Monday, February 14 2011
NFL executive Jeff Pash raised the possibility at a Super Bowl news conference that the league could “stop the clock” in the negotiations with the players’ union if progress was being made. This article was written by Vito Stellino and appeared in the Florida Times Union.
“It’s not a Thelma and Louise-type situation where you just go over the cliff and that’s all you can do,” he said.
Well, it now seems that the cliff is in view, and the owners will impose a lockout March 4.
The two sides met last Tuesday, then canceled a session planned for Wednesday. And the owners canceled a meeting scheduled in Philadelphia this week.
What exactly happened at last Tuesday’s meeting is a matter of dispute.
There were reports the union made a proposal for a 50-50 split, which is basically what it has now. Technically, the union gets 60 percent of the revenue, but the owners get $1 billion off the top.
That supposedly prompted the owners to walk out, although the league, which at first refused to make a statement, eventually said that characterization was inaccurate. But it didn’t offer an alternate version.
Sports Business Journal reported the negotiators downplayed the cancellation of the session in a conference call with the owners.
“These kinds of things — ups and downs, bad sessions and good ones — are an inevitable part of a messy process,” a management source was quoted as saying. “It is like watching the sausage being made. It is 'normal' in that sense.”
The problem is that the two sides don’t appear to be making any sausage.
“If we put the effort into negotiating that we have put into litigating, news conferences and pep rallies and everything else, we really could get something accomplished,” Pash said.
Assistants have issues
The league’s labor troubles won’t be over even if it gets a new collective bargaining agreement with the players.
The assistant coaches have their issues, but they have decided to put them on the back burner while the owners deal with the players. If the league doesn’t eventually address their issues, the assistant coaches would consider forming a union.
Larry Kennan, the head of the assistant coaches’ association, said the major concern is that 11 teams, including the Jaguars, have dropped the defined benefit pension program for coaches and front-office personnel.
He said it is not good for the league because the teams that kept a pension program will have an advantage in attracting coaches.
“It will affect competitive balance over a period of time,” he said.
Another issue is not letting coaches interview for jobs that are promotions. For example, the Jets denied permission for the Titans to interview offensive line coach Bill Callahan for the offensive coordinator’s job.
They’re also unhappy about the Jaguars’ assistants being on one-year contracts and yet being denied permission to interview for lateral jobs and that the Jaguars’ assistants pay for part of their health coverage, which is fully funded by some teams.
Owner Wayne Weaver said last week that he talked to the assistants and told them he’s never had a contract in his life.
Kennan said, “But we have contracts.”
Where's Jerry?
Jerry Jones is usually one of the most visible owners in the league. He even held his own Super Bowl news conference as the host owner.
But Jones has been invisible since the temporary seating fiasco, and now the question is who gets the blame.
The head of the company hired to install the seating, Scott Suprina of Seating Solutions, told Newsday he is being made a scapegoat.
“I think it’s an effort to hang somebody with the blame, clear the NFL, to let their fans have someone to be angry at,” he said.
Suprina said his workers didn’t have enough access to the stadium, and the ice and snow storms also slowed things down.
Still, the fans are upset at the NFL and have filed a class-action lawsuit against the league. And the way the league handled the situation was inexcusable.
One Packers fan, Peter D’Amico, told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that he arrived at the stadium at 10 a.m., 7 1/2 hours before kickoff. He received tickets a half hour before kickoff.
That was after being sent a few blocks to a ticket resolution center, then sent to the Texas Rangers’ main ticket office a mile away and then back to the ticket resolution center.
He said no one from the league or the Cowboys ever addressed the 1,200 fans to explain the situation with a microphone. Fans in the back of the crowd couldn’t hear.
D’Amico said it eventually became a “riot-type atmosphere” and he estimated that 200 to 300 fans got into the stadium by storming a fence.
The NFL’s answer to all this?
League executive Eric Grubman appeared on “ProFootballTalkLive” and suggested, “I think we need to keep this in perspective.” He noted 160 million fans watched the game. He said lawyers suing the NFL should “work on something like world peace.”
Huh?
It is that kind of attitude that created this mess in the first place. The NFL just didn’t get it that a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many fans was ruined.
Colts are on the clock
Last year, Jones talked openly about being the first team to play in the Super Bowl on its home stadium turf.
That didn’t work out too well as the Cowboys started out 1-7 and finished 6-10.
With the Super Bowl scheduled to be played in Indianapolis next February — assuming there is a season — Colts owner Jim Irsay isn’t making any bold statements.
“Honestly, I don’t even think of that [being first team to play the game in its home stadium],” Irsay said to the Indianapolis Star. “I’m not starting a mantra that didn’t work out well last year [for Dallas].”
Indianapolis figures to do better than Dallas in hosting the game. Even if there is bad weather, the city is used to dealing with it. The stadium, both teams and the media will all be downtown and many of the facilities are connected and within walking distance.
“It’s an outstanding opportunity for our city and our state,” Irsay said. “It’s something we want to do right and will do right.”
Topping the Dallas effort shouldn’t be too difficult.
Interesting Demographics
One of the interesting sidelights of the Super Bowl is that it draws a much bigger female audience than the NFL gets for the regular season.
During the regular season, only 33.5 percent of the viewers are women. For the Super Bowl, 51.2 million of the 111 million total viewers were women. Last year, 48.5 million women watched, and 44.1 million watched the previous year.
The league is also doing better with minorities. The Hispanic audience increased from 8.3 million last year to 10 million and the black audience from 11.2 million to 12.5 million.
