Nearly three months after a strike that ended in less than seven hours, AFL players could be trying to make one last a little longer.
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, via SportsBusiness Daily, work stoppages are expected to hit at least three AFL games on Friday night. AFL Players Association executive director Ivan Soto says that a strike is “highly likely.”
Last time around, the league moved swiftly to fire the striking players and hire replacements. Which brought the strike to a quick end.
This time, one of the teams that walked off the job in March -- the Pittsburgh Power -- won’t be expected to stick their necks out again. “Our goal is not to destroy the Pittsburgh Power,” Soto said. “They have been put through the wringer.”
Soto said the union wants $600 per player, per game. The league has offered $500 per game. The two sides apparently agree on a starting-quarterback bonus of $1,275 per game.
The league isn’t saying whether replacement players would be used, if the teams strike tonight. “If they are going to put that product on the field to their demise, good luck to them,” Soto said.
And if the AFL players are going to walk away from the game even though there are plenty of other guys who would happily play the game, good luck to them. Given the vast number of college football programs, the supply of potential pro players continues to heavily outweigh the demand.
If, in the end, a bunch of AFL players no one has ever heard of walk away, they’ll easily be replaced by more players no one has ever heard of.