PDA

View Full Version : Union leader paints bleak picture -- MERGED



FanInAZ
02-04-2010, 06:54 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-superbowl-nflpa&prov=ap&type=lgns

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)—NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith says the chance of a lockout after next season is a “14” on a scale of 1-to-10.

Painting a bleak labor outlook Thursday, Smith said the NFL would receive $5 billion from its network television deals even if no games are played in 2011. He regarded that as proof owners are preparing for a lockout.

“Has any one of the prior deals included $5 billion to not play football?” Smith said, referring to previous collective bargaining agreements that were extended or redone. “The answer’s no.”

Smith reiterated the union’s demand that the NFL’s 32 teams open their books and show who is losing money and how much. Citing financial reports by the community-owned Green Bay Packers, Smith wondered how such a small-market franchise can make a $20 million profit while other teams claim they are losing money.

But he noted that the Packers did have a profit decline, which NFL executive vice president and chief counsel Jeff Pash said was 40 percent.

“In most businesses, that would be a serious cause for concern,” Pash said. “It would indicate a serious issue that has to be dealt with. You look at your single largest expense, which is player costs.”

Smith said the latest NFL offer to the players would reduce their share to 41 percent of applied revenues from about 59 percent. He emphasized that the teams take $1 billion off the top of the estimated $8 billion the league generates.

Pash argued that the $1 billion reflects actual costs incurred, money spent in investments “in things like stadiums, NFL network, NFL.com, putting on games overseas, all of which is intended to and has the effect of generating substantial additional revenues that go to NFL players.”

Lonestar
02-04-2010, 07:00 PM
Players union boss says 2011 lockout a 14 on scale of 1 to 10
By MIKE KLIS

Even as rhetoric goes, this was strong.

At the National Football League Players Association press conference Thursday, which took place right after Roger Daltry and Peter Townsend ended their media gathering by playing, “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” union boss DeMaurice Smith was asked _ by Bengals receiver and novice journalist Chad Ochocinco of the Ochocinco News Network _ about how serious the possibility of having no football in 2011 due to an owners’ lockout.

“”On a scale of 1 to 10,” Smith said, “”it’s a 14.”

Smith and players union president Kevin Mawae said the owners want to cut the players share of the revenues from 59 percent to 41 percent. Smith added the players’ current share is actually 52 percent of total revenues because owners get $1 billion off the top before other annual revenues are divvied up.

I still can’t believe an NFL product that just drew 57 million viewers _ or double that of American Idol, which is often No. 1 by double the No. 2-rated show _ for an NFC championship game would shut down for even a week. There might not be a deal on March, 2001, or even July 2011, or even late-August, 2011. But there has to be a deal by Labor Day, 2011.


http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2010/02/04/players-union-boss-says-lockout-a-14-on-scale-of-1-to-10/

FanInAZ
02-04-2010, 07:02 PM
:D I got my thread in 1st :D

Lonestar
02-04-2010, 07:19 PM
Sorry I did not see it when I looked, but I also took a phone call before I hit Go.

It doe not matter to me and I'm one of the worst mods at merging almost anything of the same topic. so glad who ever did handled it.

I would have merged it myself if I would have seen it.

atwater27
02-04-2010, 07:39 PM
Yay. Greedy ****s fighting over millions. Sometimes I wonder why I even like the game. Here the general fanbase is fighting a recession and rich jackasses who's only skill is athleticism are crying that they can only afford 3 Lexuses instead of a limited edition Rolls Royce. Ohhhh the big eeevil NFL only pays us chumpchange.

Part of me hopes the NFL folds. Then these primadonnas can go back to reality and unemployment with the rest of us.

Dirk
02-05-2010, 06:37 AM
Yay. Greedy ****s fighting over millions. Sometimes I wonder why I even like the game. Here the general fanbase is fighting a recession and rich jackasses who's only skill is athleticism are crying that they can only afford 3 Lexuses instead of a limited edition Rolls Royce. Ohhhh the big eeevil NFL only pays us chumpchange.

Part of me hopes the NFL folds. Then these primadonnas can go back to reality and unemployment with the rest of us.

Part of me feels the same way you do. If the NFL were to just fold, where would these guys be?

It makes me sick how people act some times. I thank the good lord every day for my job. I know how hard it is out there for us "normal" folk.