To show how the demographics of America are changing, that means more women and minorities watched the game than white males.
martes, 15 de febrero de 2011
Saving 2011 season still #1 priority for Goodell
Monday, February 14 2011
In the public relations rhetoric between the NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association over a new collective-bargaining agreement, both sides must agree with something commissioner Roger Goodell said before Super Bowl XLV. This article was written by John McClain and appeared in the Houston Chronicle.
"What I hear from fans is that they just want football, and the fans aren't forgotten here," Goodell said about the negotiations. "They care about just getting an agreement. They don't care about the details. They want to make sure they have the great game they love.
"That's our responsibility, and I don't think anyone is going to feel sorry for any of us, including yours truly, if we're not successful at doing that."
Representatives of the owners and players met two times in a five-day period over the last two weeks. No progress was reported. Both parties left the talks early on Wednesday because of a lack of progress. A session planned for Thursday was canceled.
The current CBA expires on March 3. Several things could happen on March 4.
The most likely scenario is that the owners lock out the players. That would mean no communication between teams and players until a new agreement is signed.
If round-the-clock negotiations occur before the deadline, as expected, the owners could declare an impasse and implement their best offer during negotiations. If the players accept , a normal offseason would continue.
If the owners declare an impasse and the players don't accept it, the players would go on strike.
What's least likely is the owners doing nothing on March 4 other than continuing negotiations. Players would become free agents, and roster bonuses due in March would have to be paid.
"If we're unsuccessful in getting an agreement by March 4, I expect the uncertainty will continue," Goodell said. "(It) will be bad for our partners. It will be bad for the players, (and) it will be bad for the clubs.
"That uncertainty will lead to a reduction, potentially, in revenue, and when that revenue decreases, there will be less for us to share. That will just make it harder to make an agreement.
"A series of things will happen in March if we're not successful. There will not be free agency, which will impact on the players. There will be a number of things that I'm sure both sides will consider that, strategically, I believe will move us away from the negotiating table rather than toward the negotiating table."
In 1982, a strike cost the NFL seven regular-season games. In 1987, a strike cost the league four games, even though three were made up with replacement players.
Steelers owner Dan Rooney played a major role in helping settle the strikes of 1982 and 1987, but he's the U.S. ambassador to Ireland and not as involved with the game as he once was.
Because players are paid their base salaries over 17 weeks in the regular season, they won't miss being paid until then. But many are paid roster bonuses in March they won't receive. Players will have to pay their own insurance through COBRA.
Ready for battle
Both sides say they are well-stocked for a work stoppage. The owners are supposed to have a $900 million war chest. They will receive their regular network television payment, which would have to be paid back with interest if games were missed. Each saved $10 million by not having to fund the players' 401(k) program in 2010, an uncapped year.
If there is a lockout, there will be no OTAs, minicamps, training camp, preseason or regular season until a new agreement is reached.
Most teams would have coaches and executives working at 50 percent of their salaries if games are canceled.
Widespread impact
A lockout would touch a lot of people besides players and owners. Television networks, sponsors, ticket holders, employees at stadiums and practice facilities, among others, would be affected in different ways.
Teams are expected to lay off administrative personnel.
"When you make decisions on personnel — and I've had to make them in our organization two years ago when we were going through some difficult times in the economy - there are still difficult economic challenges," Goodell said. "All of our clubs, and the league, and every other business, have to make very tough decisions in this kind of environment.
"No one likes to see our employees let go, (but) when you're dealing with employees and their future, there's nothing harder to do. We want to make sure that we're making smart decisions for our employees, our players, our clubs, for the long term, and make sure that we can continue to have a successful product."
In the negotiations, the owners are seeking a reduction in player revenue by 18 percent (more than $1 billion), an 18-game schedule and a rookie wage scale.
"I've frequently said this will get resolved at the negotiating table," Goodell said. "All of the other public relations, litigation strategies, congressional strategies - this is about a negotiation. We have to address the issues and find solutions."
In the public relations rhetoric between the NFL Management Council and NFL Players Association over a new collective-bargaining agreement, both sides must agree with something commissioner Roger Goodell said before Super Bowl XLV. This article was written by John McClain and appeared in the Houston Chronicle.
"What I hear from fans is that they just want football, and the fans aren't forgotten here," Goodell said about the negotiations. "They care about just getting an agreement. They don't care about the details. They want to make sure they have the great game they love.
"That's our responsibility, and I don't think anyone is going to feel sorry for any of us, including yours truly, if we're not successful at doing that."
Representatives of the owners and players met two times in a five-day period over the last two weeks. No progress was reported. Both parties left the talks early on Wednesday because of a lack of progress. A session planned for Thursday was canceled.
The current CBA expires on March 3. Several things could happen on March 4.
The most likely scenario is that the owners lock out the players. That would mean no communication between teams and players until a new agreement is signed.
If round-the-clock negotiations occur before the deadline, as expected, the owners could declare an impasse and implement their best offer during negotiations. If the players accept , a normal offseason would continue.
If the owners declare an impasse and the players don't accept it, the players would go on strike.
What's least likely is the owners doing nothing on March 4 other than continuing negotiations. Players would become free agents, and roster bonuses due in March would have to be paid.
"If we're unsuccessful in getting an agreement by March 4, I expect the uncertainty will continue," Goodell said. "(It) will be bad for our partners. It will be bad for the players, (and) it will be bad for the clubs.
"That uncertainty will lead to a reduction, potentially, in revenue, and when that revenue decreases, there will be less for us to share. That will just make it harder to make an agreement.
"A series of things will happen in March if we're not successful. There will not be free agency, which will impact on the players. There will be a number of things that I'm sure both sides will consider that, strategically, I believe will move us away from the negotiating table rather than toward the negotiating table."
In 1982, a strike cost the NFL seven regular-season games. In 1987, a strike cost the league four games, even though three were made up with replacement players.
