The NFL Owners and players association could not agree to a new collective bargaining agreement between themselves so the battle will be waged in court.
The league released the following statement:
The union left a very good deal on the table. It included an offer to narrow the player compensation gap that existed in the negotiations by splitting the difference; guarantee reallocation of savings from first-round rookies to veterans and retirees without negatively affecting compensation for rounds 2-7; ensure no compensation reduction for veterans; implement new year-round health and safety rules; retain the current 16-4 season format for at least two years with any subsequent changes subject to the approval of the league and union; and establish a new legacy fund for retired players ($82 million contributed by the owners over the next two years).
In the end, the league was unwilling to turn over the financial statements the NFLPA asked for as justification for the owner’s demands.
Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner gives a brief explanation of what happens from here:
The players now wait to see if the owners will lock them out. If that happens, the players will sue in the court of Judge David Doty (the same judge who recently took the owners’ $4 billion in lockout insurance away from them in a scathing ruling). And if Doty injuncts the owners from locking the players out, it’s entirely possible that football will go on in the 2011 season and beyond … under a court order. The owners could also choose to ask for further negotiations instead of locking the players out, or they could establish new and onerous parameters under which football would resume, forcing the players to strike.
It is likely that only the tip of the iceberg is known regarding the ramifications of a court battle. Some, ESPN’s Tedy Bruschi for instance, predict a resolution will not be reached until as late as November, well into what should have been the 2011 season.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is more optimistic, at least publicly. Jones stated that no football games will be missed. Let’s hope he’s right.
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Original Story:
http://sidelionreport.com/2011/03/11/...
