With no labor agreement in place past this season and things seemingly at a standstill, Vikings player representative Steve Hutchinson is more than willing to say he is "absolutely" concerned about a work stoppage in 2011according to Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "The owners fully intend to lock us out," Hutchinson said Friday morning after the Vikings completed practice. "That's why they negotiated a TV contract that would pay them with the lockout happening [in 2011]. They fully wanted this to happen because they made sure they were going to be compensated if in fact there was no season played." Hutchinson said players are very aware of the seriousness of the situation. "I think a lot of guys around the league now are mentally preparing for that case," Hutchinson said. "We've done some things as a union to try to [get ready]. We've withheld dues, we've withheld royalty checks to guys to put it in an escrow account where if that day does come, where guys are not getting checks next September, that we can pay out their own money in weekly or monthly portions so that they can live life, make rent payments, stuff like that. So guys are keen to the fact that this is a very serious things."
Source: Star-Tribune
Source: Star-Tribune
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