NFL, union working on 6-year deal

[Philagape]

The NFL and its players union are seeking a long-term fix for their labor issues.

NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said he and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell are working to finalize a Collective Bargaining Agreement that would run through the 2016 season.

“We’re going to negotiate a six-year deal,” Smith told FOXSports.com at the NFL’s Rookie Symposium.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/NFL-players-union-CBA-deal-owners-6-year-deal

:pray:

[The Spaz]

Get it done as long as it includes a rookie cap!

[don137]

Get it done as long as it includes a rookie cap!

I agree. These rookies have not proved a thing yet are one of the top players paid at their position. I think the owners need to concede too and maybe give free agency at three years so a player that proves himself can be rewarded.

My buddy who works in the Carolina Panthers front office said Richardson, the owner of the Panthers, is going to play hardball with the union and is prepared for a two year lockout if it comes to that.

[DraftBoy]

Rookie Cap
New Concussion Rules

Those are the two things I care about the most.

[Night Train]

I'll believe it when I see it but both sides seem very pigheaded, according to what I've read.

[psubills62]

I agree. These rookies have not proved a thing yet are one of the top players paid at their position. I think the owners need to concede too and maybe give free agency at three years so a player that proves himself can be rewarded.

My buddy who works in the Carolina Panthers front office said Richardson, the owner of the Panthers, is going to play hardball with the union and is prepared for a two year strike if it comes to that.

Of course Carolina's prepared for a strike - they don't spend any money.

It's a good sign that they're negotiating this early. And I definitely agree about the rookie cap - it's absolutely necessary.

[ddaryl]

it's a positive sign they are talking now...

rookie salary cap is very important...

[trapezeus]

aren't the owners bickering amongst themselves as well? The synders and jones are against continuing the revenue sharing.

i think preparing for 2 years is probably a good idea. any longer than that and the sport will have a major black eye.

i wonder if the nfl has to pay back the tv contracts for any lockout period.

if it does become a prolonged battle, i'm going to see if kelly and his rich investors will just buy a UFL team.

[clumping platelets]

Also need a salary cap.......Bills cannot survive in NFL without one

[OpIv37]

a two year lockout would kill the sport.

[ddaryl]

Also need a salary cap.......Bills cannot survive in NFL without one

important for the survival of the entire league IMO :stretcher

[mayotm]

Good news that they are at least starting to negotiate versus waiting until the last minute.

[Michael82]

This is just window dressing, until they realize how far apart they are and the NFL Owners leave the table.

[jamze132]

From reading that article, it doesn't seem like anything has improved.

[trapezeus]

a two year lockout would kill the sport.

define kill?

i think we are a football obsessed nation. i know i would be so angry at them for pulling such a stunt, but i also would be in such need for football that i'm sure their huge marketing push for the season opener would suck us all back in.

that being said, if they move the bills, i will walk away from the NFL without any thought. i'll just watch college football and get more into the NHL (which seems like an impossiblity) but it'll happen.

[DraftBoy]

define kill?

i think we are a football obsessed nation. i know i would be so angry at them for pulling such a stunt, but i also would be in such need for football that i'm sure their huge marketing push for the season opener would suck us all back in.

that being said, if they move the bills, i will walk away from the NFL without any thought. i'll just watch college football and get more into the NHL (which seems like an impossiblity) but it'll happen.

College football alone would keep the NFL alive. You hit the nail on the head with this one.

[Wolffman]

If there is a two year lockout, I wouldn't expect the Bills to be playing in Buffalo by the time they start playing.

[HAMMER]

a two year lockout would kill the sport.

No it wouldn't, not even close.

[Goobylal]

aren't the owners bickering amongst themselves as well? The synders and jones are against continuing the revenue sharing.

i think preparing for 2 years is probably a good idea. any longer than that and the sport will have a major black eye.

i wonder if the nfl has to pay back the tv contracts for any lockout period.

if it does become a prolonged battle, i'm going to see if kelly and his rich investors will just buy a UFL team.
Jones and Snyder can be against revenue sharing all they want. It still takes a 3/4 majority to pass things, and they won't find nearly enough support. So they can F themselves.

And yes, the NFL has to payback any money to the networks for lost games. I don't know how it works however, if they play scab games.

And again, the NFL should have played hardball back in 2006.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

aren't the owners bickering amongst themselves as well? The synders and jones are against continuing the revenue sharing.

i think preparing for 2 years is probably a good idea. any longer than that and the sport will have a major black eye.

i wonder if the nfl has to pay back the tv contracts for any lockout period.

if it does become a prolonged battle, i'm going to see if kelly and his rich investors will just buy a UFL team.
No. The TV networks were so desperate not to lose the NFL to a competitor that they agreed to a ridiculous deal that demands they all have to pay even if there's no season. NBC stands to lose a whole lot if that goes through, because the NFL is about the only thing that's drawing in any viewers for them. (That's also part of the reason the NFL is in no rush to get a deal done, because they have three years of revenue and no expenses if they hold out until the contracts expire.)

I wouldn't be surprised if the UFL enters the picture. There was talk back in the late 90s when the lease was almost up about a small league called the Regional Football League coming to Buffalo if the Bills packed up and left (the league folded before anything came of it). Some of you may recall the Arena league's Buffalo Destroyers, which came to town for the very same reason. If the Bills' existence is ever put into jeopardy, you can be sure that there will be competitors ready to move in. (Even the CFL might be on the table, though with the passport rules I'm not sure how feasible that would be anymore.)