I guess the players who grew up poor or struggled forget what it was like and can't be thankful for getting paid damn good money for playing a game.

Nomad
02-05-2010, 07:56 AM
It would be hard just to drop watching BRONCO football! I don't watch the NFL like I use to and the lockout would rub me wrong!! One thing that gets me is these idiots make millions and then they're bankrupt:confused:. Oh well, I think the only way I would stop following the NFL is if the BRONCOS move from Denver!! It just wouldn't be the same!

Dirk
02-05-2010, 08:08 AM
It would be hard just to drop watching BRONCO football! I don't watch the NFL like I use to and the lockout would rub me wrong!! One thing that gets me is these idiots make millions and then they're bankrupt:confused:. Oh well, I think the only way I would stop following the NFL is if the BRONCOS move from Denver!! It just wouldn't be the same!

Yeah...the L.A. Broncos or something else just wouldn't be the same at all. I would be done with them.

ursamajor
02-05-2010, 08:33 AM
http://www.impawards.com/2000/posters/replacements_ver1.jpg

pnbronco
02-05-2010, 08:33 AM
Yay. Greedy ****s fighting over millions. Sometimes I wonder why I even like the game. Here the general fanbase is fighting a recession and rich jackasses who's only skill is athleticism are crying that they can only afford 3 Lexuses instead of a limited edition Rolls Royce. Ohhhh the big eeevil NFL only pays us chumpchange.

Part of me hopes the NFL folds. Then these primadonnas can go back to reality and unemployment with the rest of us.

There are many great fans on this board that have lost their jobs to no fault of their own. When I read this kind of article it does make me sick.

The recession is real and people are struggling to make it out here. You have schools struggling to keep their doors open and programs like music are dropping off like fruit flies.

On top of that the current players will not vote for health insurance for past players who made the game what it is today and did not make any where the money that these guys are. I have no idea what the answer is but maybe it is time for a reality check.

claymore
02-05-2010, 08:51 AM
My hope... Is we see a lockout, scrub players and cheep tickets. I know it wouldnt happen, but I think everyone would have more fun.

Id much rather cheer for a guy that made $70k and had no teeth.

Nomad
02-05-2010, 08:54 AM
There are many great fans on this board that have lost their jobs to no fault of their own. When I read this kind of article it does make me sick.

The recession is real and people are struggling to make it out here. You have schools struggling to keep their doors open and programs like music are dropping off like fruit flies.

On top of that the current players will not vote for health insurance for past players who made the game what it is today and did not make any where the money that these guys are. I have no idea what the answer is but maybe it is time for a reality check.

I did not know this! What a bunch of ****s.

Yet, teams expect taxpayers to build their stadiums! Seattle's still biting that one!!

Biz1
02-05-2010, 10:56 AM
My hope... Is we see a lockout, scrub players and cheep tickets. I know it wouldnt happen, but I think everyone would have more fun.

Id much rather cheer for a guy that made $70k and had no teeth.

I'm giving away my age here, but I remember the last "scrub" players. It was over 23 years ago that Bobby Beathard found some QB in prison to play for the Redskins on MNF against Dallas.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d8111b667/Top-Ten-Biggest-Upsets-The-Replacements

BTW, how in the hell did the NFL manage to get the networks to shell out $5 billion in the event there are no games?...they get paid to do nothing??

TXBRONC
02-05-2010, 11:03 AM
I'm giving away my age here, but I remember the last "scrub" players. It was over 23 years ago that Bobby Beathard found some QB in prison to play for the Redskins on MNF against Dallas.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d8111b667/Top-Ten-Biggest-Upsets-The-Replacements

BTW, how in the hell did the NFL manage to get the networks to shell out $5 billion in the event there are no games?...they get paid to do nothing??

The networks that televise the games will lose money if there is a lockout. That's why they will get that money.

Biz1
02-05-2010, 11:07 AM
There are many great fans on this board that have lost their jobs to no fault of their own. When I read this kind of article it does make me sick.

The recession is real and people are struggling to make it out here. You have schools struggling to keep their doors open and programs like music are dropping off like fruit flies.

On top of that the current players will not vote for health insurance for past players who made the game what it is today and did not make any where the money that these guys are. I have no idea what the answer is but maybe it is time for a reality check.

http://www.gridirongreats.org/about/

FYI, since the players/owners were too cheap to take care of their own there is a pretty good private charity going to address that issue.

