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NFL Players Union decertifies
r4dr3z
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Looks like no football this fall. 
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81eb6e46/article/union-decertifies-after-failing-to-reach-labor-deal-with-league?module=HP_headlines
WASHINGTON -- The NFL Players Association announced Friday that it has renounced its status as the collective bargaining representative of the players after failing to reach a new labor deal with the league during 16 days of federal mediation.
The NFLPA said it now becomes a professional trade association that supports the interests and rights of current and former players.
NFLPA outside counsel Jim Quinn said Friday that the necessary paperwork had been filed to U.S. District Judge David Doty in Minnesota so individual players can file an antitrust lawsuit against the league in federal court.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and guard Logan Mankins, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel, New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ben Leber and defensive end Brian Robison, and Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
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NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said at 4:45 p.m. ET -- 15 minutes before the deadline for the union to decertify -- that "significant differences" remained after the league's latest proposal. Smith said the league must agree by 5 p.m. ET to provide 10 years of audited financial documents for the union to agree to a third extension of the CBA deadline.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81eb6e46/article/union-decertifies-after-failing-to-reach-labor-deal-with-league?module=HP_headlines
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You jest, but it really is hard to keep being a fan of the NFL. Games are way too expensive to go to. Parking and concessions are outrageous. Officially licensed jerseys and other paraphernalia sells for way more than it cost to make. The DirecTV deal to be able to watch out-of-market teams is ridiculous. The blackout rules are insane. Electronic Arts exclusive video game rights should be a crime. There's still no good way to watch games live online unless you live out of the country. Even if you don't attend the games but live in an NFL city, the owners will gladly use your tax dollars to pay for their stadiums, and you still get to pay full price to attend the games. I even heard that NFL gets a cut off the ticket prices from places like StubHub.com, in effect legitimizing scalping. Commercials are ridiculous; even if you're paying DirecTV $400 you still have to sit through commercials.
The recent reports on concussions and head injuries make me never want to have my child play this game. Watching these games and giving them money makes us complicit in causing permanent brain damage to many of these players.
It is a fun game to watch. However, I think that this players' strike may be beginning of the end for the NFL and its dominance as America's most popular sport.
One point of nuance. The players are not striking. They've gone on strike before, that's not what's happening here. The owners are going to lock the players out of the facilities, preventing them from being able to practice, train, and play.
Actually iirc them decertifying prevents this somehow.
http://www.czabe.com/
The owners aren't decertifying, the players are. The owners still actually own all of the facilities and have a right to restrict access to those properties. That's functionally how a lockout works. The owners say, "Agree to my rules or I don't let you use my toys."
The reason the CBA exists and the NFLPA doesn't have a "regular" employee/owner relationship with the league is because the NFL is a monopoly. Because of that, and because any pro league is likely to have to be a monopoly to be workable, the players get the right to collectively bargain and do things like access the league's financial records.
By decertifying the union, the players opt out of that arrangement. Their next step will be to sue in federal court to force the NFL to let them return to work or be sanctioned as an illegal monopoly. Essentially, they will sue to enforce their individual contracts with the teams. What the ultimate result of this will be is unclear.
I think the journalism on this issue has been pretty terrible, incidentally. I would really like to know what financial information the NFLPA wanted that the league refused to give them.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
This is the correct answer.
That being said, what, exactly, is going on? Like, what are the issues they're fighting over?
Basically, the owners think they got a raw deal in the most recent (2006) CBA, so last year they opted out of it. Under that agreement they were giving players 60% of overall revenue, and they want to give them less money (to the tune of $1 billion.)
They would also like to add two games to the season.
Other CBA issues include a more limited system for rookie contracts, player safety (concussions) and retired players' pensions, but those are really fairly minor.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
From how I understand it, the owners were claiming that, due to the recession, they weren't getting as much revenue as they used to, and they wanted to reduce salaries and add two more games to the season, to make up for it. The PA wanted them to show them evidence of the financial hardship, and the owners refused.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Current deal is
60-40 split with players(players get 60), but Owners get $1b right off the top. Owners want an additional $1b off the top for operating expenses(read: Building more huge stadiums)
But since revenue has been growing like mad, that 20% difference has ballooned. Although a 60-40 split of $9b with $1b going straight to the owners doesn't leave them in the poor house.
