1982 and 1987 are years permanently etched in lore as strike years. Add 2011 to that list, as talks broke down in spite of several extensions recently, and now the fate of football will likely be decided in the courts, or at the very least, the courts will be the deciding factors that influence whatever comes of this.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Depends on your point of view. Here is what the OWNERS say they offered…
• Split the difference between the compensation the players wanted and what the owners were offering, claiming that would result in no pay cuts for veterans.
• Agreed to a rookie salary cap that would have shifted savings from first-round rookies to veteran and retired players.
• Keep 16-game regular-season schedule for at least two years and only expand that number after that with league and union approval.
• Contribute $82 million to a new legacy fund for retired players.
• Reduce offseason programs from 14 weeks to nine, and OTAs from 14 to 10.
• Reduce number of contact drills players would have in practices.
• Guarantee that teams would spend at least 90 percent of the salary cap over a three-year period.
Here is what THE PLAYERS say they were offered…
• NFL demanded a multibillion dollar giveback and refused to provide any legitimate financial information to justify it.
• NFL’s offer to give NFLPA a single sheet of numbers was not financial disclosure. Players’ accountants and bankers advised that was meaningless.
• NFL wanted to turn the clock back on player compensation by four years, moving them to where they were in 2007.
• NFL offered no proposal for long-term share of revenues.
• NFL demanded 100 percent of all revenues, which went above unrealistically low projections for first four years.
• NFL demanded 18-game season, despite claims to improve health and safety of players.
• NFL wanted cutbacks in workers’ compensation benefits for injured players.
• NFL sought to limit rookie compensation long after they become veterans (players’ fourth and fifth years).
NOW WHAT HAPPENS? Well everything is going to courts now, unless the parties will get back together and come to an agreement. The Union has officially decertified, meaning there is no longer a Union. If the owners block access to clubhouses, they wont be blocking a union, they will collectively, in agreement, be blocking the employees from 32 different teams from accessing their work. This is collusion, and players (10 already have) will file lawsuits for antitrust violations.
Problem is, Courts are slow. The court system will NOT move cases off the docket just to get this done, so it could take a while. The offseason is in major jeopardy, and when training camp comes around, thats when it will start to get really serious.
No camp, no practice, you cant play during the season. Effectively, at that point, the 2011 season will be in perilous situation.
WHAT ABOUT THE DRAFT?- It will go on as planned, but there cannot be any player trades. You can trade draft picks ,but you cant trade THis player for no. 8 pick. ALso, once the draft is over, no one can be signed. Free agents are probably in the most frustrating position; they have no idea if they will be allowed to be free agents free to negotiate with other teams, or could be forced to serve one more year for their current teams.
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