I would have thought these players have a case for breach of contract regardless of whether the lockout is deemed to be anti trust.
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Not saying it is right or wrong but the contracts these players signed are the result of a CBA signed by the union that stopped negotiations (on a new CBA) and decertified. If they chose to keep negotiating it is unlikely they would have been locked out. I think it will come down to the actual language in the individual contracts.

Fans will watch football. Contrary to popular belief among those relatively new to the game, fans watched the “scabs” back when they played. They will watch the “new” players that play for their teams. Like someone earlier said, FA basically killed player/fan loyalty. GB fans did not become Jets/Vikings fans because Favre switched teams. If Manning somehow goes to the 49ers, Colts fans will not go with him. New players will come and they will be loved just as much as these current ingrates. Ask Drew Bledsoe if the “new guy” from the bottom of the draft is second rate football and not worthy of fans watching.

not going to happen. he is already actually out of a job and should disappear.

See… he has to get paid to keep his job.
This really is a problem.
Paid to work out in the off season?
Let me guess… your agent worked that in there Brick?
It’s called OVERPAIDIDIS.
Don’t worry, once the owners do something ELSE stupid, I will turn on them too.

you are a real uninformed fan. there was no CBA signed two years ago. the owners opted out of the CBA that was signed several years ago. the owners also did not break a contractual obligation. it was written into the contract that either side had the right to terminate the agreement two years early if they didn’t like the terms of the deal. Also the players are not suing so that football can be played, they are suing to gain leverage in negotiations. The players filed a lawsuit before the owners even instituted a lockout. The motion to block the lockout came later. If the player’s lose the motion to prevent the lockout, I wonder if you will still support the lawsuit – the one that as long as it exists means there will be no football.

totally agree. if you watch football long enough you stop being so into the players. you realize its the organization that you are rooting for.

i got no problem with the players other than the fact that they wont sit down and work out a deal. good for them that they get piad tons of money. but you are wrong, i root for my team not the players. i like the coaches more than one player. i could care less about one player.

the one thing i think you are missing is the woners are allowed to decide the old agreement wasnt working for them. i thought they have been in the agreement for more than 2 years, i amy be wrong though.

but they were allowed to opt out of the agreement. they own the team. the players need to know that. you cant have the players runnin the show. the owners want to try to bang out a deal right now but the players wont do that, and that really is all that matters

I can’t speak for nfl52 but I too root for laundry…and it isn’t personal EITHER way. If the players were striking, I’d root for them when they came back. If the 53 Patriots all left, I would root for the ones who were out there. If it were a choice between owner front office/staff OR a player…I would sooner wear a jersey with Robert Kraft’s or Bill Belichick’s name on it than Randy Moss’ or even favorite players of mine like Welker’s though because Robert Kraft is far far far far more responsible for what the Pats are today than Randy Moss or even Tom Brady is.

LAUNDRY. That should be what fans chant if they attend the draft. “LAUNDRY…LAUNDRY..LAUNDRY”.

Yes, you watch and root for the players. Not the owners.

The players that are not on strike.

The players that wanted to play under the terms of the CBA the owners signed two years ago.

The players that so want to play they are taking the owners to court to allow them to play.

The players that offered to share revenue 50/50 with the owners which is less than any year since 2002.

The players that offered to negotiate on that 50/50 split but were turned down flat.

But no, you support the owners that chose to renege on the contract they signed 2 years ago and have chosen to lock out the players and cancel next season.

The owners that were too “busy” to attend more than 30 minutes of face to face negotiations with the players.

Yes, please go get your Eagles shirt with the owners name on the back and wear it around Philli. Let’s see how much support you’ll get for the greedy owner.

If you dare.

After the MLBPA went on strike and the world series was canceled – 1993 +/- – I have never again watched or attended an MLB game. Lesson for the NFLPA* to consider.

Since 1993, minor league AA baseball games came to my area and I attend, pay about one-third of the MLB prices and enjoy watching good baseball with players who give 100% effort.

I’m perfectly OK with no NFL games this year if it results in a competitive minor league coming to my area. I can put the $400 plus per NFL game to better use.

I’m OK with that economic outcome. Are the players?

i get the players want as much as they can get. but there is a fine line between trying to get as much as you can and being just plain greedy. they get paid tons of money to play a sport, thats something anyone posting here can only dream of.

i dont want the nfl to turn out like the nba. the nba players act like they own the nba, like they are untouchable and can do wahtever they want.

So slap my teams emblem on the helmet of some OTHER player and I’ll root for him. Rooting for players pretty much died with the advent of free agency”

Well said southmo. i root for my team, not the players. i would watch the eagles no matter who was out there playing.

Go watch the UFL if you want to watch that.

I simply said I wish there was a way to tell the current players to stay gone if they wanna play the game they’re playing right now, and start over.

I know that scenario wouldn’t be possible, but I still wish it was.

Feel free to twist my words and make a bunch of retarded statements about the NFLPA being the way successful businesses are run.

Point is, the NFLPA walked away from negotiations when a revised offer was present. Instead of trying to work it out, they had their hired hard a** take his ball and go home.

Now it’s a game of lawsuits and public greedfest, I don’t wanna see Brees along with other players sitting on a stool making demands like a spoiled child, or hear about Peterson comparing the NFL to slavery.. are you freakin serious? That’s how you think business is actually done?

The owners aren’t free from blame, but they have shown and heck of a lot more willingness to negotiate than the players, they didn’t take to the courts.. do anything equal to the sham that is the “decertification”

You’re right, the players believe it’s an illegal monopoly and collusion… but what will the court say about “competitive balance?” which is one of the main purposes of the collusion? It’s not like this is a normal business. And in America, exceptions have been made before.

Which is why you don’t have a choice of who to pay for your electricity. Those monopolies stand.

So slap my teams emblem on the helmet of some OTHER player and I’ll root for him. Rooting for players pretty much died with the advent of free agency.

I would NEVER, ever want to work for a person who believes like you do.

Do you understand without a CBA and a Player’s Union, there is NO DRAFT, NO SALARY CAP, NO NFL. That’s called a monopoly and collusion and that is ILLEGAL under the current laws of the U.S.

So even if they COULD fire everyone, then there would be completely different problems and the NFL would cease to exist as you know it and LOVE it.

The NFLPA must exist to allow the leagues to dictate places of employment (draft) and promote parity (salary cap and revenue sharing) and negotiate deals for TV and advertising as ONE entity.

Seriously, what do you people do, skip all the boring text parts of Mike’s posts…or just the ones that run counter to your own personal beliefs to understand that the owners are just as culpable as the players in this mess.

By the way, this “MESS” is how business is actually done. Most times we don’t get to see it. Or the rich buys pack up their factories and move them to China or another corrupt third world country where they can “maximize” their profits.