NFLPA Boss: Lockout Likely

[MadHatter]

Isn't it the owners locking out this time rather than a players' strike? No go on scrubs in that case.

Yes, and I don't blame the owners for taking this stance.

The NFL Players are demanding a large portion of the revenue stream for these companies. They are acting like they are part of the ownership group. They still do not understand that they are NOTHING more than employees.

The owners have their own personal wealths tied up in these companies and have all of the risk.

Go into your boss's office and demand a % of the revenue for your company and see what happens. I guarantee yuo that you will be shown the door.

[MHS831]

If this dumbass is making brash statements like this on the eve of the NFL season opener, then his intent is to spread panic. It was not the time to say what he said, which reeks of desperation. I bet the owners chuckled, because they smell fear. This idiot should be exhausting every possible angle to work out a solution instead of going to the press with gloom and doom. These comments will backfire, making it seem as though it is the players who want to end Football. DUMB.

[Zod]

The players were talking like it was a certainty all camp long. I remember Jordan Gross saying it was happening and just talking about it matter of fact.

[Cyberjag]

"Let them lock out the players. I watched the scabs in 87, and I will pay to watch them again in 11. Frankly, my money's on Hurney to put together a pretty damned good replacement roster."

The 1987 strike was a player strike that lasted 24 days. A lot different from an owner's lockout. If it were a player strike there would be scabs willing to cross a picket line and play. But this is an owner's lockout and there will be no picket line to cross, no scabs and no football.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the owners locking out the NFLPA, not canceling football, right? A lockout would effectively cancel football unless they hired replacements, like last time. I don't think the question is "Can they?" as much as "Will they?"

The Owners can sustain a lockout for a pretty long time without feeling it in the pocketbook, especially with that DirectTV contract (which may demand replacement games). The players can't. My money is on management.

[countryboi]

"I still feel that a lockout is coming in March," NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told Bloomberg News.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5546088

Biggest mistake the Players Association made was putting this arrogant ass-neck in charge.

hey dont get mad at DeMaurice Smith he is just trying to do what is best for the players....its the owners that are driving this ship and they are not going to back down cause they know that the first time these checks aint regular the mid level players are going to be bitching

[Cyberjag]

Who's mad at Smith? It's more like everyone calling him an idiot than saying they're mad at him.

People made fun of Upshaw for the way he cozied up to the owners, and they said he was a management stooge. Last I checked, he's the one who negotiated the current deal that has the Owners all upset. And he did it without being confrontational or making bold statements.

[Panthro]

Never been a Union fan....Go Confederates!! The South Will Rise Again!

[jarhead]

"Let them lock out the players. I watched the scabs in 87, and I will pay to watch them again in 11. Frankly, my money's on Hurney to put together a pretty damned good replacement roster."

The 1987 strike was a player strike that lasted 24 days. A lot different from an owner's lockout. If it were a player strike there would be scabs willing to cross a picket line and play. But this is an owner's lockout and there will be no picket line to cross, no scabs and no football.

"I was watching the NFL network last night and they pretty much said there is NO WAY a deal doesn't get done and I agree with them. There is just TOOOO much to lose for both sides if there isn't a season...think back to baseball which had a lockout during prime economical times... "

The NFL Network is owned by who? The NFL. And where does the NFL stand on the possibility of a lockout? Squarely on the side of the owners. And the baseball strike in 1994 was a player walkout, not an owner lockout- there is a huge difference between the 2. A player strike puts owners in a tough situation. An owner lockout means owners have put together the financial resources to survive without the game, if need be, for a period of time. Hence, the minimal spending...

Hell we are fielding alot of no names this year.Maybe JR is preparing us for the future

[pepaw]

"I was watching the NFL network last night and they pretty much said there is NO WAY a deal doesn't get done and I agree with them. There is just TOOOO much to lose for both sides if there isn't a season...think back to baseball which had a lockout during prime economical times... "

The NFL Network is owned by who? The NFL. And where does the NFL stand on the possibility of a lockout? Squarely on the side of the owners. And the baseball strike in 1994 was a player walkout, not an owner lockout- there is a huge difference between the 2. A player strike puts owners in a tough situation. An owner lockout means owners have put together the financial resources to survive without the game, if need be, for a period of time. Hence, the minimal spending...

