One of the most influential owners in the NFL isn’t optimistic the league can avoid a work stoppage.
“I personally am not as optimistic as some are that we are making much progress,” Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said on Tuesday, via ESPN.com.
We’ll have more from Richardson on John Fox and the Panthers later, but his comments on the collective bargaining agreement negotiations stole the show in his press conference. His words add a dose of reality to previously sunny forecasts about avoiding a lockout.
“I’m not optimistic we are making a lot of progress,” Richardson said.
Using a notepad with a NFL shield, the Charlotte Observer says Richardson drew a piechart showing the respective revenues of the players and owners. This approach continues a trend from both sides to prove to the fans that they are in the right.
The sooner that both sides understand there will be no right side to a lockout -- that both sides will huge losers -- the sooner we should see the progress that Richardson says is lacking.