The end of federal mediation between the NFL and NFLPA included such a flurry of statements and press conferences that we still haven’t got to addressing them all.
In response to the NFL’s summary of its final proposal to the union last night, the NFLPA* posted their own summary on NFLLockout.com of why the NFL’s offer was unacceptable.
The end of negotiations has caused both sides to increase their transparency to fans. Or at least their separate versions of transparency.
Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com put it best: “After digesting nfl/nflpa claims & responses on proposals to the other party, I’m wondering whether both sides were even in the same building.”
The full NFLPA statement is after the jump. Take a look at what the NFL is claiming they offered and you’ll see how they aren’t even speaking the same language.
“The NFL demanded a multi-billion dollar giveback and refused to provide any legitimate financial information to justify it.
The NFL’s offer on March 7 to give the NFLPA a single sheet of numbers was NOT financial disclosure. The players’ accountants and bankers advised that the “offered” information was meaningless: only two numbers for each year.
The NFL wanted to turn the clock back on player compensation by four years, moving them back to where they were in 2007.
The NFL offered no proposal at all for long-term share of revenues.
NFL demanded 100% of all revenues which went above unrealistically low projections for the first four years.
The NFL refused to meet the players on significant changes to in-season, off-season or pre-season health and safety rules.
The NFL kept on the table its hypocritical demand for an 18-game season, despite its public claims to be working toward improving the heath and safety of players.
The NFL wanted cutbacks in payer workers’ compensation benefits for injured players.
The NFL sought to limit rookie compensation long after they become veterans — into players’ fourth and fifth years
THE PLAYERS WANT TO KEEP PLAYING
The players offered repeatedly to continue working under the existing CBA, but were rejected by the NFL five times.
Despite publicly admitting no club was losing money, that TV ratings, sponsorship money, etc. were at an all time high, the NFL continued to insist on an 18-percent rollback in the players’ share of revenues and continue to deny the NFLPA’s request for justification.”