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Denver Native (Carol)
05-19-2011, 04:28 PM
By Giants President John Mara


EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - NFL fans are not hearing much about football these days. Instead, they are hearing about litigation, mediation, the lockout, the Norris-LaGuardia Act, injunctions, appeals, and stays.

Fortunately, there is time to get back on track. We need to resolve our differences with the players at the bargaining table, start the 2011 season on time, and set a positive course for the future of our great game.

There was no reason for the situation to come to this. The NFL's business model needs to be fixed. Of that, there is no doubt. The 2006 collective bargaining agreement was not balanced. Players have readily acknowledged they "got a great deal." Then the economy went south, adding to the problem. A fair adjustment must be negotiated in a new CBA.

I participated in two of three weeks of federal mediation in Washington. We made progress. We closed the gap on economics, offering to commit almost $20 billion to player costs over the next four years with a 14 percent increase from 2011 to 2014. We addressed other important player concerns in our March 11 offer. It was made in an effort to continue negotiations and reach agreement.

Instead, the NFL Players Association walked away from mediation. It put a litigation strategy in play and filed a lawsuit declaring virtually all league rules relating to player employment as being violations of antitrust law. The union said many times it had no plans to dismantle the core elements of the collectively bargained system that has been in place since 1993.

rest of article - http://www.giants.com/news/headlines/story.asp?story_id=44856&module=HP_headlines

rcsodak
05-19-2011, 04:51 PM
Good read, carol. I particularly was impressed with mara's past creds:
"Before going to work for the Giants, I represented several unions as an attorney for the New York City law firm Shea & Gould. Our firm represented hotel and restaurant workers, building service workers, the Screen Actors Guild, and other unions. Collective bargaining works. Both sides in a labor negotiation have rights under law that guides the parties to compromise and agreement. I observed how it played out in the NFL when my father, Wellington Mara, led the NFL's labor committee decades ago. The NFL's goal then and now was never a work stoppage. We locked out the players this year only after they walked away from negotiations and sued. A strike or lockout is a last resort to force a resolution. Our end-game has always been a balanced collective bargaining agreement that helps us grow and improve the game."

T.K.O.
05-19-2011, 04:56 PM
i agree with the title....the rest sounds like the same ol' same ol' weve been hearing from both sides:salute:

rcsodak
05-19-2011, 05:02 PM
i agree with the title....the rest sounds like the same ol' same ol' weve been hearing from both sides:salute:
What zre you hearing from the other side, that I'm not?
All I've heard from them is 'show us your books for 10yrs', even though that's outside the paramaters of the past cba, and defamation of goodell and common sense (slavery).

T.K.O.
05-19-2011, 05:10 PM
What zre you hearing from the other side, that I'm not?
All I've heard from them is 'show us your books for 10yrs', even though that's outside the paramaters of the past cba, and defamation of goodell and common sense (slavery).

just saying that both sides "slip" their agenda into what appears to be an effort to please the fans.
dont believe either side is earnestly "pushing" to get a deal done.
at this point both parties are waiting to see who gets the most leverage from the courts.
i agree with what he says but, the content of the statements don't really talk about HOW to get football back.
at this point both sides just look like spoiled brats in my book !

rcsodak
05-19-2011, 05:21 PM
just saying that both sides "slip" their agenda into what appears to be an effort to please the fans.
dont believe either side is earnestly "pushing" to get a deal done.
at this point both parties are waiting to see who gets the most leverage from the courts.
i agree with what he says but, the content of the statements don't really talk about HOW to get football back.
at this point both sides just look like spoiled brats in my book !
Well, the courts aren't going to come up with a new cba. Its ultimately up to both sides. But if one side(players) isn't a willing participant until they've exhausted every avenue to 'get hand'....well.....just don't hold your breath.

Litigation was always the direction the players were headed, hoping to force the owners into submission by way of a supportive judiciary. Getting judge judy instead of doty may have just saved this year, if not the league. .02

Denver Native (Carol)
05-19-2011, 05:24 PM
Well, the courts aren't going to come up with a new cba. Its ultimately up to both sides. But if one side(players) isn't a willing participant until they've exhausted every avenue to 'get hand'....well.....just don't hold your breath.

Litigation was always the direction the players were headed, hoping to force the owners into submission by way of a supportive judiciary. Getting judge judy instead of doty may have just saved this year, if not the league. .02

There were many articles which stated that early on last season, Smith was telling the players to save their money. He had no INTENTION of accepting anything the owners would propose, unless they gave the players EVERYTHING they wanted.

rcsodak
05-19-2011, 05:36 PM
DS's predecessor supposedly had personal relationships with every owner and Tags. This dude has nothing but spite toward any of them, imo.

Denver Native (Carol)
05-19-2011, 05:44 PM
from article:


Sports lawyer David Cornwell explained on Wednesday’s PFT Live the possibility that the players signed on for a strategy that could wipe out the 2011 season. Given the stream of players who express confidence that Week One will occur as scheduled makes us wonder whether the players truly realize that their leadership could be pursuing an approach that defers any meaningful negotiations until real leverage is obtained through litigation, even if it takes months to get to that point.

full article - http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/19/lots-of-players-assume-that-labor-dispute-will-be-resolved-by-week-one/

Denver Native (Carol)
05-19-2011, 06:08 PM
NEW YORK -- New York Giants co-owner John Mara is warning that the players' strategy in the labor impasse, if successful, would lead to NFL chaos.

Mara wrote an essay that was posted Thursday on the Giants' official website in which he warned of a league with no salary caps or minimums and perhaps no draft.