Steelers owner Dan Rooney played a major role in helping settle the strikes of 1982 and 1987, but he's the U.S. ambassador to Ireland and not as involved with the game as he once was.
Because players are paid their base salaries over 17 weeks in the regular season, they won't miss being paid until then. But many are paid roster bonuses in March they won't receive. Players will have to pay their own insurance through COBRA.
Ready for battle
Both sides say they are well-stocked for a work stoppage. The owners are supposed to have a $900 million war chest. They will receive their regular network television payment, which would have to be paid back with interest if games were missed. Each saved $10 million by not having to fund the players' 401(k) program in 2010, an uncapped year.
If there is a lockout, there will be no OTAs, minicamps, training camp, preseason or regular season until a new agreement is reached.
Most teams would have coaches and executives working at 50 percent of their salaries if games are canceled.
Widespread impact
A lockout would touch a lot of people besides players and owners. Television networks, sponsors, ticket holders, employees at stadiums and practice facilities, among others, would be affected in different ways.
Teams are expected to lay off administrative personnel.
"When you make decisions on personnel — and I've had to make them in our organization two years ago when we were going through some difficult times in the economy - there are still difficult economic challenges," Goodell said. "All of our clubs, and the league, and every other business, have to make very tough decisions in this kind of environment.
"No one likes to see our employees let go, (but) when you're dealing with employees and their future, there's nothing harder to do. We want to make sure that we're making smart decisions for our employees, our players, our clubs, for the long term, and make sure that we can continue to have a successful product."
In the negotiations, the owners are seeking a reduction in player revenue by 18 percent (more than $1 billion), an 18-game schedule and a rookie wage scale.
"I've frequently said this will get resolved at the negotiating table," Goodell said. "All of the other public relations, litigation strategies, congressional strategies - this is about a negotiation. We have to address the issues and find solutions."
Lockout an inevitability
Monday, February 14 2011
On the bright side, the approaching NFL lockout might offer extra rehab time for injured Broncos receivers Eddie Royal and Demaryius Thomas, who face extended recoveries from major injuries. This article was written by Dave Krieger and appeared in The Denver Post.
Other than that, there's not much reason for optimism after the owners walked out of the negotiations they had demanded this week. Nineteen days from the end of the current agreement, with no new talks scheduled, a lockout beginning March 4 looks like a lock.
The conventional wisdom is it's a battle between billionaire owners and millionaire players, with the public unlikely to have much sympathy for either. In fact, it's beginning to look more like billionaire owners against the world — players, related businesses poised to suffer collateral damage and pretty much anyone who balks at a $9 beer.
Considering all their high-priced legal and public relations help, it's stunning how badly the owners are bungling their end of the PR war before the labor war even gets going.
The stage was set by the ticket fiasco in Dallas at the Super Bowl, where nearly 2,000 fans who forked over small fortunes for tickets, transportation and accommodations were told their seats at the game were . . . uh . . . unavailable.
In fact, the temporary seating they were supposed to occupy had to be covered with a tarpaulin after it failed a safety inspection by the fire marshal. About 400 ticket-holders ended up watching the game on TV. Since then, the NFL has been patting itself on the back for offering compensation after the fact.
Somewhere along the way, commissioner Roger Goodell's bleating about the NFL fan experience began to sound a little hollow.
Why would the league put its reputation on the line for a few extra seats? Well, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted to break the record for Super Bowl attendance. Alas, because of that pesky fire marshal, the number of fans who could actually see the field fell just short. But at least the league has its priorities straight.
Then there was Goodell's demand at his news conference the Friday before the game that owners and players negotiate intensively to reach a new labor agreement by the March 3 expiration of the current deal.
The union agreed. The two sides met the Saturday before the game and again Wednesday, at which point the owners — Goodell's side — walked out, canceling Thursday's scheduled session.
Why? Well, the players proposed a 50-50 split of all revenues. Essentially, this would preserve the status quo. That may be unacceptable to owners, but it's hardly outrageous as the players' initial position.
The owners walked because they consider it a given that the revenue split must shift in their favor because of . . . well . . . you know . . . stuff.
Prove it, say the players. You're signing record TV deals. You're soaking the fan at every turn. We're the ones getting our heads knocked in. If you have genuine financial issues, open your books and show us.
Goodell and the owners dismiss this as a bargaining ploy, but their evasions don't pass the smell test. If you're going to claim you can't survive under the existing agreement when your league is an $8 billion profit machine and your stadiums, many of them publicly funded, offer luxuries Marie Antoinette would envy, you need to prove your case. Goodell's disdainful insistence that the players take his word for it makes him look like a patronizing patrician.
Meanwhile, after treating head injuries the way the tobacco industry treated cancer for many years, Goodell turned suddenly pious recently, declaring the health of players and former players a big deal. But not so big as to prevent the league from proposing to extend the season by two games.
You don't have to be a mediator to know that threatening players with a lockout if they don't agree to play more games for a smaller slice of the revenue pie while your league is booming might look a little like extortion, especially when you're unwilling to open your books to show why it's necessary.
In the end, the owners have the money — and the continuing football income from TV contracts that pay even if there are no games — to outlast the players. History shows that eventually the players will come crawling back, accepting whatever terms are available, when they run out of money.
But that could take a while. New union chief DeMaurice Smith will strenuously resist beginning his tenure with an unnecessary capitulation, and the owners aren't yet offering even a face-saving tradeoff.
So settle in. If the players are sufficiently determined, Thomas' torn Achilles tendon may be healed by the time the billionaires get what they want.
On the bright side, the approaching NFL lockout might offer extra rehab time for injured Broncos receivers Eddie Royal and Demaryius Thomas, who face extended recoveries from major injuries. This article was written by Dave Krieger and appeared in The Denver Post.
