanding more money from the owners, the NFLPA should educate its members on how to be responsible with the money they already have.

 

[Striker]

Glad to see ya again 18. I have not liked DeMaurice Smith from the get go for several reasons. Whether it is him not having a sports business background and getting the job due in part to his connection to Obama, or just from his interviews and his statements to the press. The man is a hindrance in making a deal happen.

On the other hand, both sides are locked in a he said she said battle constantly trying to throw the other under the media bus. Every article no matter the specifics of negotiations, it is both sides calling one another a lier, and that isn't getting them anywhere.

One article Roger Goodell claimed Greenbay had seen a decline in profit that marked over 40%. He also stated that the NFLPA cannot dispute this claim as they have access to that specific information an know it to be true for that team. There was no denial from the NFLPA on that other than they want to see the cash flow of all teams and decide where to go from there.

Also Roger Goodell and the owners have requested a decrease in salary and bonuses for rookie players and the first $100 million from that cut would be put into a fund for retired player benefits. The NFLPA rejected this proposal refusing to take any salary cuts, and brought a counter proposal which offered no benefit changes for retired players despite their constant media claims of wanting to help veteran players and retired players. The NFLPA claims Roger Goodell and the owners however are the bad guys and demanded an 18% pay cut by players, in which they laughed at.

Again it is a he said she said battle, and gets uglier every day. You never know how much of the supposed facts are fabricated by either side in the media, but that is about all the info I can provide.

No football in 2011...expect it to happen. Pray it doesn't.

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

Frankly, I don't really care what happens because it is all absurd to me. I can watch college football just as easily. But it takes two to tango and I do not feel blaming DeMaurice Smith for everything is accurate.

 

[Striker]

Sadly without the NFL and the Seahawks playing in 2011, I would be very upset. I was raised on the NFL and cannot even imagine a year deprived of it. Here is hoping somehow we pull a Lombardi Trophy out our ass this season, because this may be the last chance we get.

Baseball lost its edge and is still recovering from a similar situation as what is happening with the NFL. Does that mean after the lockout everyone will be too busy watching its new American past time "Shuffle Board"? *Cringe*

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

Don't blame DeMaurice anymore. I understand you don't like the guy, which is totally fine, but the players are very clearly behind him (which is what I have said all along).

9. I think the most notable thing coming out of the NFL Players Association meetings in Maui is that Kevin Mawae, a staunch supporter of union executive director DeMaurice Smith, got rubber-stamped for another term as NFLPA president. The players sent a mandate with that vote to the owners that they're behind Smith and Mawae, and don't look for cracks in the unity of the players.

Read More: Donovan McNabb, Brady Quinn, Jake Delhomme, more NFL notes - Peter King - SI.com ​

​

 

[robdog]

I hear ya on College football, but nothing beats the NFL playoff system. It will be missed if there is a lock out.

 

[Seahawk Freak]

18....Its great that the players are behind him. The German people were behind Hitler before WWII. A majority was behind Obama, but my bet is that we are headed down the tubes with him, just like Germany went down the tubes with Hitler, just like the players are with smith. I am so sick of the greed behind the players. He has sold them a bill of goods, that will turn into a bag of shit for the fans, and for the players.

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

18....Its great that the players are behind him. The German people were behind Hitler before WWII. A majority was behind Obama, but my bet is that we are headed down the tubes with him, just like Germany went down the tubes with Hitler, just like the players are with smith. I am so sick of the greed behind the players. He has sold them a bill of goods, that will turn into a bag of shit for the fans, and for the players.

WTF? Did you even read the argument that was going on? I'm not going to even take the time to hold your hand through it.

 

[Striker]

I blame him, and I blame the players. So long as he is representing the players interest and is in the forfront of negotiations I will be looking at him to get a deal signed. I do not see the owners being so drastic in action that a middle ground cannot be met, it is the NFLPA and their leader who is dragging us into a lockout.

The man came on a television interview as stated he would give up and I quote "NOTHING" in negotiations and instead will ask the owners to open their books to the players. He and the players refuse to take a paycut at all and have stated as much several times. He is not negotiating, he is simply drawing a line and demanding the owners cross it.

As far as I am concerned he and the players who follow the same greedy ideals clearly do not give a damn about fans or the game and can all get tossed to the wayside. I want to see players who dedicate themselves and play for the love of the game and tradition, like Priest Holmes. Not some bums who just want a check and are ready to retire before 28, Jamarcus Russell.

That's my take anyways, and I respect your.

 

[Fenom]

The average person can easily live off of $5 million for the rest of their life. They need to learn how to spend their money instead of blowing it all on expensive mansions, cars, boats, and private jets.

Matt Hasselbeck seems like a guy who knows how to spend his money as well as save it.

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

I blame him, and I blame the players. So long as he is representing the players interest and is in the forfront of negotiations I will be looking at him to get a deal signed. I do not see the owners being so drastic in action that a middle ground cannot be met, it is the NFLPA and their leader who is dragging us into a lockout.

I agree with that. I don't think the owners (at least the ones of which I am aware of their financial situation (i.e. Paul Allen)) are very hard pressed to see the revenue from their teams. They have income sources far greater than an NFL team.

 

[Fenom]

Anybody know if there will be a draft in 2011 if there is a lockout? It could really screw over the college players wanting to turn pro if there isn't one.

 

[#ONE]

That's why there are so many underclassmen this year.

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

There will still be a draft:

Collective Bargaining Agreement - Q & A - NFL - CBSSports.com Football

I think all the underclassmen are turning out for the draft because there is no rookie salary cap. If a new deal gets put into place, there is a decent enough chance of a cap being in place.

 

[Striker]

Smith and Mawae said that if next season goes forward with no salary cap, it would be highly unlikely to have a new CBA with a cap reinstated.


"Virtually impossible," Smith said.


"A very difficult task," Mawae said.


NFL Lockout Extremely Likely: Union Leader DeMaurice Smith


(Bottom of page)


Here is hoping they are just fronting for the media and not speaking the truth. I want the Salary Cap back, as well as a Rookie Cap.

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

I would like to see a simple table of the issues and each side's stance on them.

Here are the issues I hear most about:

1. Salary Cap. I think what had been in place was a great compromise. There is a salary cap, but there is also a salary floor. I'd be surprised if owners gave in on this one.

2. Rookie Salary Cap. I think both owners and veteran players are tired of seeing players that have never played a down get guaranteed more money than a lot of proven Pro-Bowl, All-Pro veterans. I would expect this to happen, but how does the NFLPA get that done? Technically, it should be representing those overpaid rookies, too. So I would think the fight would be more within the NFLPA than between the NFLPA and owners.

3. Revenue Sharing. Players think that since the owners are making more money, they should get more. I'm not sure what the logic in that is. If I work for Bob Smith who own's Smith Manufacturing, I don't demand more money if the company does really well. I would demand more money if I do really well, which is what Free Agency is for. Another point that may fall under this would be the extended schedule. I would expect the owners would have to pay the players more for two more games a year. That seems reasonable to me.

Anyone have a more comprehensive list of the issues?

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

Nice write up on SI.com:

NFL players confident DeMaurice Smith is right man to lead battle - Jim Trotter - SI.com