NFL CBA Discussion

[Sea Ray]

According to ESPN talks have broken off between the owners and players and the issue is how to set the salary cap. Apparently there is about $9billion in revenue and the players want the cap set at 50% of that or $140mill per team. The owners want a $2B exemption and then divide the remaining $7mill at 50% which leads to $109mill per team. The cap was $130m in 2009.

No way in hell the players will go from a $130mill cap in 2009 to a $109mill cap in 2011. Sounds like the owners are really playing hardball here.

Mort this morning on ESPN said that the owners have an incentive to carry this beyond March 4th when the CBA expires. Apparently if that happens, the federal judge will lose his jurisdiction of this case and he has given some rulings unfavorable to the owners thus they'd like to take their chances with someone else.

If this is really where this thing stands, it's plain to see that it's going to take a long time to iron this out. I will say this, the owners aren't going through the trouble to re-open this CBA to only get the same deal as last year. I think we can count on the $130M cap going down in 2011.

[Oxblood]

I will be rooting for a lockout, the greed displayed here is sickening.

[Caveat Emperor]

I will be rooting for a lockout, the greed displayed here is sickening.

Not me. Tampa Bay has a young team with lots of great young stars -- they need time on the field whenever possible and as many organized team activities as they can squeeze in to get ready for next year. I want Josh Freeman at One Buc Place watching film all year, throwing to Mike Williams and the receivers. I want Arrelious Benn and Gerald McCoy using team facilities to rehab injuries. Lockouts do no fan any good.

I wouldn't read into much at this stage. It's bargaining -- and, right now, the players have a lot more to lose than the owners. Owners have a slush fund building up and will still get TV money (which, admittedly, they'll be forced to pay back in future years). How many players in the league can go a full year without a paycheck? Even the wealthy ones have mortgages that come due on multi-million dollar properties, notes on garages full of expensive sports cars, etc. The smart ones are also thinking about life after football and probably don't want to eat into savings to make ends meet during a lockout.

Owners can also be owners until they drop dead -- players have a short shelf life and a brief window where their physical peak allows them to play football at a competitive level and earn money doing so. Lose a year to a lockout, and players will not only come back older, but they will also have to contend with TWO rookie classes coming into the league at low salary that can take their jobs.

There may be a "lockout" that wipes off-season activities or training camp stuff, but I'd be shocked if any games are missed. There's simply too much money involved for everyone to say "Nah, we'd rather stand on principle and let it all go to seed."

[bucksfan2]

It seems to me that it would be in the owners benefit to allow the contract to expire before they begin to negotiate. You won't have any roster bonuses or new contracts handed out which would eliminate any money going to the players during the lockout. I know there are players who can financially withstand a lockout, but I would bet the vast majority of players in today's NFL live paycheck to paycheck. An extend lockout would give the owners more barraging power.

That said here are some of my thoughts and hopes for the new agreement.
-I am usually pro ownership anti-union. That said I don't see how any sports union reflects the real world. I do know that in any privately held business ownership does reap a large amount of the profit and it should. They take all the risk and should factor into the reward (if there is one). I think eventually the Owners get at least 51% of the revenue.

-I am for an 18 game schedule. I have season tickets and nothing is worse than paying full price for a practice game. Take away 2 preseason games and make them regular season games and I am happy.

-Slotting system for the NFL draft. It doesn't make sense that guys like Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, and Matt Stafford make more than most of the current NFL QB's without throwing a pass. Setting a scale and eliminating holdouts is good for everyone (except the rookies). The fans and ownership get their draft picks in camp and the vets get more money in their pockets.

-Eliminate the blackout rule. Don't know if they can even do this in a collective bargaining agreement. Its archaic and hurts the fans. Nothing makes less sense to me than having a fan shell out a couple hundred for NFL ticket only to be blacked out. And it hurts the young fans who want to watch their team play. "Hey daddy can I have $80 to go to the Bengals game because it won't be on TV".

-Relocating Pittsburgh to Siberia. I think that should be self explanatory. In reality I have no other big issues with the NFL. It is a well oiled machine that is showing no signs of slowing down. That could be changed with a long period without football.

[reds1869]

That said here are some of my thoughts and hopes for the new agreement.
-I am usually pro ownership anti-union. That said I don't see how any sports union reflects the real world. I do know that in any privately held business ownership does reap a large amount of the profit and it should. They take all the risk and should factor into the reward (if there is one). I think eventually the Owners get at least 51% of the revenue.

Yes, because clearly being born into a life of privilege like Mikey Boy's is riskier than being a player with ungodly natural talent who's earning ability could end on the next snap.

[Oxblood]

^ Damn cool avatar

[reds1869]

^ Damn cool avatar

Have to give credit to Reds1 for that one. He was using it on another site and graciously agreed to let me use it here. It is pretty sweet, eh?

[Oxblood]

Have to give credit to Reds1 for that one. He was using it on another site and graciously agreed to let me use it here. It is pretty sweet, eh?

Indeed.

[Kingspoint]

The players need to be reigned in. They have too much control of the league. The owners have done a poor job by giving them too much control.

Attendance is poor in the NBA and has been for years. They have major problems as an organization and are heading for disaster like the NHL if they don't make drastic changes.