Other than that, there's not much reason for optimism after the owners walked out of the negotiations they had demanded this week. Nineteen days from the end of the current agreement, with no new talks scheduled, a lockout beginning March 4 looks like a lock.
The conventional wisdom is it's a battle between billionaire owners and millionaire players, with the public unlikely to have much sympathy for either. In fact, it's beginning to look more like billionaire owners against the world — players, related businesses poised to suffer collateral damage and pretty much anyone who balks at a $9 beer.
Considering all their high-priced legal and public relations help, it's stunning how badly the owners are bungling their end of the PR war before the labor war even gets going.
The stage was set by the ticket fiasco in Dallas at the Super Bowl, where nearly 2,000 fans who forked over small fortunes for tickets, transportation and accommodations were told their seats at the game were . . . uh . . . unavailable.
In fact, the temporary seating they were supposed to occupy had to be covered with a tarpaulin after it failed a safety inspection by the fire marshal. About 400 ticket-holders ended up watching the game on TV. Since then, the NFL has been patting itself on the back for offering compensation after the fact.
Somewhere along the way, commissioner Roger Goodell's bleating about the NFL fan experience began to sound a little hollow.
Why would the league put its reputation on the line for a few extra seats? Well, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted to break the record for Super Bowl attendance. Alas, because of that pesky fire marshal, the number of fans who could actually see the field fell just short. But at least the league has its priorities straight.
Then there was Goodell's demand at his news conference the Friday before the game that owners and players negotiate intensively to reach a new labor agreement by the March 3 expiration of the current deal.
The union agreed. The two sides met the Saturday before the game and again Wednesday, at which point the owners — Goodell's side — walked out, canceling Thursday's scheduled session.
Why? Well, the players proposed a 50-50 split of all revenues. Essentially, this would preserve the status quo. That may be unacceptable to owners, but it's hardly outrageous as the players' initial position.
The owners walked because they consider it a given that the revenue split must shift in their favor because of . . . well . . . you know . . . stuff.
Prove it, say the players. You're signing record TV deals. You're soaking the fan at every turn. We're the ones getting our heads knocked in. If you have genuine financial issues, open your books and show us.
Goodell and the owners dismiss this as a bargaining ploy, but their evasions don't pass the smell test. If you're going to claim you can't survive under the existing agreement when your league is an $8 billion profit machine and your stadiums, many of them publicly funded, offer luxuries Marie Antoinette would envy, you need to prove your case. Goodell's disdainful insistence that the players take his word for it makes him look like a patronizing patrician.
Meanwhile, after treating head injuries the way the tobacco industry treated cancer for many years, Goodell turned suddenly pious recently, declaring the health of players and former players a big deal. But not so big as to prevent the league from proposing to extend the season by two games.
You don't have to be a mediator to know that threatening players with a lockout if they don't agree to play more games for a smaller slice of the revenue pie while your league is booming might look a little like extortion, especially when you're unwilling to open your books to show why it's necessary.
In the end, the owners have the money — and the continuing football income from TV contracts that pay even if there are no games — to outlast the players. History shows that eventually the players will come crawling back, accepting whatever terms are available, when they run out of money.
But that could take a while. New union chief DeMaurice Smith will strenuously resist beginning his tenure with an unnecessary capitulation, and the owners aren't yet offering even a face-saving tradeoff.
So settle in. If the players are sufficiently determined, Thomas' torn Achilles tendon may be healed by the time the billionaires get what they want.
Two Lions players expect NFL lockout
Monday, February 14 2011
After one bargaining session between the NFL and its players union was cut short and another cancelled this week, two Lions from last season said they believe a lockout is coming next month but that the season can be saved.
"I was telling my dad (the other day), I would be shocked if we don't play football next year," kicker Dave Rayner said. "I mean, I'd be shocked. I don't think they'll get everything done by March 3 or even by the time we start off-season workouts, but I would hope we would get it done in the next month or two. I just think there would be so much of a loss for everybody if we don't play."
The NFL's labor agreement expires at 12:01 a.m. March 4, and owners are expected to lock out players -- and delay the start of free agency -- without a new deal.
Rayner, who likely will be an unrestricted free agent if he doesn't re-sign with the Lions in the next three weeks, said the players association has been keeping its members updated on negotiations with regular e-mails.
"I couldn't tell you which side is winning or losing," Rayner said. "But I know that I speak for a lot of the guys: We just want to play."
Cornerback Eric King, released by the Lions along with offensive guard Trevor Canfield on Thursday, said he believes a deal "will get done before the season," but after a lockout.
"I don't think it'll be something that'll be done within the upcoming months as far as March or April," King said. "I think we're far enough apart whereas something has to be worked out, and it will take a little bit of time. Both sides are still trying to figure out what they want and how they want it in. It'll take some time to get it worked out, but I'm pretty confident there'll still be football in 2011." This article was written by Dave Birkett and appeared in the Detroit Free Press.
After one bargaining session between the NFL and its players union was cut short and another cancelled this week, two Lions from last season said they believe a lockout is coming next month but that the season can be saved.
"I was telling my dad (the other day), I would be shocked if we don't play football next year," kicker Dave Rayner said. "I mean, I'd be shocked. I don't think they'll get everything done by March 3 or even by the time we start off-season workouts, but I would hope we would get it done in the next month or two. I just think there would be so much of a loss for everybody if we don't play."
The NFL's labor agreement expires at 12:01 a.m. March 4, and owners are expected to lock out players -- and delay the start of free agency -- without a new deal.
Rayner, who likely will be an unrestricted free agent if he doesn't re-sign with the Lions in the next three weeks, said the players association has been keeping its members updated on negotiations with regular e-mails.
