NFL owners and players don’t really believe they are losing much during a lockout yet. If they did, they would move faster to end the stalemate.
The players are hoping they can win in court and get the best deal possible. If that doesn’t happen, FOX analyst Michael Strahan wonders how players would cope.
“Put it this way, if it goes into the season where you are missing checks, that hurts the players at this point,” Strahan said via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. “They wouldn’t be able to sustain. There are a lot more players first of all; secondly, they are not as rich as the owners. They are not going to be able to sustain as long as the owners would if it came down to a battle of the checkbook.”
Strahan’s words highlight the fact players aren’t really missing much in the offseason. Sure, some bonuses will be lost and/or delayed. But would you care about getting a work stoppage settled during a part of the year you are basically working for free?
The real pain on both sides doesn’t come until August and September. That’s why nothing that has happened so far in the labor mess is particularly a surprise.