[ddaryl]

I wouldn't be surprised if the UFL enters the picture. There was talk back in the late 90s when the lease was almost up about a small league called the Regional Football League coming to Buffalo if the Bills packed up and left (the league folded before anything came of it). Some of you may recall the Arena league's Buffalo Destroyers, which came to town for the very same reason. If the Bills' existence is ever put into jeopardy, you can be sure that there will be competitors ready to move in. (Even the CFL might be on the table, though with the passport rules I'm not sure how feasible that would be anymore.)


and most of us won't support any of that 3rd rate league crap... so its useless

[Johnny Bugmenot]

and most of us won't support any of that 3rd rate league crap... so its useless None of the leagues I mentioned expect to draw 74k fans a week like the Bills, so even if "most" don't, there could easily be enough support to support a lower level team-- especially if the Bills are gone and that's all you've got.

[Billz_fan]

define kill?

i think we are a football obsessed nation. i know i would be so angry at them for pulling such a stunt, but i also would be in such need for football that i'm sure their huge marketing push for the season opener would suck us all back in.

that being said, if they move the bills, i will walk away from the NFL without any thought. i'll just watch college football and get more into the NHL (which seems like an impossiblity) but it'll happen.


I think and i say think both sides realize just how devastating an extended work stopage would be for the league. Everytime you do that you lose fans. I was huge into baseball since childhood. All my life if I could not see games I was on the radio or whatever it took. Trips to Toronto, Cleveland the Bronx and Baltimore for years. Then the strikes came in 81 and I got pissed but in 94-95 I got so mad I never went back. I still have not gone back. I will read the paper or watch Baseball tonight once in awhile but thats it. I don't miss it either and I was obsessed. LOL

Anyway, Lets just hope they get this done. the fans suffer more than anyone during stopages IMO.

[kelly2reed4six]

i wonder if the nfl has to pay back the tv contracts for any lockout period.



Nope....although it is going to court. If decided the the NFL's favor they keep $$ for TV contracts.

[trapezeus]

i really think the UFL has the most to gain in the work stoppage. you may have NFL players in their early 30's who say, "this stoppage is going to go on for a while, i'm better than those fools, and i can make something instead of nothing."

The UFL could grow pretty quickly. And with nothing else on TV during the winter, i'd watch some games on a saturday or sunday.

And if it does catch on, it will be hard for the NFL to get those old TV contracts back.

This of course is an outside chance of happening, but that's the risk they run by wanting to get more money from tv, fans, the players, etc.

they all pretend like football has to be this obsessive, national pulse of a sport. it doesn't.

[Goobylal]

i really think the UFL has the most to gain in the work stoppage. you may have NFL players in their early 30's who say, "this stoppage is going to go on for a while, i'm better than those fools, and i can make something instead of nothing."

The UFL could grow pretty quickly. And with nothing else on TV during the winter, i'd watch some games on a saturday or sunday.

And if it does catch on, it will be hard for the NFL to get those old TV contracts back.

This of course is an outside chance of happening, but that's the risk they run by wanting to get more money from tv, fans, the players, etc.

they all pretend like football has to be this obsessive, national pulse of a sport. it doesn't.
The UFL has nowhere near the money to attract top NFL players, or even marginal ones. No one is going to risk playing in the NFL again (i.e. from injury) for the peanuts they get paid there.

[trapezeus]

players in their 30's that don't have 3 years to wait it out may just jump ship for a guaranteed $2-5MM per season.

it's a possibility. that's all i'm saying. and i think if the NFL had a little competition, they wouldn't just steam roll all these bizarre marketing ideas around like cold weather superbowls, limited TV coverage of thursday night national games, ridiculous pay per view tv packages when they are protected by antitrust exemptions by congress.

[Goobylal]

players in their 30's that don't have 3 years to wait it out may just jump ship for a guaranteed $2-5MM per season.

it's a possibility. that's all i'm saying. and i think if the NFL had a little competition, they wouldn't just steam roll all these bizarre marketing ideas around like cold weather superbowls, limited TV coverage of thursday night national games, ridiculous pay per view tv packages when they are protected by antitrust exemptions by congress.
The UFL could pay the best NFL players a lot for 1 year, but after the owners and NFLPA hammer out a deal (it won't go more than a year, tops), the UFL will be back to where it was.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

The UFL has nowhere near the money to attract top NFL players, or even marginal ones. No one is going to risk playing in the NFL again (i.e. from injury) for the peanuts they get paid there.
Well, that's where you're wrong. Certainly you're not going to get Peyton Manning to suit up for the Omaha Nighthawks, but the UFL pays about the same on a per game basis as the CFL does, and they've been drawing marginal players just fine.

[better days]

i really think the UFL has the most to gain in the work stoppage. you may have NFL players in their early 30's who say, "this stoppage is going to go on for a while, i'm better than those fools, and i can make something instead of nothing."

The UFL could grow pretty quickly. And with nothing else on TV during the winter, i'd watch some games on a saturday or sunday.

And if it does catch on, it will be hard for the NFL to get those old TV contracts back.

This of course is an outside chance of happening, but that's the risk they run by wanting to get more money from tv, fans, the players, etc.

they all pretend like football has to be this obsessive, national pulse of a sport. it doesn't.

There is no pretending. The NFL is a National obsession. The NFL draft had much better ratings this year than the NBA playoffs, that says a lot about how this Country is obsessed with the NFL.

[trapezeus]

is it the NFL or is it football. we know the NFL is the best of the best, but if it's not available and the UFL takes a shot and signs some big name players, it might be better than watching college football with no playoff format.