"I couldn't tell you which side is winning or losing," Rayner said. "But I know that I speak for a lot of the guys: We just want to play."
Cornerback Eric King, released by the Lions along with offensive guard Trevor Canfield on Thursday, said he believes a deal "will get done before the season," but after a lockout.
"I don't think it'll be something that'll be done within the upcoming months as far as March or April," King said. "I think we're far enough apart whereas something has to be worked out, and it will take a little bit of time. Both sides are still trying to figure out what they want and how they want it in. It'll take some time to get it worked out, but I'm pretty confident there'll still be football in 2011." This article was written by Dave Birkett and appeared in the Detroit Free Press.
Tom Brady's agent has solution for CBA negotiations
Monday, February 14 2011
Tom Brady's agent thinks he has a solution for an 18-game NFL regular season: Limit how many games each player can suit up. This article was written by Barry Willner and appeared in the Miami Herald.
The players' union opposes expanding the season by two games, one of the main sticking points in negotiations with the league for a new collective bargaining agreement.
Though agent Don Yee believes 18 games mean more bodily punishment, leading to shorter careers and possibly shorter life spans, he had these suggestions for making the change more acceptable:
-Increase the roster from 53 players to 58, and make all eligible to play on game day; currently, only 45 can play.
-Institute a rule that prohibits any player from appearing in more than 16 games.
"This compromise will create even more interest from fans," Yee said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "What two games will the head coach sit the starting QB? That's a discussion that will set sports talk radio airwaves afire.
"This compromise will also be popular with coaches and general managers who want a greater opportunity to develop younger players," he said. "The NFL doesn't have a minor league, and this compromise will force meaningful participation by younger players on the roster.
"Players also would endorse this because each would effectively get two bye weeks during the year. Bye weeks afford important healing time and personal time away from the game."
Yee sees a lengthened regular season as a virtual free revenue stream for the league.
"The owners want two more regular-season games to sell to television networks, and give their own NFL Network more games. More games mean more money. And the NFL Network is a growing asset owners don't share with the players," he said.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment on the proposals.
In addition to Brady, New England's quarterback and the NFL MVP, Yee represents New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton and is an adjunct law professor at Southern Cal and a visiting law professor at his alma mater, Virginia.
Jeopardizing the 2011 season because of the 18-game proposal and spending too much money on rookies "is ludicrous because both issues are easily solvable. And if they aren't quickly solved, the owners and players will be insulting the intelligence of football fans everywhere."
Yee addressed misspent money on draft picks, saying: "Each year brings high-profile rookies who end up making a lot of money and contributing very little. The Oakland Raiders' experience with JaMarcus Russell infuriated many and is the owners' 'Exhibit A.'
"But JaMarcus Russell didn't draft himself in the first round. The Raiders did. And Russell didn't write himself a check for more than $30 million guaranteed dollars. The Raiders did, and did so willingly.
"Every NFL team has a JaMarcus Russell story. Now the owners want the players to bail them out of this situation."
Yee suggests the solution is drafting more wisely.
"There really isn't any excuse for significant blunders like Russell," Yee said. "NFL draft choices undergo a level of scrutiny that would make a TSA agent blush. Every potential draft pick's personal, social and academic history is analyzed, sometimes by former FBI agents employed by the league or team. Their entire medical histories are revealed. Every game and practice is available on tape. Psychological profiles and intelligence tests are given.
"The prospects also participate in all-star games and the NFL combine. Yet, poor decisions happen every year. An obvious conclusion is that some teams employ poor decision makers, and this is within the owners' control to fix, not the players'."
Yee also advises teams who don't think a player is worth the money he's slotted to receive when that team's turn to choose arrives, pass on the pick. He admits it "takes guts," but notes a substantial portion of the New England Patriots' roster is made up of undrafted players. Teams don't necessarily need a roster full of high draft picks to win.
Another suggestion: If a draft pick is demanding too much money, don't pay it. History shows when teams have done that, they usually are right.
"In 1979, the Buffalo Bills made Tom Cousineau the first pick in the entire draft," Yee said. "The Bills refused to pay Cousineau what he was being offered by a Canadian Football League team. Cousineau went to Canada and on to a modestly successful pro career. The Bills did OK, too. Shortly after rejecting Cousineau's demands, they went to four Super Bowls."
Other issues in the bargaining process involve, among others, treatment of retired players and continuing health care coverage for those who leave the game.
"But paying rookie players and having a longer season shouldn't be the impediment to an exciting 2011 season," Yee said.
Tom Brady's agent thinks he has a solution for an 18-game NFL regular season: Limit how many games each player can suit up. This article was written by Barry Willner and appeared in the Miami Herald.
The players' union opposes expanding the season by two games, one of the main sticking points in negotiations with the league for a new collective bargaining agreement.
Though agent Don Yee believes 18 games mean more bodily punishment, leading to shorter careers and possibly shorter life spans, he had these suggestions for making the change more acceptable:
-Increase the roster from 53 players to 58, and make all eligible to play on game day; currently, only 45 can play.
-Institute a rule that prohibits any player from appearing in more than 16 games.
"This compromise will create even more interest from fans," Yee said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "What two games will the head coach sit the starting QB? That's a discussion that will set sports talk radio airwaves afire.
"This compromise will also be popular with coaches and general managers who want a greater opportunity to develop younger players," he said. "The NFL doesn't have a minor league, and this compromise will force meaningful participation by younger players on the roster.
"Players also would endorse this because each would effectively get two bye weeks during the year. Bye weeks afford important healing time and personal time away from the game."
Yee sees a lengthened regular season as a virtual free revenue stream for the league.