Biz1
02-05-2010, 11:09 AM
The networks that televise the games will lose money if there is a lockout. That's why they will get that money.

Now I'm really confused. Why would the networks pay the NFL $5 billion if they are already losing $$ by not televising?:confused:

Nomad
02-05-2010, 11:09 AM
My hope... Is we see a lockout, scrub players and cheep tickets. I know it wouldnt happen, but I think everyone would have more fun.

Id much rather cheer for a guy that made $70k and had no teeth.

And have $1 beer games!! j/k

I know this is minor league baseball but I took my sons to a Tacoma Rainiers game on $1 beer night and we sat in the $5 bleachers......never again!!!!

Lonestar
02-05-2010, 11:56 AM
I heard yesterday that the neworks still have to pay next year even without games. However once they do resume games the owners/NFL have to pay some of it back.

I just heard on the Herd that Colin does not think there will be a lockout and if there is, the egos and lack of money will cause their resolve to crumble.

While player may have a 7K monthly mortgage payment. Most of the owners have a bigger one. For example JJ owes 17 million each month on the money he borrowed to build "his" palace there was NO public money involved. But then he gets every dime that comes from all the concessions also.


Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel.

frauschieze
02-05-2010, 12:58 PM
I thought this was an interesting counterview from Jason Whitlock.

************************************************** *******
Talk of an NFL lockout is pure madness

All the posturing about an NFL lockout in 2011 is just that -- posturing.

There won't be a lockout. If there is, Roger Goodell should be institutionalized, examined by a team of psychiatrists, removed from office and replaced by Pacman Jones.

Starting today -- with NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith's Super Bowl press briefing and culminating with Goodell's Friday address -- you're about to be inundated with stories about a looming lockout.

Ignore them. The owners -- and their paid mouthpiece, Goodell -- are not nearly as stupid as they'll sound and look over the next year.

Yeah, they hired the genius attorney, Bob Batterman, who oversaw the "successful" NHL lockout that helped make professional hockey more irrelevant. Yes, the NFL negotiated TV contracts that pay the league even if there is no 2011 season. And, yes, there are a handful of owners -- Buffalo's Ralph Wilson, Jacksonville's Wayne Weaver and Minnesota's Zygi Wilf -- too incompetent to turn a large profit in a league that prints money.

But short of Wilson, Weaver and Wilf executing an assassination plot of Jerry Jones, Daniel Snyder, Paul Allen and most of their other peers, there is zero chance of a lockout.

You don't hit the eject button at the very moment the league is about to land on the moon.

That's the message Goodell should be and will be communicating privately to the owners whining about the "bad" collective bargaining agreement his predecessor, Paul Tagliabue, and Smith's predecessor, Gene Upshaw, struck in 2006.

Whatever discomfort billionaire NFL owners might have with sharing more than half of their total revenue with millionaire players, the owners will get over it when Goodell explains what their partnership with players has wrought.

The popularity, TV-ratings-driving and cultural-influence distances between the NFL and Major League Baseball and the NFL and the NBA have never been wider.

The Pro Bowl -- the most worthless sporting event known to man, a game ditched by 40 percent of the roster this year -- garnered massive ratings on ESPN. The NFL is a force of nature right now.

No way it does anything to slow its momentum. No one -- not the owners, players or television executives addicted to NFL ratings -- is pumping the NFL brakes. Not now. Not when the league has a finite number of years to ride the Peyton Manning-Tom Brady-Brett Favre gravy train.

Guess when David Stern locked out NBA players? Months after Michael Jordan's second retirement.

An NFL work stoppage in 2011 would be the equivalent of baseball shutting down midway through the summer of 1998 (McGwire-Sosa) or the NBA calling it quits just before Magic and Bird met in the 1984 NBA Finals.

You don't pull the plug on Manning and Brady, the most compelling reality TV stars this side of Jon and Kate.

Major League Baseball certainly doesn't have a competitor for Manning and Brady or Brees and Favre or Romo and Roethlisberger or (Eli) Manning and McNabb or even Rivers and Rodgers.

Tom and Peyton Plus Eight -- my nickname for the NFL's 10-pack of marketable QB stars -- trumps Derek Jeter and Steroid Cheaters.