"The likely changes would be great for NFLPA lawyers, but not for players, teams, or, most importantly, fans," Mara wrote. "For example, there could be no league-wide minimum player salaries, with many players making less than they do today, or no minimum team player costs, with many clubs cutting payrolls the way some teams do in other sports. Other bedrock components of the NFL's competitiveness, such as the draft, would be called into question and assailed as antitrust violations.

"A steroid-testing program is a must, so we would have to consider an independent administrator such as WADA. There could be varying player benefit plans from team to team, and limits on the ability to enforce other league-wide rules that benefit players, especially rank-and-file players that do not go to the Pro Bowl."

rest of article - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81fe9410/article/giants-coowner-mara-warns-of-chaos-if-players-successful-?module=HP_headlines

Benetto
05-19-2011, 06:38 PM
I really hope the owners don't give in and pay those greedy pieces of shit, one cent more than their contracts say. Open their books for the past ten years for who? That is their business and THEIR investment. The players are already getting paid millions upon millions to do what they love. Even third stringers get paid about a quarter million a year, and they don't even break a sweat on game day. This is all too ridiculous. The NFLPA is saying we don't want to hear or say shit, til we see your books. And then what, you are going to complain about how many billions the owners have made so far with their INVESTMENTS??? And complain about how your union members putting their lives and careers at stake because of injury and what not?

This whole mess is frustrating when you break down all the wants and needs from both sides....Greedy ********...Just want more money to buy bitches, big screens, and make it rain at the clubs...The idiots who continue to get arrested and charged on a weekly basis are proving just that...

NFL, don't give in to those rats...Especially the smug ******* DS...Protect your investment!

Montana Battlin Bear
05-19-2011, 07:25 PM
**** bitches!!

Lonestar
05-19-2011, 09:17 PM
Have always been a union buster unless the deal is so great which means profits And ease of getting rid of morons. Sometime even with great interviewing and background checks you still get a moron every so often.

In this case it is a two edged sword.

Tned
05-19-2011, 09:23 PM
The writing was on the wall when during either the 2009 or 2010 draft (I think it was '09, right after he was elected as NFLPA rep) that when asked about the expiring CBA and negotiations and a rookie cap, he said something along the lines of they would be willing to have a rookie cap if the players got something in return (massive paraphrase).

The crazy thing there is that a rookie cap would benefit the 'masses' in terms of players, since now a significant amount of the minimum salary amounts wind up going to rookies. However, that was the mindset from day one, any concession, even those that benefit the players as much, or more, than the owners, would be bargaining chips.

Canmore
05-21-2011, 02:32 AM
The writing was on the wall when during either the 2009 or 2010 draft (I think it was '09, right after he was elected as NFLPA rep) that when asked about the expiring CBA and negotiations and a rookie cap, he said something along the lines of they would be willing to have a rookie cap if the players got something in return (massive paraphrase).

The crazy thing there is that a rookie cap would benefit the 'masses' in terms of players, since now a significant amount of the minimum salary amounts wind up going to rookies. However, that was the mindset from day one, any concession, even those that benefit the players as much, or more, than the owners, would be bargaining chips.

It appears each side is so locked into their position nothing constructive is going to start until litigation runs it's course. I'm not at all hopeful for a 2010 season.

Lonestar
05-21-2011, 07:19 PM
It appears each side is so locked into their position nothing constructive is going to start until litigation runs it's course. I'm not at all hopeful for a 2010 season.

The players will be more than willing to settle tight after the miss their second maybe third paycheck for alot less than they have on the table now.

They have mortgages car payments and in some cases lots of bling to pay for.

When some are threatened with repossession they will fold like a $15 tent in a strong wind.

Npba900
05-22-2011, 12:50 PM
The players will be more than willing to settle tight after the miss their second maybe third paycheck for alot less than they have on the table now.

They have mortgages car payments and in some cases lots of bling to pay for.

When some are threatened with repossession they will fold like a $15 tent in a strong wind.

So what would you do if the NFL is cancelled in 2011 and no Super Bowl in 2012?

atwater27
05-22-2011, 01:36 PM
I really hope the owners don't give in and pay those greedy pieces of shit, one cent more than their contracts say. Open their books for the past ten years for who? That is their business and THEIR investment. The players are already getting paid millions upon millions to do what they love. Even third stringers get paid about a quarter million a year, and they don't even break a sweat on game day. This is all too ridiculous. The NFLPA is saying we don't want to hear or say shit, til we see your books. And then what, you are going to complain about how many billions the owners have made so far with their INVESTMENTS??? And complain about how your union members putting their lives and careers at stake because of injury and what not?

This whole mess is frustrating when you break down all the wants and needs from both sides....Greedy ********...Just want more money to buy bitches, big screens, and make it rain at the clubs...The idiots who continue to get arrested and charged on a weekly basis are proving just that...

NFL, don't give in to those rats...Especially the smug ******* DS...Protect your investment!

You are a warrior.:salute:

Lonestar
05-22-2011, 05:18 PM
So what would you do if the NFL is cancelled in 2011 and no Super Bowl in 2012?

Would count it as a non losing season.

If y'all live and die for football your priorities are all wrong IMHO.

Would find something else to do on Sunday's.

As for the superbowl since the donkeys won't be playing. Trally means nothing to me but i Would really miss the commercials.

Lonestar
05-22-2011, 05:21 PM
That said this will all be over by week 4 max 5. Most likely week 3 they will have missed a couple of game checks by them and getting the idea that their union rep is full of crap.