I agree with the point that the players need time to digest this information, and that the owners played it perfectly (hence their success). But I will also say that the players comments and accusations sound ridiculous. It seems as if they’re dragging their feet. They must have some idea of what the contract consists of, at least the main points? Their comments to the media seem really mis-informed and quite honestly just dumb. Every player insists that this process can take weeks when they know that they don’t have weeks to complete this process.

I’ll admit that I did feel as if the owners were pressing the issue, actually presenting a timeline to the press on what the other side was going to do. But when I saw the players reaction I swayed back to the owners side. They acted childish and seem to think the American public is dumb and naive. Don’t say you haven’t seen the contract! It makes your union look incompetent! Why would you have a meeting over an agreement that no one seems to have handy? That’s plain ridiculous. What they should have said and only said was that they needed some time to look over the proposed terms and would be coming to a vote when they felt they had fully understood the agreement. Plain and simple.

At the end of the day it comes down to educated, well versed businessmen vs. jocks. Guess who’s winning?

A) The players as part of the Brady Anti-Trust suit chose NOT to settle the case after the owners approved the agreement

and

B) The players chose not to recertify the NFLPA after the owners approved the agreement.

This all came about because the players want things THEIR way, and wanted the owners to approve the agreement before they did. Don’t blame the owners for trying to protect themselves.

If these were the provisions, along with possibly a reduction in the salary cap this year if the players forced the reduction of pre-season games, then I don’t blame the owners one bit and neither should anyone else.

HOWEVER, if the owners tried to hide some other things not related to the above, then I blame them for not getting the deal done. It’s all a matter of exactly what the deal proposal contained.

This strategy by the owners may be nothing short of brilliant. Let the players think they have an agreement. Make changes (if they did). Build dissension in the player ranks.

The players don’t want to miss paychecks. While I find the $200 million per preseason week hard to believe, those lost preseason dollars would require the parties to negotiate a new salary cap number for this year. I predict the players will give in to many of the owners’ changes.

i was planning on going to a game or two this year. that’s no longer the case. it’s time fans showed them who really holds the power when it comes to this.

btw, bcdc26, classic and well done.

It was made to seem that the CBA they were sending over was the direct result of negotiations between them and D Smith. In fact, it wasn’t.

Bad faith. Cynical PR play.

Once again, Roger treats the fans like they’re stupid. He has zero respect for us. Which is about what I’d come to expect.

It is just another tactic for the players to delay this and get as much out of this as possible. It is clear to me who the greedy people are in this case.

Right

(It’s a restless night out on the prairie, the cattle are nervous, and ANYTHING could set off a stampede.)

Yeah I know that it’s billionaires arguing with millionaires, a lot of whom are NOT too bright but are athletically gifted – which is WHY they are millionaires, but don’t forget WHOSE money they are arguing over – yours.

The players were initially expected to vote on the deal wednesday night. Therefore, the NFLPA had a chance to vote first on the deal. That means the NFLPA leaders had the CBA in their hands at a minimum 24-48 hours before the owners voted on it.

It’s very simple. The NFLPA lawyers didn’t disseminate the document. The result is what you see now. It’s not our fault the NFLPA cries, it’s the evil owners.

Look no further than your leadership and stop blaming others for your mistakes.

Judging from these posts it is working.

http://chrisross91.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/the-mirage-of-plaxico-burress/

He’s got to be saying I gave this idiot (Demaurice Smith) a play by play on how to work with these owners and how to work the players and this is how to turned out?

The players are entitled to 48% of all revenue generated by the NFL(including preseason).

So they’re dragging this out to prove a point, you’re screwing yourselves.

I think that makes this a lose-lose-lose(the 3rd lose is for us fans who are f***ing tired of this, yeah, you know the ones that ultimately pay for this)

I find it hard to believe that 32 owners (I guess 31 since Skeletor probably couldn’t read it) read this 600 page document and signed off on it in the same amount of time the 32 players reps couldn’t even get a hold of it much less muddle through it.

This is just a sign of the players not being organized and being very uneducated when it comes to these types of things. It also points to the poor leadership in their organization. They have nobody to blame but themselves really.

Hold the right people responsible for once.

This had been a close game until the 4th quarter.

_________________

I thought the lockout was still on?????
I did not know my Leos were actually playing tonight…….

I kid, 4th quarter has not been too bad in the last year……

Just wanted to give props for a great post!

Why don’t all 32 player reps stay in DC until they’re able to read the proposal?

Why is it so hard to keep all 1900 players up to speed on the negotioations?

The players don’t have a sense of urgency. They’re too lazy to follow the negotioations.

The NFL players are unorganized and they’re not acting like professionals!

The owners have won the PR battle, primarily due to the players inabiltity to communicate and a general lack of urgency.

Way to go, NFLPA. You’ve officially lost the respect of the fans.

I’m surprised the players are so stupid. I knew they weren’t intellectuals, but this is ridiculous!

“You’re not out there saving lives, curing diseases or really risking your lives. You’re a bunch of clowns set to amuse our society. That’s it. And I don’t want to hear the “they put themselves at so much physical risk” line either. Personally I don’t think they’re putting themselves at enough risk for the money they make. The game hasn’t evolved since it’s inception, just the opposite. These players think they’ve got it bad? Put a thin layer of leather padding on your head and play with broken bones like the men who created this sport. You want to cry about concussions? Then don’t play. “