"The owners want two more regular-season games to sell to television networks, and give their own NFL Network more games. More games mean more money. And the NFL Network is a growing asset owners don't share with the players," he said.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment on the proposals.
In addition to Brady, New England's quarterback and the NFL MVP, Yee represents New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton and is an adjunct law professor at Southern Cal and a visiting law professor at his alma mater, Virginia.
Jeopardizing the 2011 season because of the 18-game proposal and spending too much money on rookies "is ludicrous because both issues are easily solvable. And if they aren't quickly solved, the owners and players will be insulting the intelligence of football fans everywhere."
Yee addressed misspent money on draft picks, saying: "Each year brings high-profile rookies who end up making a lot of money and contributing very little. The Oakland Raiders' experience with JaMarcus Russell infuriated many and is the owners' 'Exhibit A.'
"But JaMarcus Russell didn't draft himself in the first round. The Raiders did. And Russell didn't write himself a check for more than $30 million guaranteed dollars. The Raiders did, and did so willingly.
"Every NFL team has a JaMarcus Russell story. Now the owners want the players to bail them out of this situation."
Yee suggests the solution is drafting more wisely.
"There really isn't any excuse for significant blunders like Russell," Yee said. "NFL draft choices undergo a level of scrutiny that would make a TSA agent blush. Every potential draft pick's personal, social and academic history is analyzed, sometimes by former FBI agents employed by the league or team. Their entire medical histories are revealed. Every game and practice is available on tape. Psychological profiles and intelligence tests are given.
"The prospects also participate in all-star games and the NFL combine. Yet, poor decisions happen every year. An obvious conclusion is that some teams employ poor decision makers, and this is within the owners' control to fix, not the players'."
Yee also advises teams who don't think a player is worth the money he's slotted to receive when that team's turn to choose arrives, pass on the pick. He admits it "takes guts," but notes a substantial portion of the New England Patriots' roster is made up of undrafted players. Teams don't necessarily need a roster full of high draft picks to win.
Another suggestion: If a draft pick is demanding too much money, don't pay it. History shows when teams have done that, they usually are right.
"In 1979, the Buffalo Bills made Tom Cousineau the first pick in the entire draft," Yee said. "The Bills refused to pay Cousineau what he was being offered by a Canadian Football League team. Cousineau went to Canada and on to a modestly successful pro career. The Bills did OK, too. Shortly after rejecting Cousineau's demands, they went to four Super Bowls."
Other issues in the bargaining process involve, among others, treatment of retired players and continuing health care coverage for those who leave the game.
"But paying rookie players and having a longer season shouldn't be the impediment to an exciting 2011 season," Yee said.
Will Goodell be the good guy or the bad guy?
Monday, February 14 2011
Unhappy people will be everywhere and there will be chaos, and this is not a story about Egypt. If the NFL closes its doors and goes dark, Roger Goodell might be remembered as the bad guy. This article was written by Matt Youmans and appeared in The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
It's not just one guy, of course. But if a lockout becomes reality, Goodell, the league's commissioner since 2006 and the leader of the greedy owners, could be held responsible for not preventing a potential major league catastrophe.
As Tony Montana said, make way for the bad guy. People want to point fingers and say, "That's the bad guy."
Some will point fingers at the greedy players, and some won't care who's to blame. We just want to watch and wager on NFL games on Sundays and Mondays, and Nevada sports books need the business.
"You don't even like to think about it," Jimmy Vaccaro, director of operations for Lucky's sports books, said of an NFL blackout. "Obviously, it has a huge effect."
News arrived Thursday that labor talks collapsed between league representatives and the NFL Players Association. A bargaining session was canceled, and Goodell called off an owners meeting set for next week. The talking heads on ESPN are saying a lockout is likely with the collective bargaining agreement expiring March 3.
Only the naive are surprised to hear it.
"There is always a lot of public posturing in these negotiations," said Robert Walker, retired MGM Mirage sports book director. "I am hoping there will be no work stoppage. I can only hope that cooler heads will prevail and this gets done. I believe that it will."
Eventually a deal will get done, but if a lockout extends into July, Las Vegas casinos could start counting losses.
"I don't make it a favorite for the NFL to start on time," Vaccaro said. "Although we're not allowed to book those type of events, I would book that we don't see preseason football and make that a small favorite.
"I hope it gets done. But the longer it drags on, it will have some effect. With the books, we've become dependent to some degree on coming to football season. Normal people start planning their vacations in June and July, and (no NFL) hurts the whole experience of people coming to town."
As of today, it still feels like business as usual. We're regrouping and resting after a long season, and the Las Vegas Hilton has odds to win next year's Super Bowl on the board.
"Can the Packers repeat?" Vaccaro said.
The Hilton posted New England as the 5-1 favorite, followed by Green Bay (6-1) and Pittsburgh (8-1). The Packers have a solid shot to repeat if Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback. If they have a replacement quarterback, who knows?
Vaccaro was a Las Vegas bookmaker in 1987, when a 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game NFL season to 15. Week 3 was canceled and Weeks 4 through 6 were staged mostly with replacement players.
The replacement teams were mocked as the Chicago "Spare Bears" and the San Francisco "Phony Niners."
"It wasn't a pretty sight out here, and I just don't want to go through that again," Vaccaro said. "The general public just didn't (bet) those games. It was stupid, silly mayhem. You wrote a peanut for business. No one is going to come here for replacement games."
The state sports book handle for a regular-season week in the NFL is estimated in the $15 million neighborhood, so even a partial loss of the season would be significant. College football games can be moved to Sunday and Monday, but that could never fill the void.
"From a bookmaking perspective, it would obviously have a negative impact. Pro football is still the most popular sport by a wide margin," Walker said. "I am worried too that the handle may slip a little on college Saturdays, especially for the tourist destinations.