It has to begin with a new CBA, and if the players don't like it, then too bad. They can go play in Europe where nobody cares and nobody will watch them, and their fragile egos won't be able to handle that. They would all drift back to the NBA begging for a job.

The owners need to stand their ground even if it means no NBA season for next year. I hope, though, that they would schedule the games anyway, and use whatever players they can get to play. It would probably be better basketball anyway, as the Coaches would all be here and they are the best Coaches in the World. They'll turn whatever players they have into decent teams with probably a better style of play, as in an up-tempo style where the "iso" play will be less seen.

The problem is that too many of these owners are greedy and are too willing to fork out the money to go after an asset (one of the "Star" players).

It will be interesting to watch.

Baseball will be the only sport left that won't be having labor problems over the next 8 months. Baseball attendance should sore. Heck, soccer might even see a surge in attendance.

It wouldn't be the end of the world, though if Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League all went belly-up. There's plenty of other things to do in this life. We'd all get over it, except for the workers at the stadiums and buildings, whom I'd feel the worst for.

[reds1869]

Baseball will be the only sport left that won't be having labor problems over the next 8 months. Baseball attendance should sore. Heck, soccer might even see a surge in attendance.

I think minor league and college sports will also see an amazing boost in viewership/attendance should the NFL and NBA cancel any part of their seasons.

[WVRed]

The players need to be reigned in. They have too much control of the league. The owners have done a poor job by giving them too much control.

Attendance is poor in the NBA and has been for years. They have major problems as an organization and are heading for disaster like the NHL if they don't make drastic changes.

It has to begin with a new CBA, and if the players don't like it, then too bad. They can go play in Europe where nobody cares and nobody will watch them, and their fragile egos won't be able to handle that. They would all drift back to the NBA begging for a job.

The owners need to stand their ground even if it means no NBA season for next year. I hope, though, that they would schedule the games anyway, and use whatever players they can get to play. It would probably be better basketball anyway, as the Coaches would all be here and they are the best Coaches in the World. They'll turn whatever players they have into decent teams with probably a better style of play, as in an up-tempo style where the "iso" play will be less seen.

The problem is that too many of these owners are greedy and are too willing to fork out the money to go after an asset (one of the "Star" players).

It will be interesting to watch.

Baseball will be the only sport left that won't be having labor problems over the next 8 months. Baseball attendance should sore. Heck, soccer might even see a surge in attendance.

It wouldn't be the end of the world, though if Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League all went belly-up. There's plenty of other things to do in this life. We'd all get over it, except for the workers at the stadiums and buildings, whom I'd feel the worst for.

Problem is, most of the people who would watch were probably turned off by the MLB strike during the 90's.

Whats really sad about the NBA is what is happening in Utah right now. Jerry Sloan, who has coached for 23 years, resigned and cited burnout as the reason. Deron Williams, the face of the franchise and a soon to be free agent, clashed with Sloan and that is fueling a lot of the speculation into Sloan's job. You look at longtime coaches such as Jerry Sloan in the NBA or Jeff Fisher in the NFL and how they have been forced out because of player issues and it is pretty sad how much players have control.

MLB is by far and away the most corrupt of all three major sports. At least the NFL and NBA have a salary cap in place. The NBA as a whole is unwatchable because of the "stars" and the lack of fundamental basketball that is being played. The NFL needs work, especially in slotting draft picks, but I really fear that Roger Goodell is going to ruin the best professional sports league by trying to get more games played without offering any incentive to the players.

[Redsfaithful]

The only thing special about the NFL is the product on the field. It's an industry where 100% of the value is brought by labor. 100%. People pay the sky high prices because they are seeing the best in the world.

There is zero risk in being an NFL owner. Anyone arguing differently is either lying or insane. If there was risk I'm sure these guys could put their money in something else; there's no shortage of fat, rich white dudes who want to own an NFL team.

Meanwhile you have players being called greedy, despite the fact the average career is five years, and they are literally putting their health on the line. Most all of these guys have lifelong health problems, including head injuries, meanwhile they are done earning, on average, by the age of 27. And the NFL only pays out health benefits for five years after you're out of the league. One of the points of contention here is players wanting that bumped to ten years.

George Will, one of the most famous conservative columnists in the country, once wrote that when it came to sports he's a Marxist. I simply can't understand how anyone ever sides with ownership in these cases.

[Caveat Emperor]

The only thing special about the NFL is the product on the field. It's an industry where 100% of the value is brought by labor. 100%. People pay the sky high prices because they are seeing the best in the world.

That's simply not true. Peyton Manning has 0 value without the ownership:

1. Providing a venue for him to play.
2. Providing a conduit (via media contracts) for people to see him play.
3. Providing a governing body to ensure orderly competition
4. Providing a stream of opposition for him

[WVRed]

That's simply not true. Peyton Manning has 0 value without the ownership:

1. Providing a venue for him to play.
2. Providing a conduit (via media contracts) for people to see him play.
3. Providing a governing body to ensure orderly competition
4. Providing a stream of opposition for him

Obviously, but even then, point being that Peyton Manning could have went the direction of Ryan Leaf and the Colts would still be turning a profit. There is zero risk involved in owning a NFL franchise.

[reds1869]

Obviously, but even then, point being that Peyton Manning could have went the direction of Ryan Leaf and the Colts would still be turning a profit. There is zero risk involved in owning a NFL franchise.

See: Brown, Mike.