The NBA would like to think that Kobe and LeBron can compete with Tom and Peyton Plus Eight, but Kobe's Colorado baggage, LeBron's tattoo sleeves and childish behavior undercut their transcendent mainstream power to make America stop what it's doing to watch them compete.

One man was a bigger star than Manning and Brady individually and collectively, and that man, along with the National Enquirer, his Swedish wife, a slew of attention-starved bimbos, a poorly positioned fire hydrant and TMZ, torched his reputation Thanksgiving night.

If Manning and the Colts win Sunday's Super Bowl, he officially supplants Tiger Woods as our most revered and influential athlete. The NFL is already preparing for this eventuality. Colts owner Jim Irsay has vowed to redo Manning's contract this offseason. A signing bonus eclipsing $50 million is likely.

And you think a lockout is a possibility?

The NFL has been working toward this moment for two decades. The league has geared its rules to make as many of its quarterbacks superstars as possible. There's a reason a defender can't hit a QB without first raising a hand and asking a ref for permission. There's a reason John Madden and every other Madden wannabe spent/spend so much time hyping Favre, Manning, Brady, Brees and all the rest.

Quarterbacks move the needle. They have to be healthy and putting up big passing numbers to push ratings. The NFL figured out a long time ago it works best as a QB league rather than an RB league.

Favre and Manning can play for decades and never miss a game. They're always in the playoffs.

Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Earl Campbell, O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson -- the five best running backs of the Super Bowl era -- combined to play 53 seasons, and in those seasons they appeared in 29 playoff games, won 10, rushed for 100-plus yards six times and William "The Refrigerator" Perry has more Super Bowl TDs than all five of them.

Should we compare the great running backs to the great QBs of the Super Bowl era -- Elway, Montana, Brady, Manning and Favre?

The numbers are stupid. Elway alone has 22 playoff games, 14 postseason victories, four 300-yard passing games and six postseason RUSHING touchdowns.

It's a quarterback league. And now the NFL owns the biggest star (Manning) and brightest stars (Tom and Peyton Plus Eight) in all of sports.

There's no Jordan, Magic, Bird, Tyson, Tiger, Gretzky or Bonds to steal attention away.

The NFL is going to ride Manning, 33, until the wheels fall off. If it doesn't, Goodell will go down in history as an incompetent leader whose claim to fame was keeping strip clubs safe from Pacman Jones.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/talk-of-an-nfl-lockout-is-pure-madness

TXBRONC
02-05-2010, 01:48 PM
Now I'm really confused. Why would the networks pay the NFL $5 billion if they are already losing $$ by not televising?:confused:

I thought it was the reverse.

Biz1
02-05-2010, 03:03 PM
I thought it was the reverse.

Not according to the article:

"Smith said the NFL would receive $5 billion from its network television deals even if no games are played in 2011. He regarded that as proof owners are preparing for a lockout."

Lonestar
02-05-2010, 03:29 PM
This was the telling line in this



Yeah, they hired the genius attorney, Bob Batterman, who oversaw the "successful" NHL lockout that helped make professional hockey more irrelevant. Yes, the NFL negotiated TV contracts that pay the league even if there is no 2011 season. And, yes, there are a handful of owners -- Buffalo's Ralph Wilson, Jacksonville's Wayne Weaver and Minnesota's Zygi Wilf -- too incompetent to turn a large profit in a league that prints money.


the owners have all the leverage. in this they still get paid for the TV contract even if they have no games.

But they do lose the other revenues from parking, concessions NFK gear sales.

I suspect that mostly fans will get it that the millionaire players are uber greedy and should not be getting 150K for each sack they make.

I also understand that the fans also think some of the Billionaire owners are ********. But what they do not get is they have lots of their own money tied up in the franchise and they for the most part are billionaires on paper as the banks own most of the clubs.

sanluis
02-05-2010, 05:41 PM
Lock out or approved CBA is the only thing I want to see. I will not watch or support in any way scrubs.

I will be fine watching College ball.


Way to throw away 5 billion dollars network.... :rolleyes:

pnbronco
02-05-2010, 08:54 PM
Not according to the article:

"Smith said the NFL would receive $5 billion from its network television deals even if no games are played in 2011. He regarded that as proof owners are preparing for a lockout."


