A Dose of Reality

When Sander posted his last piece, all was right in the world.  The NFL owners have voted 31-0 to pass the new agreement and it was being sent on to the NFLPA for voting and eventually re-certification. 

And then this e-mail dropped.

As you know the Owners have ratified their proposal to settle our differences," the e-mail states.  "It is my understanding they are forwarding it to us.  As you may have heard, they apparently approved a supplemental revenue sharing proposal.  Obviously, we have not been a part of those discussions.  As you know from yesterday, issues that need to be collectively bargained remain open other issues such as workers compensation, economic issues and end of deal terms remain unresolved.  There is no agreement between the NFL and the Players at this time.  I look forward to our call tonight."

I could try and spin this, but let me give you PFT's take on it.

Folks, there’s no way the NFLPA* will be approving the deal tonight or passing it along to the players for a vote.  And once the league has to start canceling preseason weeks and not just one preseason game, real money is going to disappear — and the chances of getting a deal done will diminish.

I'm hoping this is just an overreaction (could be likely), but lets keep one thing in mind.  Until both sides have agreed to and voted on a deal (and it passing), we are left with no football.  I agree with the take that once the first game is missed will be do or die time.  Either everyone will come to their senses, or it will all crumble.

Update:  The NFLPA still voices the opinion that they can reach a deal soon.

Here's another e-mail sent by the NFLPA to its player reps.

[The settlement] gives the players only three days–Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week–to try to bargain any changes to the old CBA.  Any such changes would have to be agreed to by the owners in order to be incorporated into the Agreement, which would then become final on Saturday, July 30.  If the NFL does not agree to the players’ proposed changes, the old CBA terms on benefits, discipline, safety, etc. will remain unchanged for another ten years,”  In addition to depriving the players of the time needed to consider forming a union and making needed changes to the old Agreement, this proposed procedure would in my view also violate federal labor laws.   Those laws prohibit employers from coercing their employees into forming a union, and could result in any Agreement reached through the procedure being declared null and void

Lets just hope this is grandstanding for a few slight changes that can be agreed upon quickly. 

My opinion is that we're still a few days away and the owners are acting out of order and the NFLPA is dragging their feet.  Those two things dont go together well.