BREAKING: NFL Owners Opt Out Of Labor Deal

[UNHWildCats]

2010 will be an uncapped season and the NFLPA has said if the cap goes away for 2010 it will never come back.

Possible lockout in 2011

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3404596

[andy7171]

I heard this earlier. Why are the owners doing this? The NFL is a money making machine as it is.

[Grizzaholic]

I can see their point about players' bonus' and their salaries if they get arrested or just refuse to play. That needs to be changed. I know there are still a couple of years left before the poo hits the fan but they should get this fixed before 2010. A year with no salary cap would devistate the league and if they striked in 2011 it could seriously hurt the league. It is the national pasttime now and a huge money maker for everybody involved.

[brownbear]

I heard this earlier. Why are the owners doing this? The NFL is a money making machine as it is.

Exactly, the NFL owners want it to be an even bigger money making machine and will do nothing to stop that.

[Marcus Garvey]

I don't know the details here, and if this is actually in their best interest. I find it interesting that the vote was unanimous though.. But I can't see them winding up with a better deal. The players would love to have "guarenteed contracts" like the NBA and MLB. IMO, that would be terrible for the league as a whole. Those bloated contracts allow useless stiffs to hang around when they shouldn't and sap money from teams who can use it better elsewhere. That's why you don't see any Barry Zitos or Chris Webbers dragging down NFL teams year after year.

[Dane96]

I am actually really shocked it was unanimous. I hosted, with my law professor, a Sports Forum in 2004. In attendance, among others, were Bob Kraft, Gene Upshaw, Tom Condon, and David Pace (G.C. of Reebok). They all talked of this event.

While the NFL Shield makes a TON of coin for the owners, the players reap HUGE benefits as well. The real issue is the big $$$ owners. The first real challenge to the NFL came with AL Davis and Jerry Jones. I forget the Davis details, but Jones sued the NFL because it wanted to put one of the soda sponsors up in Cowboy Stadium and the NFL said no.

Why? The NFL Shield, which was the name for the current negotiated deal that was in place for 20+ years. Jones countered that they were being held hostage because he could make more $$$ on the ad sales compared to the deal signed by the shield. He also stated it was unfair that Cowboy merchandise made up the largest percentage of THE NFL SHIELD merchandising payouts.

It is a very complicated total issue, but in the end, the big $$$ owners are going to get their way.

[kardplayer]

I predict the big change that's going to come out of this is NBA-like salary "slots" for draft picks. That will shift more money to veterans who proved themselves - plus, the guys impacted don't get to vote :)

[bulldog10jw]

If there was a lockout (or a strike), I wouldn't miss it a bit. I find the NFL boring.