You know I read this before I left this morning and again now in Biz post and the B just keeps me going......:confused:....dang. When did a million not even count anymore, I so stood in the wrong line.....:tsk:

girler
02-05-2010, 10:28 PM
I thought this was an interesting counterview from Jason Whitlock.

************************************************** *******
Talk of an NFL lockout is pure madness



Madness??? THIS IS FOOTBALL!!!!
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q270/Broncogirler/120px-ShoopDa-Sparta.gif

FanInAZ
02-05-2010, 11:16 PM
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q270/Broncogirler/120px-ShoopDa-Sparta.gif

:confused: girler, was 300 the last movie the Mr. B took you to? :confused: :D If so, I'm going to have a long talk with him :D

broncophan
02-06-2010, 08:45 AM
I saw where the nfl commish is going to reinstate (Cleveland Browns player) Stallworth.
Stallworth spent like 24 days in jail after killing someone while driving drunk.

I have not seen any complaints on this from the union boss....but he sure does complain about plenty of other stuff.

HORSEPOWER 56
02-06-2010, 10:00 AM
Very interesting and telling article. I really hope the owners aren't foolish enough to try the lockout. It has all but killed the NHL.

Biz1
02-06-2010, 10:36 AM
You know I read this before I left this morning and again now in Biz post and the B just keeps me going......:confused:....dang. When did a million not even count anymore, I so stood in the wrong line.....:tsk:

Most of the NFL's revenue comes from television contracts(Disney even has their fingers in the market), so basically that $5 billion was already put in by the NFL as insurance. I don't care what Goodell is feeding the media, he's simply trying to douse a bonfire. They were preparing for this possibility years ago. I found an interesting article as well:

http://newsburglar.com/2009/06/03/will-there-be-an-nfl-lockout-in-2011/

"The Owners Have Lockout Insurance

The NFL’s new television rights agreement with DirecTV will pay them $1 billion per year from 2011 through 2014.

Even if games are not played in 2011, the NFL’s deal with DirecTV calls for the league to be paid the billion-dollar rights fee. That’s approximately $31 million per team to tide them over through a lockout. The NFL has debt limits of $120 million per team.

There is no reason to believe that the NFL players will be any more successful at holding out than their NBA bretheren. NFL careers are quite short. The league is filled with players in their first through fifth years. The fifth round draft choice doesn’t see a big payday until probably his fourth or fifth season. Until then, he’s not exactly struggling, but he also doesn’t have a $30 million guaranteed contract.

If the NFL locks out the players, the NFL will win."

girler
02-06-2010, 11:17 AM
:confused: girler, was 300 the last movie the Mr. B took you to? :confused: :D If so, I'm going to have a long talk with him :D

Hmm... I'm pretty sure we've seen a few movies since then...:confused: But now that I think about it, I can only remember taking the kids to recent movies! :shocked: I just asked him, and he doesn't recall the last movie we went to either. I think you best have that talk with him! :coffee:

Denver Native (Carol)
02-06-2010, 11:28 AM
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d81639130&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to see more progress in labor talks between the league and players' union.

Speaking Friday at his annual Super Bowl-week news conference, Goodell said fans "expect solutions ... and we should deliver" on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The NFL Players Association said Thursday it is bracing for a lockout in 2011 after the current labor pact expires. Goodell said he and the league's owners want an agreement and it's "absolutely false" that owners would want to see a work stoppage.

"I don't think anybody wants to see a work stoppage," Goodell said. "There are no benefits to that. If it comes to anything like that, we would all have failed."

Goodell added that there is no contingency plan for the 2012 Super Bowl, on the chance that no football is played in 2011.

"We still have a lot of time and a lot of important opportunities here to structure something that makes sense for everybody," Goodell said.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said Thursday the union views the chance of a lockout as a "14" on a scale of 1-to-10, something Goodell said he hopes won't become a "self-fulfilling prophecy."

"I couldn't make that prediction, and I sure hope he's wrong," Goodell said.

"Right now we don't need a lot of focus on that. We need to take advantage of the opportunity we have right now to structure an agreement and sit down and negotiate. That's how this is going to get done, and we will have an agreement. It's just a matter of when, but talking about options like work stoppages is not going to get us there."

Goodell has also said he doesn't agree with the union's contention that owners are insisting on an 18 percent player pay cut.

"The players should be paid fairly and they should be paid well," he said. "And I assure you that they will."