"An 18-game season, on the other hand, would be a boon to the books, if that's still on the table."
The two sides are not even sitting at the table today. But they will come together in time, and when a deal gets done maybe Goodell will be remembered as the good guy.
If the mess drags into August, though, there will be chaos.
Unhappy people will be everywhere and there will be chaos, and this is not a story about Egypt. If the NFL closes its doors and goes dark, Roger Goodell might be remembered as the bad guy. This article was written by Matt Youmans and appeared in The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
It's not just one guy, of course. But if a lockout becomes reality, Goodell, the league's commissioner since 2006 and the leader of the greedy owners, could be held responsible for not preventing a potential major league catastrophe.
As Tony Montana said, make way for the bad guy. People want to point fingers and say, "That's the bad guy."
Some will point fingers at the greedy players, and some won't care who's to blame. We just want to watch and wager on NFL games on Sundays and Mondays, and Nevada sports books need the business.
"You don't even like to think about it," Jimmy Vaccaro, director of operations for Lucky's sports books, said of an NFL blackout. "Obviously, it has a huge effect."
News arrived Thursday that labor talks collapsed between league representatives and the NFL Players Association. A bargaining session was canceled, and Goodell called off an owners meeting set for next week. The talking heads on ESPN are saying a lockout is likely with the collective bargaining agreement expiring March 3.
Only the naive are surprised to hear it.
"There is always a lot of public posturing in these negotiations," said Robert Walker, retired MGM Mirage sports book director. "I am hoping there will be no work stoppage. I can only hope that cooler heads will prevail and this gets done. I believe that it will."
Eventually a deal will get done, but if a lockout extends into July, Las Vegas casinos could start counting losses.
"I don't make it a favorite for the NFL to start on time," Vaccaro said. "Although we're not allowed to book those type of events, I would book that we don't see preseason football and make that a small favorite.
"I hope it gets done. But the longer it drags on, it will have some effect. With the books, we've become dependent to some degree on coming to football season. Normal people start planning their vacations in June and July, and (no NFL) hurts the whole experience of people coming to town."
As of today, it still feels like business as usual. We're regrouping and resting after a long season, and the Las Vegas Hilton has odds to win next year's Super Bowl on the board.
"Can the Packers repeat?" Vaccaro said.
The Hilton posted New England as the 5-1 favorite, followed by Green Bay (6-1) and Pittsburgh (8-1). The Packers have a solid shot to repeat if Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback. If they have a replacement quarterback, who knows?
Vaccaro was a Las Vegas bookmaker in 1987, when a 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game NFL season to 15. Week 3 was canceled and Weeks 4 through 6 were staged mostly with replacement players.
The replacement teams were mocked as the Chicago "Spare Bears" and the San Francisco "Phony Niners."
"It wasn't a pretty sight out here, and I just don't want to go through that again," Vaccaro said. "The general public just didn't (bet) those games. It was stupid, silly mayhem. You wrote a peanut for business. No one is going to come here for replacement games."
The state sports book handle for a regular-season week in the NFL is estimated in the $15 million neighborhood, so even a partial loss of the season would be significant. College football games can be moved to Sunday and Monday, but that could never fill the void.
"From a bookmaking perspective, it would obviously have a negative impact. Pro football is still the most popular sport by a wide margin," Walker said. "I am worried too that the handle may slip a little on college Saturdays, especially for the tourist destinations.
"An 18-game season, on the other hand, would be a boon to the books, if that's still on the table."
The two sides are not even sitting at the table today. But they will come together in time, and when a deal gets done maybe Goodell will be remembered as the good guy.
If the mess drags into August, though, there will be chaos.
Patience is key
Monday, February 14 2011
Like quilting, scrimshaw and ice dancing, collective bargaining has severe limitations as a spectator sport. This article was written by Tim Sullivan and appeared in The San Diego Union-Tribune.
It is too tedious for television and, on most days, more nuanced than newsworthy. It is a complex competition conducted primarily behind closed doors and, often, over a period of many months. Even when the opposing factions are professional football owners and players, labor negotiations are a mating dance as staged by snails.
“If you worry about the day-to-day part of it as a casual observer, you’ll go crazy,” said David Carter, executive director of USC’s sports business institute. “You don’t know what is real and what is sent up as a trial balloon. You really have to take a step back and wait.”
Much as we might wish to find meaning in the maneuvers of the NFL’s management and its muscular union members, this is a bad time for transparency. Both sides are too busy striking poses, probing for weaknesses and disseminating propaganda to expect either candor or substantial progress before the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement expires March 3. Those who would attach any significance to the abrupt cancellation of Thursday’s scheduled negotiating session are likely mistaking a calculated ploy for a more serious problem.
Like a patient passer confident in his blocking, fans should take a seven-step drop and allow the play to develop a little longer. They ought to be able to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the two bargaining positions without becoming unduly influenced by their rhetorical blather.
Because NFL owners had the foresight to negotiate television contracts that will keep cash flowing even in the event of a lockout, it would appear they are better provisioned for a long siege. Because both history and Twitter tell us NFL players lack the solidarity of their baseball brethren — witness the internecine barbs between Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie — experience says the union will eventually cave.
But both sides are made up of people with varying levels of leverage and different thresholds of desperation. While the cash-flow concerns of the prolific Cromartie are exacerbated by the many mouths he must feed, his employer also labors beneath massive obligations. According to Forbes’ 2010 franchise evaluations, the Jets carry the NFL’s largest debt load at approximately $750 million.
“You should keep an eye on whether there are differences emerging between the star players and the average players and between the well-off owners and the ones who are struggling financially,” said Harry Katz, dean of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. “The interests of stars are different than average players. Average players are worried about health insurance and minimum (salaries). Stars are interested in how quickly they can get to free agency.”
