NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

[exe ex machina]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

There is a PFT article just today about how one aspect of a new CBA will be about pushing owners to spend more under their salary cap, raising the floor.

 

[Sven]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

There is a PFT article just today about how one aspect of a new CBA will be about pushing owners to spend more under their salary cap, raising the floor.

I would expect the salary cap floor would be a major priority for the players. In 2009, the final capped year in the previous CBA, the floor was 87.6% of the cap and was supposed to increase 1.2% per year until it reached 90% of the cap in 2011.

Therefore, you could expect the players would be insisting the floor is at least 90% of the salary cap. If the salary cap was $141 million that would mean a floor of $126.9 million, compared to $123.4 million if it were 87.5%. The difference ($3.5 million) is significant for players on the teams that are likely to keep salaries at the floor.

 

[drd23]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

The floor is most significant for the STers and career backup type players. The stars will continue to be well paid, but its the fringe players that have the most to gain/lose with this CBA imo

 

[Woodson]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

The floor is most significant for the STers and career backup type players. The stars will continue to be well paid, but its the fringe players that have the most to gain/lose with this CBA imo

Yup, plenty to like about raising the floor but then again, the pay-cuts to overpaid spuds should balance the books.

It's important to have depth. Keeping these second tier players on the roster although they don't get much game time is paramount to team success. The days of the garbage attitude players like Haynesworth will be over? either they are forced to seek other career options (use that degree FFS!) or re-adjust their their attitude for team success.

 

[exe ex machina]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Good PFT article (but mainly comments from the fans) today about the vicious circle that still exists.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/17/report-some-owners-are-resisting-potential-deal/

I also like the comment by someone about how it's a dispute between three parties (the fans being the third), that the owners and players are not realizing.

 

[drd23]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

If you read the actual Schefter report, it specifically mentions 2 owners of AFC teams being in that group of owners not happy with what Goodell was ready to concede. Its almost guaranteed that those 2 would be Ralph Wilson and Mike Brown, wouldnt it?

 

[exe ex machina]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Yes, it'd be them two, but there are probably a couple more who have crossed the line.
Readers comments in the link I posted above is always worth a read. Apart from always some stupid comments, there's a lot of good takes and povs PFT readers provide.

 

[Tassie19Cairns20]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

It's funny that Ralph Wilson and Mike Brown, who along with Al Davis and Bill Bidwell are generally considered the most senile owners in the NFL, were the 2 owners that voted against this CBA in 2006 because they foresaw what the other 29 owners had failed to see.

If these two feel the same way again, then I would suggest that the other 29 owners listed to them this time to prevent future CBA drama.

 

[Woodson]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Funnily enough that the two owners who should know better (ie: move with the times and leave your ego's behind) that they still have their names as the stadium name. The Rooney Family would have to be the most conflicted of them all (small city market) but they don't need to grandstand like Brown and Wilson because it's more about establishing your resources and luckily it's become due to thier past history for the Steelers. The Eagles are however coping well despite the lesser history so why is it that the Bengals and Bills need to grandstand because they refuse to move along with the times?

Without the corporate sector, it's not easy to make a buck in the current era. The AFL of all leagues have seized upon this and left tradition back in the '80's and '90's. No wonder the Bills and Bengals fans despise their own owners. Just heresy just like the media tells us.

 

[drd23]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Mike Brown doesnt have his name on the stadium (its named after his father, the founder of the Bengals)

 

[Sven]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

The more I read the more I am convinced that the 14th of July is the drop dead date for the new CBA to be agreed. I'm also convinced that a deal will be done by then - 24 days to go

 

[redragger]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

If you read the actual Schefter report, it specifically mentions 2 owners of AFC teams being in that group of owners not happy with what Goodell was ready to concede. Its almost guaranteed that those 2 would be Ralph Wilson and Mike Brown, wouldnt it?

The two AFC owners with 'concerns' were actually Robert Kraft and Stephen Ross. Apparently concerns centred on state of economy and what would happen if the arse fell out of it again.

nfl.com's Albert Breer tweeted - "Kraft's name as 1 of those concerned will raise eyebrows, but shows complexity of this. Can't just put guys in 'dealmaker' and 'hawk' boxes."

