Union: No 18 game schedule

[Snake]

Smith is just begging for a lockout. He is hell bent on destroying the NFL.

[MadHatter]

Only reason I would have liked an 18 and 2 season vs a 16 and 4 season is the price of tickets.

I woudl rather have 2 meaningless preseason games at full price than 4.

Other than that, not a biggie to me.

[MadHatter]

I've heard that one of the major issues is the NFL not even putting the 18 game schedule on the table? Why, because in the previous CBA the players had already given the owners permission to move to a 18 game regular season as long as they reduce the preseason by 2 games.

To the owners, if they want 18 games then it will happen and they will not get permission from the players to do so. The players know this so every offer they are laying on the table includes no 18 game language.

I don't think we are going to see another NFL football game until fall 2012 at the earliest.

Even if true, the fact that the players gave permission in the old CBA is irrelevant. There will be a new agreement in place that governs everything.

[mountainpantherfan]

Even if true, the fact that the players gave permission in the old CBA is irrelevant. There will be a new agreement in place that governs everything.

But the owners don't see it that way.

I am really starting to have a bad feeling that the end game is coming and that the owners may just do something drastic. This isn't 1965 anymore. The majority of the owners now aren't the same owners just trying to make a pro football league sustainable. These are ruthless businessmen that own a NFL team because they want to make as much money as possible.

I really question if the NFL will last beyond these negociations. In order to avoid any antitrust lawsuites all the NFL would have to do is discontinue operating soley as one league and begin operating like 32 seperate businesses. That means the end to the draft, free agency as we know it, salary cap ect. The NFL would only remain as a system for determining a championship. Owners could pay players as little as 7.25 a hour if they wanted to. It's drastic, and it wouldn't be a long term solution but I think the owners may see this as their own counter to the NFLPA decertifying.

Then the players would be forced to strike, then we would see replacement players come in so that the NFL could still get the network dollars.

I do not support this move, nor do I support the NFLPA decertifying. But this may very well be what happens I fear.

[Matthias]

I've heard that one of the major issues is the NFL not even putting the 18 game schedule on the table? Why, because in the previous CBA the players had already given the owners permission to move to a 18 game regular season as long as they reduce the preseason by 2 games.

To the owners, if they want 18 games then it will happen and they will not get permission from the players to do so. The players know this so every offer they are laying on the table includes no 18 game language.

I don't think we are going to see another NFL football game until fall 2012 at the earliest.

The biggest winner if that happens would be the Carolina Panthers. We would have the first pick of every round in 2012, lots to work with concerning trades. (We would essentially be able to move up and down the boards at will.) Plus, we would be in prime position to select Luck, or trade him for a mass amount of picks. It would be a GM's dream come true. (I would take Luck, unless he pulls a diva move. Either way, we win big)

[Oldschool Leroy]

I don't care if it is 18 or 16 games but zero games this year...