NFL Lockout..

Figured we could get this section cooking with a pretty important issue..

The NFL Lockout.. which is threatening the start of the 2011 season..

The main cause of it is the owners feel they need a larger portion of the NFL's "revenue pie" and they cannot agree on it with the players association.

what do you guys think of all of this?

I think it's bull s*** I want to watch the Chargers play >.< basterds better get this s*** sorted out and give me my football

Ok I've really been going over this because both sides are really ticking me off.

In order for people to understand the deals that are being thrown around people have to understand that the NFL is a business with the owners being the managers and the players being the employees. This is why the players were allowed to unionize themselves in the NFLPA so they could collectivelly bargain with the owners much as any union is allowed to negotiate wages and if worse comes to worse declare a strike against there managers.

Now the original reason behind the lockout even coming around was because the owners opted to execute a cause in the current C.B.A. (collective bargaining agreement) that let the owners terminate the C.B.A and opt to try to sign a new one.

The reason the owners did this was because they insist that they are losing money at a drastic rate from one season to the next and decided to cut the current C.B.A. short so that they could bargain with the NFLPA for more money through a reduction in salary cap and etc...

Now at first the players were like, ok, thats understandable just show us the financial information and we will see what we can do for you guys. At this the owners froze up and would not budge hence all the calls from the players for the owners to "show them the books"

But that's really what the main argument is over, last time i checked the owners were asking for around 500 million dollars and the players were willing to give them around 180.

Other then that some smaller demands from both sides.
-Owners want an 18 game schedule with 2 fewer pre season games.
-Players want new rules regarding player saftey and concussions
-players want health benefits and pensions after they retire
-owners want a rookie wage cap (stops the ridiculus 40 million dollar contracts rookies were getting)

My opinion on all of this is that the owners and the players are both forgetting one very simple thing..........THE FANS

As a fam I have been disgusted by how much prices on everything related to football have steadily been jacked up over the last few years. Heck Bears tickets cost around 150$ for the nose bleed stands that you need binoculars to watch the game from. That's ridiculus the only people who can afford to support the teams and go to games anymore are rich yuppie fairweather fans who dont give a crap about the team or what there playing for. Why don't we as fans lock out from the league and say screw all of you guys we deserve rights as fans to be able to afford to support our team and enjoy our team.


One more thing i forgot to touch on. The NFLPA decertified as soon as the C.B.A. expired because the owners were locking out the players. Because the union no longer exsists the players are challenging the owners in court sayin that you have no right to lock us out because we are no longer a union and that case will be heard in a Minneanopolis court on April 6th. If the judge rules in favor of the players then the lockout will be over and we will have football. if the judge rules in favor of the owners the lockout continues.

While i can understand the needing more money on the owners part to make ends meet.. there has to be the ability to negotiate or nothing will get done..

As far as the requests the players and owners want.. they are all decent ideas.. some already say preseason for all sports including NFL is too long, and unecessary. And there is nothing wrong with players wanting to have their health and maybe a little bit of money for life after football...

Have to do a pursuasive essay on this problem, so here comes some information

All I say is, if the Lockout doesn't end, we will be seeing A LOT of the CFL (Canadian Football League) on the TV instead of NFL.

F*** Canadian football lol....Canadians need to stick to hockey :P, if the NFL lockout continues until August, and there is no NFL i'll be watching other stuff on TV =\

I at least have baseball until october

But yeah, CFL sucks. It might be good football, but people pay to see the people like the Mannings and the Bradys go out and do battle.

Cwian, how long did it take you to type all that? I've got shorter college writing assignments lol

Anyway, I side with the owners on this issue, although I believe the wrong is being done by both owners and players, they're both too greedy. The sense of entitlement here (as well as that mindset around this country as a whole, but that's a different issue for a different section) disturbs me. Why does a 21-yr-old unproven rookiee, who may turn out like Jamarcus Russell, need a huge contract when they haven't taken a snap? For that matter, why do the "superstars" of the league have to have as big a salary as they do? I think both sides need to take alot less money. Is it necessary to have a mansion in 5 different cities, 20 sportscars, etc, etc? I don't think so. Long as every player is making enough to have a nice house, 2-3 nice cars, and buy their family something nice for helping them get where they are now is plenty. For that, 1-2 mil a yr is plenty. I'd use those cost savings to lower ticket and concession prices so that average working-class people could actually attend the games again. The NFL player's "jobs" don't rank as high on my list as those of people who work 8-hr days 5-6 days a week, to keep this country running. The NFL player's job is to provide weekend entertainment so those people can relax, and have an outlet so they're ready to go back to doing what they do the rest of the week.

Also, in reference to the lockout, there will be football this year, whether it's with the current players or not. The organizations are not prevented from fielding teams, they just can't use the players who are "locked out" players who weren't a part of the players union are still eligible. Also, the teams would hold open tryouts, so there will be alot of B-league players, and average Joes (e.g. Vince Papali) that will make the squad.