This brings up a good point. I <3 NFLN but they will do propaganda for the NFL when needed. When Spygate was going on the NFLN extent of coverage was not as extensive or in depths as ESPN's IMO. Also with the TV contracts the Owners are going to make some good money so yes they are absolutely set up better for a lockout.

Yahoo did a descent article. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-laborquestions090810

[Razeyfingers]

I dont know how anyone can predict anything at this point. Isnt an owners lockout unprecedented? I feel that, in this "Age of Marketing", everyone's agenda is more predictable than the outcome itself.

The one thing we can be mostly certain about is that money will still be money in a year. That alone should tell us that there will be football either next year or the year after, current players or not.

Edit: oooo, lingerie football, pro lingerie football, uhmm k gotta stop, my brain is going to explode.

[carolinanimal]

funny how fans are almost always on the side of the owners. i think this is because deep down each of us envy football players, be it because of the amount of money they make or they have lives that we wish we had. We have the feeling that we own them because we buy tickets or their merchandise

. i also think they get this attitude from us because they are the most visible. we get mad a players asking for more money (when most of us would do it if we could) but dont realize that the owners make probably 3 times what the team makes and he owns the team. no one ever yells at owners saying they are greedy.

to me the argument breaks down like this. players got a raise in last cba, owners want to recoup some of that, crying poor. players want bigger slice of pie, off new tv contracts.

if your boss came to you after giving you a raise, and then says "Hey i need you to take a pay cut to help the company save some money!" but you know that the company double in profits, would you accept it? Now, does the boss have the right to do that? yes. but would you take that?

[Cyberjag]

funny how fans are almost always on the side of the owners. i think this is because deep down each of us envy football players, be it because of the amount of money they make or they have lives that we wish we had. We have the feeling that we own them because we buy tickets or their merchandise

. i also think they get this attitude from us because they are the most visible. we get mad a players asking for more money (when most of us would do it if we could) but dont realize that the owners make probably 3 times what the team makes and he owns the team. no one ever yells at owners saying they are greedy.

to me the argument breaks down like this. players got a raise in last cba, owners want to recoup some of that, crying poor. players want bigger slice of pie, off new tv contracts.

if your boss came to you after giving you a raise, and then says "Hey i need you to take a pay cut to help the company save some money!" but you know that the company double in profits, would you accept it? Now, does the boss have the right to do that? yes. but would you take that?

If the players made the league what it is, then we would be talking about the USFL championship game in July while we were waiting for the NFL to start in September.

[Razeyfingers]

if your boss came to you after giving you a raise, and then says "Hey i need you to take a pay cut to help the company save some money!" but you know that the company double in profits, would you accept it? Now, does the boss have the right to do that? yes. but would you take that?

Businesses typically dont have a salary cap per say so you may need to use a better example.

The bottom line is that the players dont own jack. I think the job pays what is determined ultimately by "what will the average person pay to watch NFL". There are other factors sure, but the players should be grateful that they can play football for money. Millions of people would love to be (or to have been) in their shoes for just one year alone.

[MadHatter]

Businesses typically dont have a salary cap per say so you may need to use a better example.

The bottom line is that the players dont own jack. I think the job pays what is determined ultimately by "what will the average person pay to watch NFL". There are other factors sure, but the players should be grateful that they can play football for money. Millions of people would love to be (or to have been) in their shoes for just one year alone.

Exactly...they are EMPLOYEES, not partial owners.

I heard one player try to justify their position based on benefits after they are through playing. He said that people don't understand...that his family has no medical coverage when his career in the NFL ends.

Well, guess what....none of us have insurance after we stop working for our employer.

Professional athletes live in a fantasy world. They are paid MILLIONS of dollars to play a game. Then, they expect the rest of us to feel sorry for them.

The owners invested their own money to purchase and run these teams. The players show up and earn a PAYCHECK....nothing more.