and the possibility of a lockout
The NFL's current collective bargaining agreement expires on March 3. That deal was extended in 2006 during a negotiation that generally favor the players, who received close to 60 percent of the league's nearly $9 billion in revenues after $1 billion was taken off the top for the owners.
"That clearly is indicating that the pendulum has shifted too far in one direction," www.centurionsmc.org/won.html NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the Super Bowl of the NFLPA's belief it received a good deal in 2006. "And in any agreement, you want to have a fair agreement. You want to make sure that it's fair to the clubs. You want to make sure it's fair to the players, but allow our great game to grow."
In 2008, the NFL owners opted out of the CBA, which created an ongoing drama throughout the 2010 season and created the possibility since becoming a likelihood of a lockout. If a lockout occurs, there will be no free agency, player trades or organized team activities until an agreement is reached. April's draft will still be conducted as scheduled.
What are the major issues for the owners?
As in any labor negotiation, economics are always an issue. The league wants an additional $1 billion off the top before the revenues are split to help produce new revenues that could grow the game, such as the construction of stadiums.
But there are other issues that are angeloaktree.com/we.html important, most notably the creation of an 18game regular season. The league does not want to change the current 20game structure (16 regularseason games, four preseason), but instead wants to change from four preseason games to two preseason games and add two to the regular season.
"The fans have clearly stated that they don't like the quality of our preseason," Goodell said.
Of course, there is money to be made from an expanded season, so the league's intentions are motivated as much by business interests as fan interest.
There's also the issue of a rookie wage scale. The first 10 picks of the draft are paid an exorbitant salary compared to established veterans. Take, for example, 2010 No. 1 pick Sam Bradford, who received a $78 million contract and $50 million guaranteed before he even played a game.
What are the major issues for the players?
Like the owners, the economic split is important for the players. If the league takes an additional $1 billion off the current $9 billion, even the 60 percent available to the players is less than 50 percent of the total revenue. The players want to ensure there's a fair split, which the current agreement essentially delivers.
"So when you look at the issue of all revenue from what everybody in here wants to believe and understand about how we recognize whether a deal is fair," NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said. "What is the split of revenue between players and owners? 50."
The NFLPA has called for financial transparency, which would include the owners opening their books and providing the players a sense of each team's cash flow.
The players are also against the enhanced 18game regular season, which Smith said would potentially shorten the career span that now averages only 3.4 years per player. It ties into another key issue for the NFLPA: player safety and health benefits. Players receive postcareer health care after three years in the league, and the NFLPA projects the average career span decreasing to 2.8 years with an 18game season.
The face of the league is Goodell, who has been progressive as commissioner but now must prevent the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987. Goodell even pledged to drop his salary to $1 in the event of a lockout. Smith leads the players, and the former trial lawyer became the surprising choice to run the NFLPA in 2009 in large part due to his reputation as a tough negotiator. There was no comment from either side.
Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireNFL commissioner Roger Goodell is facing the league's first work stoppage since 1987. government agency. They met with Cohen for the first time Friday after agreeing to the mediation, which is not binding but is meant as a way to initiate progress in the slow and sometimes contentious bargaining.
There is no date that looms larger than March 3, when the current deal expires. If no deal is in place then and Smith was vocal about trying to reach an agreement by that point the league endures a work stoppage, players cannot work out at team facilities and their health benefits are compromised. The league would begin to lose money. There would not be free agency, so more than 400 players will be without a roster.
Pay attention to the NFL Scouting Combine beginning Wednesday and extending to March 1 in Indianapolis. The event brings agents, coaches, www.centurionsmc.org/mvp.html front office personnel and reporters into the cheap jerseys same forum for a week. Then there's the draft from April 2830, which could proceed with the alarming subtext of clubs selecting players for rosters the players cannot yet join.
What is a possible compromise?
If there was an easy compromise, the two sides would have found one already. There are three issues that need to be sorted: Revenue split, enhanced season and rookie wage scale.
Of the three, a compromise could most easily be reached on the rookie wage scale. If there's a slotting system for each pick similar to the NBA and rookies become unrestricted free agents sooner than the current system allows, the issue could be resolved. The key for the players is how the money saved on rookie salaries will be spent. If it helps increase the salaries of veteran players and benefits retired players, the NFLPA could become even more agreeable.
Goodell said there are no "deal breakers" from the NFL side, but they have pushed hard for the enhanced season. That might create issues, but there could be concessions made for the players if the owners insist on 18 games. Possibilities include adjustments to offseason training activities, training camp and inseason practices. There could be modifications for injured reserve and postcareer benefits, too.
The biggest issue might prove to be how the NFL and NFLPA agree to split the revenue. A story in Sports Illustrated this week revealed advice dispensed from late executive director Gene Upshaw that has helped Smith: "The owners will always take shortterm loss for longterm gain."
Smith has emphasized the league's growth even during a slow economy, so there is optimism about further growth in the future. How that money is divided could determine whether the NFL endures a costly lockout.
Lockout A lockout is a work stoppage resulting from the league and its owners preventing the players association from working until a mutual agreement is reached. This differs from a strike, when the players association stops playing for the owners.
Decertification This occurs when a union stops becoming a union, thus making each player an individual employee as opposed to a member of the players association. antitrust laws.. |
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