Last week, NFLPA Executive Director De Smith suggested that the league and the union engage in five days of intensive negotiations in January 2010 in order to reach agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement before the start of the uncapped year in March 2010.
And the league has rejected this offer.
"We proposed a 'lock-in' to avoid a lockout," NFLPA president Kevin Mawae told Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal, "and we were met with,
'That is not going to happen."
Though the phrase "'lock-in' to avoid a lockout" might have some appeal to trial-lawyer types like Smith, it's misleading. The labor agreement doesn't expire until after the 2011 draft. The better title would be "'lock-in' to avoid a player mutiny once the uncapped year arrives and player salaries get dumped and teams cut spending as the salary floor evaporates and players who thought they were going to be free agents aren't free agents."
But that's a bid too wordy.
We've pointed out multiple times that the best deal gets done when both sides agree that the clock is close to striking 12. For the union, that moment appears to be the start of the uncapped year. For the league, there's no sense of urgency to do a new deal before March 2010.
Comments from NFL spokesman Greg Aiello to Mullen confirm that the league is prepared to treat the expiration of the current CBA as the true deadline for doing a new deal.
"Our only goal is to reach an agreement, and in order to do so we will
meet with the union as often and as intensively as possible," Aiello said. "Artificial deadlines are not useful in collective bargaining and we
don't think setting one here is in anyone's interest."
This doesn't mean that a deal can't get done before the start of the uncapped year. But since the union has now demonstrated a clear desire to do a deal before the start of the next league year, look for the NFL to take full advantage of the resulting leverage, and to make an offer that tilts heavily toward the league's interests.
If, as it appears, the union fears a player uprising in 2010 once the realities of the unfloored year begin to emerge, the union might take the last, best offer the league makes before March 1.
League rejects "lock-in" bargaining proposal
Posted by Mike Florio on November 2, 2009 4:16 PM ET
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am 12 and what is this?
How fast is 'Mach 2010'?
If they want things to get smoother, start by getting rid of that sad ass sack of bones Roger Goodell. That guy is a black mark on the NFL and his way of doing things is unfair, and completely wrong.
You know, normal middle class people could come to an agreement on all this in about two hours. I get that the reason they are rich is because of all their shallowness and lack of reason, but come on. This is the NFL. Not Nationwide Insurance where nobody cares what happens.
Dear Lord, I just hope the owners stick together and give the finger to these high priced divas!
I just hope a team like say....Dallas....doesn't F up things.
The NFL owners group is not a charity house. This is a business that must operate at a profit. The players are not going to get a contract as good as the existing CBA. The league has attained the popularity it desired with the existing CBA and the players have been rewarded. Now the owners want a greater cut of the profit. It's the American way. Ask yourself how many player are indispensable? Only a few. The rest can be replaced during a game. The league is not forced to shop in the Big 10, PAC 10 SEC etc. exclusively anymore. The lesser NCAA Conferences are giving opportunity to 10 times the number of kids and the owners know this. The talk coming from Dee Smith is just that, talk. He wants to bargain now because of the Washington DC influence he has with a liberal Congress to back him up and lean on the owners. The make up of the Congress is going to change after the next election and many of his pals will be back looking for a no show govt. job.
A Holdout is pretty bad for the players well the owners have Millions their pretty much set for life...Players who are old and almost done Young Players who are gonna be RFA in their 5th year and all the other players who don't make the Redskins in the uncapped year can they afford to prolong the deal? I don't think in anyway it's good for them...I'd think a Year's salary or URFA would be much more important then a 2-5% increase which will only effect the top payed players making the rich get richer.
CBA=Get rid of Goodell. WORST COMMISSIONER THE NFL HAS EVER HAD! He is single handedly ruining the NFL!
The league doesn't have to do anything but to sit back and wait. The NFLPA is an extremely weak union whose base will self-destruct once the "uncapped year" arrives. The high end superstars will convince the marginal, and uneducated, players to accept what ever is on the table.
This "union" has notoriously catered to the top 10 percent of it's membership with the majority of the players being screwed. Nothing will change!!!!
Enough already. Florio.
That Dugan catch WAS a TOUCHDOWN !
mach 10 = 3 402.9 m / s
Saying that Roger Goodell is the worst commissioner the league has ever had is a very relative term. When compared to Pete Rozell and Paul Tagliabue anyone would have a tough time measuring up, but I believe that in his short tenure he's done a great job. How much longer would idiots like Pac-Man Jones be in the league under Tagliabue? Its about time these guys realize that there's someone running things that will not simply look the other way, or slap their hands with a measly $10,000 fine. That's less than a quarter of a game for most players.
As for this lock-in idea, I agree that its the PA's lame attempt to try and leverage some kind of pressure on the league. I'm glad the league is holding firm. The system they have is the best in American Professional sports. I hope they keep it that way.
The best system in sports? thats a joke. Half the teams can't sell tickets as it is. they are all losing money. They play 8 games dude Eight. 8 games. The Royals want 8 home games. Freaking joke. The disparity with regard to bonuses and incentives that rich teams like Dallas and new England can spend is huge. it will only get bigger as rich owners force profit instead of competition. You think they want to share more money? Haha...they want the cheapest 4o players, and the most expensive 13. And that's what the top 10 teams are doing. Really, take a look at the trends that are happening to the league. Not was you want to perceive, but really, what is happening.
And dont think for a second that player behavior is something any owner or fan base really gives a flying f*** about. It's about dollars and wins. And about 8-10 teams can do it. The others better get really lucky.
Every team in the NFL is making a pot full of money. Florio you need to stop drinking the owners' Kool-aid as it rots your brain. No salary cap will mean the unloading of a lot of players who got big signing bonus but can't play. The interesting part comes in 2011 when NFLPA decertifies itself as a union before the lock out. All the existing player contracts will be have to be paid. No more draft and everyone not under contract is a free agent. Prediction the Redskins will spend $400 million in salaries and finish with 3 victories.