NFL lockout. Whose side are you on?
 

This article points out the main sticking points:

The NFL lockout is officially on. There won't be any free agency, no training camp and forget pre-season if players and owners can't come to an agreement soon. The collective bargaining agreement ran out at 11:59 p.m. ET March 11, 2011, and the players filed a lawsuit against the owners. Then the owners locked out the players from practicing and working out.

The sides were far apart on several issues, but it all revolves around money. Here is a look at five major issues both sides bicker about through mediators and lawsuits.

Season Length

Owners want an 18-game season so they can sell more tickets, make more money and increase television revenue. Players feel like two more games will increase injuries without increasing their pay. If the owners wanted to make more money by having more games, they would have to compensate players by giving them a bigger share of revenue.

Salaries

The salary cap has always been an issue with players and teams. Players want more money, owners don't want exorbitant salaries. The salary cap is a way to make the playing field more even for the league's 32 teams. In 2010 there was no cap as owner's invoked their option to extend the collective bargaining agreement for an extra year. Now the issue of how much salaries can increase or decrease per team will come up again.

Revenue Sharing

Revenue sharing between players and the league has always been an issue. Recent reports were puzzling as to why the two sides quibbled with minutiae as players seemed to ask for the same amount of revenue percentage as before. Splitting up $9 billion is hard to do.

Financial Information

One reason the players are mad at the owners is they believe the team owners have not been forthright regarding how much money they really make. The players want to see the past 10 years of accounting reports to which the owners responded with an emphatic "no."

Rookie Salaries

One thing the owners actually found common ground with the players was rookie salaries. The league and players agreed to limit rookie salaries as they had gotten out of hand. Signing bonuses, holdouts and megamillions for untested players were issues for owners who didn't want to pay as much money. In the end, the sides agreed to a sliding scale of contracts based upon the round in which players were drafted.

The recent breakdown of negotiations is an indication it may be a long summer before the two sides work out their issues.


My thoughts are that the owners are just that... the owners. They take all the risk in their business venture that is their football team.

The players get paid paid millions to play a game for a living. They're not forced to do it. They're not slaves, as Adrian Petersen said they were.

If the players don't like the salary offer the owners present, they are free to go and find another line of work.

Gotta go with the Players on this one.

Not knowing anything about it other than some brief reading.

The NFL is a business, and is run as such. The owners pay their employees a salary, and they make the profit. Just like any other business, you don't share ****ing revenue. Nor do they have to disclose diddly shit to the players.

I'm on the side of the owners here. They (players) are all already grossly overpaid. I'm sick of this union BS.

I'm on the side of getting back to football. All sides are being greedy but the owners have more saved up and can weather this storm. The players are all living hand to mouth for the most part.

For the non informed, the already billionaire owners agreed to the previous CBA and decided 2 years ago that the players were making too much money. The owners are the reason for the lockout b/c they wanted to opt of the current contract. All this is all about money which makes the world go around, but I'm with the players on this one

Haven't picked a side yet, but I'm subscribed.

Fans side! Both parties are being Childish and selfish! By the time this is all said and done we the fans will be paying the biggest price, higher tickets,higher cable cost,etc....

It is ridiculous for the NFL to be here with one the highest rated super bowls and the league generating 9billion dollars. The game is at one of it's highest points of all time and this only hurting the game right now. The sad part is if there is no football at all this year, it's not only the players out of work. It's the people who work the stadiums, parking lots, management and marketing staffs for every team, ball boys, team chefs, trainers etc who are also out of work and will just add to the 9% unemployment this country is already going through.
The players also lose all benefits I.e., health insurance, life insurance, etc...

Jenk, a firm out of NY did a report on the effect of a lockout and for just the 2011 season it was 12 BILLION dollars..... From parking lot attendants, to fantasy football company's all the way up to Budweiser and CBS, not to mention Direct TV and all the money they make on there $300 per house Sunday Ticket package.... Can't wait until the Government steps in ;)

Neither. I like REAL football. You know, the one they play with their feet?

Man United still in for the Treble!!

http://thatsenuff.com/wp-content/upl...ter-United.jpg

Excellent point.