Owners, too, operate with different agendas. Though the Chargers are comparatively unburdened by debt, and might withstand a lockout better than some of the league’s more leveraged teams, the franchise’s future in San Diego could hinge on ownership’s ability to replenish the NFL’s “G-3” stadium loan program as part of a new collective bargaining agreement.
Ultimately, though, the deal is about dollars. Owners are seeking a second billion off the top of annual revenues now estimated between $8-9 billion. The union prefers a 50-50 split. Whether 18-game schedules, rookie wage scales and expanded drug testing are ownership priorities or just bargaining chips may be many months from resolution.
“The fundamental thing to keep in mind is both sides lose income if there’s an impasse,” Katz said. “If they don’t settle, it’s generally because one side miscalculates the strength (of the other).
“My gut is they’re going to settle, that they’re not that far apart. Neither one is desperate. They’ve bargained before, so they know each other. With the amount of money that’s at stake here … they’ve just got too much to lose.”
San Diego State’s sports business MBA candidates reached that same conclusion in a classroom exercise last November. With an assist from former NFL executive Jim Steeg, Gangaram Singh divided his class into teams and spent two days simulating the NFL’s collective bargaining experience. Students staged strategic storm-outs, conducted news conferences and regularly raised their voices, but four of the six groups succeeded in reaching a compromise. Two groups required arbitration.
“One of the things I do in my simulation is to reflect what happens in reality,” Singh said Thursday afternoon. “A lot of times what is played out in the media is a show. They’ll even plant things to throw off the other side …
“It’s a very complicated process. Seasoned negotiators would use all sorts of strategies and, to a layman, some of them would seem pretty bizarre.”
Like sausage-making, collective bargaining is best viewed from a distance. Ideally, as a finished product.
Like quilting, scrimshaw and ice dancing, collective bargaining has severe limitations as a spectator sport. This article was written by Tim Sullivan and appeared in The San Diego Union-Tribune.
It is too tedious for television and, on most days, more nuanced than newsworthy. It is a complex competition conducted primarily behind closed doors and, often, over a period of many months. Even when the opposing factions are professional football owners and players, labor negotiations are a mating dance as staged by snails.
“If you worry about the day-to-day part of it as a casual observer, you’ll go crazy,” said David Carter, executive director of USC’s sports business institute. “You don’t know what is real and what is sent up as a trial balloon. You really have to take a step back and wait.”
Much as we might wish to find meaning in the maneuvers of the NFL’s management and its muscular union members, this is a bad time for transparency. Both sides are too busy striking poses, probing for weaknesses and disseminating propaganda to expect either candor or substantial progress before the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement expires March 3. Those who would attach any significance to the abrupt cancellation of Thursday’s scheduled negotiating session are likely mistaking a calculated ploy for a more serious problem.
Like a patient passer confident in his blocking, fans should take a seven-step drop and allow the play to develop a little longer. They ought to be able to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the two bargaining positions without becoming unduly influenced by their rhetorical blather.
Because NFL owners had the foresight to negotiate television contracts that will keep cash flowing even in the event of a lockout, it would appear they are better provisioned for a long siege. Because both history and Twitter tell us NFL players lack the solidarity of their baseball brethren — witness the internecine barbs between Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie — experience says the union will eventually cave.
But both sides are made up of people with varying levels of leverage and different thresholds of desperation. While the cash-flow concerns of the prolific Cromartie are exacerbated by the many mouths he must feed, his employer also labors beneath massive obligations. According to Forbes’ 2010 franchise evaluations, the Jets carry the NFL’s largest debt load at approximately $750 million.
“You should keep an eye on whether there are differences emerging between the star players and the average players and between the well-off owners and the ones who are struggling financially,” said Harry Katz, dean of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. “The interests of stars are different than average players. Average players are worried about health insurance and minimum (salaries). Stars are interested in how quickly they can get to free agency.”
Owners, too, operate with different agendas. Though the Chargers are comparatively unburdened by debt, and might withstand a lockout better than some of the league’s more leveraged teams, the franchise’s future in San Diego could hinge on ownership’s ability to replenish the NFL’s “G-3” stadium loan program as part of a new collective bargaining agreement.
Ultimately, though, the deal is about dollars. Owners are seeking a second billion off the top of annual revenues now estimated between $8-9 billion. The union prefers a 50-50 split. Whether 18-game schedules, rookie wage scales and expanded drug testing are ownership priorities or just bargaining chips may be many months from resolution.
“The fundamental thing to keep in mind is both sides lose income if there’s an impasse,” Katz said. “If they don’t settle, it’s generally because one side miscalculates the strength (of the other).
“My gut is they’re going to settle, that they’re not that far apart. Neither one is desperate. They’ve bargained before, so they know each other. With the amount of money that’s at stake here … they’ve just got too much to lose.”
San Diego State’s sports business MBA candidates reached that same conclusion in a classroom exercise last November. With an assist from former NFL executive Jim Steeg, Gangaram Singh divided his class into teams and spent two days simulating the NFL’s collective bargaining experience. Students staged strategic storm-outs, conducted news conferences and regularly raised their voices, but four of the six groups succeeded in reaching a compromise. Two groups required arbitration.
“One of the things I do in my simulation is to reflect what happens in reality,” Singh said Thursday afternoon. “A lot of times what is played out in the media is a show. They’ll even plant things to throw off the other side …
“It’s a very complicated process. Seasoned negotiators would use all sorts of strategies and, to a layman, some of them would seem pretty bizarre.”
Like sausage-making, collective bargaining is best viewed from a distance. Ideally, as a finished product.
Suscribirse a:
Entradas (Atom)