 

[drd23]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

The two AFC owners with 'concerns' were actually Robert Kraft and Stephen Ross. Apparently concerns centred on state of economy and what would happen if the arse fell out of it again.

nfl.com's Albert Breer tweeted - "Kraft's name as 1 of those concerned will raise eyebrows, but shows complexity of this. Can't just put guys in 'dealmaker' and 'hawk' boxes."

Read a little about that today. Makes perfect sense to me. If the players want a share of any revenue over and above that projected, they should also be made to have a share should the revenue drop below what is expected (i.e. if the NFL makes less money, the cap should decrease the next year, not increase). Hopefully something can get done in the next month or so so that there will be games come mid-September

 

[drd23]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

More light at the end of the tunnel

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6687485

Sources: 48 percent share for players

Among the details NFL commissioner Roger Goodell revealed to owners Tuesday at the league's meeting in Rosemont, Ill., is that in the next proposed agreement players will receive a 48 percent share of "all revenue," without the $1-billion-plus credit off the top that had been a point of contention in earlier negotiations, according to sources familiar with the presentation.

Proposed CBA Details

Details of a proposed collective bargaining agreement being pitched to NFL owners Tuesday, according to sources:

• Players get 48 percent of "all revenue."

• Players' share will never dip below 46.5 percent, under new formula being negotiated.

• Teams required to spend close to 100 percent of the salary cap.

• Rookie wage scale part of deal but still being "tweaked."

• Four years needed for unrestricted free-agent status. Certain tags will be retained, but still being discussed.

• 18-game regular season designated only as negotiable item and at no point is mandated in deal.

• New 16-game Thursday night TV package beginning in 2012.

• Owners still will get some expense credits that will allow funding for new stadiums.

• Retirees to benefit from improved health care, pension benefits as revenue projected to double to $18 million by 2016.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6687485

 

[Sven]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

here's an earlier post I made back in April

TBH I think the owners thought they had a good deal when the CBA extension was signed in 2006. At that time the total owner take was just over 51%. What they didn't see coming was the explosion in NFL revenue that was coming in the following years.

The salary cap is based on the previous year's revenue so 2005 revenue was $6.7B which rose to the oft quoted $9.3B in 2010 approximately 40% higher. In hindsight what the owners should have done in 2006 was to index the $1B that the owners cream off the top before the rest is split and then the current situation would have been avoided ......

here's the latest coming out of the owners meeting...

Several people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Commissioner Roger Goodell and his labor committee will meet with players association chief DeMaurice Smith on Wednesday and Thursday in Boston. The owners spent five hours Tuesday getting updated on various CBA issues. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are supposed to be confidential.
“We’re going to meet with them soon and we’re eager to accelerate the pace of the negotiations,” said Jeff Pash, the league’s chief negotiator.

One person told the AP that the players’ share would approach the 50 percent the NFLPA has said it has received throughout the last decade. But the expense credits—about $1 billion last year—that the league takes off the top would disappear.

source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Ate7CsfDJ2JyyW9R.8fcRZxDubYF?slug=ap-nfllabor

TBH, I think the owners got too cute with the whole $1 billion off the top and they have realised this with the new negotiations. A simple 51/49 split, or whatever it ends up as, is the easiest way to ensure that the distribution of money isn't skewed in the future. The earlier talk of increasing the $1 billion to $2 billion would have made the situation worse IMO, becuase there was an even bigger risk that big changes in revenue (up or down) would have caused inequities.

 

[Woodson]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

The more I read the more I am convinced that the 14th of July is the drop dead date for the new CBA to be agreed. I'm also convinced that a deal will be done by then - 24 days to go

“We have a very strong view of the priorities … ownership is unified,” Goodell said.

Giddy time.

After that, the league will have the NFL Players Association recertify as a union and the owners will have to reconvene to give the agreement final approval. Given all those steps, the July 15 date starts to look more and more realistic.

source: Yahoo NFL Jason Cole

Can feel fantasy football enthusiasm picking up now and ready to roll folks!!

Expect that other 4 in 1 comp to get some promo action as well.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Thursday Night as a regular fixture sounds good. Breaks up the week a bit. Always found it a bit odd that they have the opener on this night, then don't play on that night until Thanksgiving.

