The NFL Labor Issue, and its Possible Impact on Free Agency

with a new staff not having access to the players. If the work lockout drags into the preseason, how are we going to install a new offense… If they don’t get this worked out it is gonna be lame. It will put a serious damper on what should be an awesome offseason.

Nice post, I must admit the CBA situation has me worried not only as a niner fan but as a football fan. I really hope the players can come to term with the owners but at this point the owners are coming out as greedy. 18games is too much for NFL players to do, while I admit it would be fun to watch 18 games I wouldn’t want to see my favorite players go down on the 18th week right before the playoffs

There is too much money on the table and plenty to go around for all parties involved. This is big business and we are the customers! We want to watch the NFL without this type of drama. Make it happen Goddell, Owners and Players Reps, we are counting on you.

http://blogs.forbes.com/sportsmoney/2011/01/10/numbers-show-nfls-economic-realities-for-lockout-unwarranted/?boxes=businesschannelsections

Do the players have any weapons to try and fight back?

They do, but it’s certainly not full-proof, and fraught with risk. The NFLPA has said that they are considering decertification. That would mean the union for the players would dissolve becoming, ostensibly, a trade organization. Based upon anti-trust law if the NFL clubs, acting as 32 individual businesses, were to attempt to do so, it would be a group boycott of the workers which is illegal.

The NFLPA did this 1989 only to reform as a union in 1993. The NFL would claim through the courts that the new move to decertify is a sham based upon the actions that the NFLPA did prior. It also could mean that a new union could be formed while the current one is dissolved setting up a possible power struggle with the players.

Most of this looks like it shows the NFL doing better, rather than worse, why are the owners looking to a possible lockout?

The NFL could make a compelling case that they are in need of cutting salaries for the players, but as mentioned, they are not releasing financial information, so what is provided paints the picture. If the picture is indeed correct (and unless the NFL is willing to show otherwise, it is as it is), then one could suggest that opportunity is at the center of it. With the television money being so lucrative, the fact that they get paid those rights fees, even if games aren’t played, on top of keeping approx. $1 billion in DirecTV money, then clawing back to where the owners were before the 2006 agreement was reached is a tempting proposition. After all, with the economy just now starting to thaw, it’s easy to say that the NFL is hurting like everyone else, even if they league isn’t presenting compelling figures.

And while the NFL will say that they have to pay the television money back, in the battle of attrition, the owners can clearly outlast the players. If so, the owners will make back part of what they have to pay back through savings on player payroll.

And all of this doesn’t account for other issues the owners are asking for including an 18 game schedule, and possible hGH testing as part of the drug policy. On the 18 game schedule, the players would incur more injuries, which, unless the league is willing to add more money in the way of benefits, is a key concern for the players.

Lot’s more in the article. As far as FA, I would think the players and Agents have their contingency plan, and even though moves can’t be made until the CBA, it won’t prohibit the machinations of setting a player’s value.

not the owners vs the players.

As much as this organization seems to be turning a new leaf and headed in the right direction this whole CBA thing could really hurt our team and Harbaughs first year as coach.

No FA, player trades, practices, OTA’s etc. etc. could really set us back a season.
I hope they get this worked out soon. I want Harbaugh to have every chance and possible way to suceed at his disposal, but this whole thing could really have his hands tied in many areas.

would Carolina get the number 1 pick 2 years in a row? Just curious…

the whole season gets canceled like in the NHL? What would the draft order be for next year?

I now remember in during the NHL lockout that they had a lottery where the worst teams had the best chance to get the top pick and the best teams had a very minimal chacne to get it.

My idea for the draft order would be the average winning percentage of a teams past 10 seasons, just to make things perhaps a bit more fair, and not financially hinder teams like Carolina who would not have to shell out number one money two years in a row

I’d bet alot of us would still watch it thou… Oh yeah the football too..

But we will have training camp. I suspect after the players get OTAs out of the way and the thought of losing money starts to weigh on their minds they will fold to the mighty arms of the owners. ESPN just agreed to pay 2 BILLION a year for MNF!

If that’s the case they may work out a longer training camp period and forgo the 18 game schedule until 2012. One thing is for sure, if we do miss OTAs we’ll find out just how good of a teacher Harbs is.

I enjoyed it. You can put a gold star on your chart from me

…could be a bellweather for how this labor conflict is going to play out. His father Oliver has a lot of connections in the NFL, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he advised Luck to stay based on inside info.

Good post, nocal. I hope this CBA gets done within a couple months so we can really move forward. Otherwise, 49ers football could be severely ugly in 2011 without the proper changes and preparation. But I’m someone that is behind Harbaugh all the way, as I have been pulling for him as SF HC for well over a year, so a year or two of losing would be Ok with me if we’re seeing the signs that will lead to a better future.

But lol @ Alex Smith. I mean, I like the guy and think more highly of him than most 49ers fans, but his return would be really weird. I think both sides need to move on severely. I’d almost rather hope David Carr could play at a mediocre level than see the AS debacle all over again.