Owners want an 18 game season
Players want Healthcare for retired players(Lots of concern about dimentia)
Both want caps on rookie salaries, but can't decide on who should get the savings
edit: Mostly the owners were just getting greedy.
Well, yeah. But all I've really seen to go on is repetition of their statements, which boil down to the PA saying "we want more info!" and the league saying "we gave you a ton of info what do you want?"
well, obviously they want something.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
"The World Cup sucked. They just played soccer the whole time."
Related:
http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/nfl-players-excited-for-looming-work-stoppage-play,19680/
They want the owners to show them the financial paperwork that proves their claim of financial hardships and decreased revenue. The fact that the owners will not give it to them (for whatever reasons they may have), make the PA think they don't have any evidence of that, which is part of why they're standing so strongly on the issue. Granted, there could be any number of reasons why the owners aren't opening the books, and there could be more than enough proof in there. The fact remains, though, that they won't open the books, and the PA is taking it as a sign that there is no proof.
Does this in fact mean.... no super bowl???
Someone... please.... tell me. No Super Bowl?
No Super Bowl = no cheap deals on cheese platters the day after.
Its like they canceled valentines day and i dont get to buy cheap chocolate the day after
The more likely outcome is a shorter season. The league is probably drafting up short schedules to account for this, since the early games are where you get about half of the intra-division games, and those are arguably the most important to preserve on a shortened schedule. Plus, if they miss more than six weeks of the regular season, they're likely to cut out the bye weeks, possibly adding in a full bye week after the regular season before the play-offs.
I don't know, though, but to answer your question, the chances of no superbowl are very, very low.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Theres some stuff I agree with in regards to EA and Expense of attending actual games BUT...
Redzone and Fantasy football make all the pain go away.
but then, I don't have directv or a local team
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Okay good. Cause freeloading in on the family super bowl party and playing my Nintendo DS for the duration of the game/ getting cheap deals the next day is like a tradition i dont want to give up.
For those that think im sarcastic.... seriously... free food. Free booze. Cool commercials. And i get to tell my family "I already spent time with you, leave me alone" until easter.
― Marcus Aurelius
Path of Exile: themightypuck
Last I heard, the NFL was willing to throw down a bunch of money to get the stadium built, but now with Vincent Jackson being named in a suit against the NFL Im worried that it will hurt our chances.
Holy shit, Giants stadium cost $1.2 Billion.
Also, why must this happen right after my first season of fantasy football?
Also not blatant hypocrisy considering their new concern about head injuries.
What's the problem here? Money? What?
1) The owners would like to make even more money, but are claiming they're broke. They're not providing documentation to the players though, thus: lawsuit.
2) The owners would like to increase the regular season schedule to 18 games. The players are against this because of injury related issues. Which... if you look at the injury reports of basically any playoff team last year is pretty understandable.
3) The owners would like a rookie salary structure, because it's insane to make the #1 pick the highest paid player at LT/DE/QB depending on the year before they've played a down in the NFL. And so on for most of the first round.
4) The players would like dramatic increases in the health insurance and pensions for retired players.
Three and four are relatively easy to agree on, as I expect the veterans also don't particularly enjoy rookies instantly being the highest paid players in the league, and presumably the owners have souls. The first one is just a protracted negotiation over where the cap ends up, basically. Reasonably doable, though contentions. The second issue though is the one I expect the real battle to be over, and I'm not sure if either side will actually compromise.
You are the 31st post in this thread.
Do you think that maybe, maybe you should read the thread first before asking obvious questions?
Be nice. A series of football related head injuries has left it difficult for him to understand written text.
http://www.usarugby.org :P
I made a game, it has penguins in it. It's pay what you like on Gumroad.
Currently Ebaying Nothing at all but I might do in the future.
And considering the NBA's headed down the same road, baseball, hockey, soccer and NASCAR have some opportunities in front of them. Maybe even further down than that, into things like lacrosse, which I've been seeing more coverage of in recent years. Back when baseball and hockey stopped together in 1994, pro wrestling gained from it.
The stopped sport recovers- the NFL isn't going to die- but it typically takes several years and several clear we're-sorry gestures to the fans.
(Caveat: Not sure how the college editions fare when their corresponding sports have stoppages at the pros.)
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
I usually lose track of the little black puck on the big white ice when its not in HD.
True for SDTVs maybe, hockey looks great in high def