 

[Sven]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Thursday Night as a regular fixture sounds good. Breaks up the week a bit. Always found it a bit odd that they have the opener on this night, then don't play on that night until Thanksgiving.

Its very strange that the NFL refuses to compete against high school football (friday) and college football (saturday) but is prepared to force some teams into short preparation weeks with a Thursday game.....

It probably says more about the conservative nature of the US population than anything else really.

 

[drd23]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Its very strange that the NFL refuses to compete against high school football (friday) and college football (saturday) but is prepared to force some teams into short preparation weeks with a Thursday game.....

It probably says more about the conservative nature of the US population than anything else really.

Maybe its partly because they dont want to affect the popularity of their talent pipeline?

However I think the bigger reason is that they dont want to see what happens when they go H2H against the big colleges in the south. I'm sure there would be many college teams that would beat some NFLs franchises in ratings and attendance

 

[Sven]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Maybe its partly because they dont want to affect the popularity of their talent pipeline?

However I think the bigger reason is that they dont want to see what happens when they go H2H against the big colleges in the south. I'm sure there would be many college teams that would beat some NFLs franchises in ratings and attendance

Absolutely, and its not just the south. I was only looking at this list yesterday. 18 of 20 biggest stadiums in the US are college stadiums. Only the Redskins and Jets/Giants stadium makes it into the top 20. The Michigan leads with a capacity of 109,901.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_football_stadiums_by_capacity

 

[drd23]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Yeah Michigan is the obivious college team up north that would clearly threaten an NFL franchise, especially with the Lions not the biggest drawing team.

Did you know they are thinking of potentially increasing the capacity of Michigan Stadium because they sell out every game? Its crazy to think that colleges routinely sellout 100k seat stadiums when we struggle to do that in the AFL in the finals

 

[Sven]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Yeah Michigan is the obivious college team up north that would clearly threaten an NFL franchise, especially with the Lions not the biggest drawing team.

Did you know they are thinking of potentially increasing the capacity of Michigan Stadium because they sell out every game? Its crazy to think that colleges routinely sellout 100k seat stadiums when we struggle to do that in the AFL in the finals

I'm not aware of any plans to expand the stadium further. The project to expand the stadium to its current capacity was only completed last year.

The original plans for Michigan stadium was for a capacity of 150,000 and the footings for additional stands to take it to that capacity were put in place when the stadium was originally built.

Just for your info, every home game since November 8, 1975 has drawn a crowd in excess of 100,000!

 

[drd23]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

I'm not aware of any plans to expand the stadium further. The project to expand the stadium to its current capacity was only completed last year.

The original plans for Michigan stadium was for a capacity of 150,000 and the footings for additional stands to take it to that capacity were put in place when the stadium was originally built.

Just for your info, every home game since November 8, 1975 has drawn a crowd in excess of 100,000!

Oops. My bad. I vaguely remember reading something about the 150,000 capacity, but dont remember when or when that capacity was proposed.

Imagine playing in front of that many people though!

 

[Tassie19Cairns20]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Its very strange that the NFL refuses to compete against high school football (friday) and college football (saturday) but is prepared to force some teams into short preparation weeks with a Thursday game.....

It probably says more about the conservative nature of the US population than anything else really.

It's not strange. It's federal law. In 1961 US Congress prohibited the NFL from airing games on Saturday because they would compete with College Football. Ever wonder why there are usually only Saturday games at the end of the regular season? It's because by that time of the year, college football season is over. Congress also prohibited the NFL from airing games on Friday so they wouldn't compete with High School Football.

Also the clear reason why some college stadia have higher capacities than NFL stadia, is because NFL stadia are all-seater stadia. In college you have stands. In stands you can pack unbelievably large amount of people in a surprisingly small amount of area. If you replaced all the stands at Michigan Stadium with seats, I highly doubt the capacity would be more than 65,000.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

Its very strange that the NFL refuses to compete against high school football (friday) and college football (saturday) but is prepared to force some teams into short preparation weeks with a Thursday game.....

Teams coming off a bye could play off on Thursday nights, although the early and later weeks do not have byes at all.

Which network would pick it up, ESPN, NBC or NFL Network?