Also, Jenk I think it's time for a new avatar. :smilie:

No one asked you :friendlykick:

Your right, need to send Dj some pics of the new ride

give me a f'n break. the players sign a huuuuuuuuuuuuge contract, that's why its called a CONTRACT. I hope there is a lock out and i am a huge NFL fan but the owners should win this

I'm with the players. If the owners could show some financials that justify them wanting more of the pie, then the players' union would have little to argue about. If they're not showing the financials, then it just looks shady on their part to keep coming up with excuses and poor offers with generic documentation.

Hate unions and everything they do

Can't have success without the players but can't have an NFL without the owners.

The owners don't have guaranteed contracts.

They take the big risks. They run the show.

Mini G does a good job in that department

https://teamspeed.com/forums/off-top...vatars-40.html

What?

lol. The owners don't need to show them crap. If the owner's feel they need to make more money than so be it. It's not like the poor NFL stars are getting mistreated and working for pennies in a sweat shop. We are talking about people making millions of dollars a year for playing a game. They're all a bunch of whiny spoiled little kids is how I see it.

The owners do need to open up their books if they want this issue resolved. Even with the lockout the owners have a guaranteed tv contract where they still get paid even without games being played. Win win for them and shit on the players.
Not all NFL players make millions and they arent the ones who went on strike. The owners are being the whiny spoiled old grumps

That are not guaranteed like baseball or basketball. They can cut players from those big contracts at any point

All big-time NFL contracts have some guaranteed money.

Granted, not 100% like baseball or basketball.

But they all have some.

100% with the owners

why NFL players think they are entitled to more than their salaries is an insult to the rest of the hard working employee population.

you want a bigger piece of the pie then put your money where your mouth is and invest in a franchise, if not STFU and stop whining. Its called capitalism.

This thread is funny. I hope there is a season next year!

Me being a non football fan, I would enjoy a year without it.

Wow bro, you seriously are inching closer to my first neg rep! Celtics Fan and now this! Get outta ere

I was in fear of neg reps for that comment. But I think football is too slow and boring. (now I'm really going to get neg rep'ed) To each their own I say.

But you LOVE hockey!?

Are you blind? You skate for fun:hilarious:

There's my first neg rep. That's why I rarely state my opinion on TS. Didn't want to get in a pissing match with anyone.

You think hockeys slow?!?

Awww Jonny it'll be ok.

I love hockey, I actually at times think it's too damn fast.... Grew up going to sharks games every week and then having my heart ripped out as we lost to the red wings and blues over and over in the playoffs !

Your still a homosexual though ;)

Hahah thanks C Money. And MiniD.....I'm not even going to get into it with you.

I have attended several live hockey games in Anaheim.

The games are VERY EXCITING live. They skate so fast and hit so hard.

But on television, you really lose that part of the game.

I can't even see the puck very well on TV.

It's probably for the best brother.

If you were a football fan, you would likely root for those bastard Patriots.

:hilarious:

Like I said to each their own. Haha I do cheer for the Pats, but who else am I going to cheer for? I watch only the Pats and even those games I fall asleep. I barely watched any of the super bowl. Football just isn't for me.

I hear you brother.

Most people I know love pets. I don't.

My kids want a dog, but I just don't like animals.

They think I am crazy.

The players don't want a bigger piece of the pie, so many misinformed:spar:

If an owner of a business ( NFL or a mom and pop lawn and garden store)wants to make more money and has a way to do it, then by all means go for it. They take a risk, and if it plays out, will make more money. Its a business

now IF IF IF the players contracts, no matter how ridiculously large say they only play 16 games, training camp bla bla bla, whatever is in the contract. Then they should not be asked to play 2 more games.

If you have a salary for 40K a yr for 40/hrs a week. Then I bet you would have an issue with the company telling you you can not work unless you work 45 hours a week now.

I also agree it looks shady for the owners to not show the records BUT, THEY ARE THE BOSS!!!! For those of you who do not work for yourselves, if your company wanted to make more money, would you tell them no unless you show me your accounting for the last 10 years? no, its none of your f' ing business. If you can run a better company, then this is America, go for it.

What about this draft boycott business?

What are those kids supposed to do?

Cross the proverbial "picket line" and betray the very guys they will have to play with or show up and shake the Commissioner's hand like they have dreamed about for years?

Tough.