Waiting until September?

Monday, February 14 2011

Although the NFL's labor agreement is set to expire in about three weeks, the real pressure to strike a deal might not exist until September — when the games are supposed to begin again. This article was written by Jarrett Bell and appeared in USA Today.

That's why Gary Roberts, dean of the Indiana University School of Law, isn't surprised that a second day of negotiating sessions between the NFL and the NFL Players Association was cancelled Thursday and meetings planned for next week were also put on ice.

"These types of labor negotiations in any industry, nine times out of 10, they don't get done until the last minute," said Roberts, editor-in-chief of The Sports Lawyer. "I figure the deal won't get done until early September. That's when the season is at risk.

"Neither side wants to blink first."

Both sides have expressed urgency. While sponsorships and marketing deals could be jeopardized by a work stoppage — the union expects a lockout if the current CBA expires after March 3 — NFL lead counsel Jeff Pash warned last week that hundreds of millions of dollars typically paid to free agents in March won't change hands.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, a member of the NFLPA's 11-member executive committee who was in Wednesday's bargaining session, tweeted that he is "sorely disappointed" that talks broke off.

Many issues are unresolved, such as the NFL's demand for $1 billion a year in givebacks while the union presses to see more of the owners' financial records.

According to the Associated Press, the union sent a memo to agents on Thursday that outlined differences regarding a proposed rookie wage scale. The union wants contracts for players selected in the first three rounds to be limited to four years; three years for players chosen after the third round. The AP reported the league proposes five-year contracts.
E-mailed NFL spokesman Greg Aiello: "Despite the inaccurate characterizations of yesterday's meeting, out of respect to the collective bargaining process and our negotiating partner, we are going to continue to conduct negotiations with the union in private and not engage in a point-counterpoint on the specifics of either side's proposals or the meeting process."

The NFL generated an estimated $9 billion in revenues in 2010. In the last year of a salary cap in 2009, players were due 59.5% of revenues after $1 billion in cost credits went to owners.

Roberts believes that the changes at the top for both sides since the CBA was last extended in 2006 are a factor in sluggish talks. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell succeeded the retired Paul Tagliabue in 2007, while DeMaurice Smith replaced the late Gene Upshaw as players union chief in 2008.

"If either one of them makes major concessions this early in the game, they'll take a lot of heat," said Roberts. "Neither can look like a softie."