Could it possibly be that the reason the judge has been siding with the players in previous rulings is because the law is on their side? It's not a favor if one is right in terms of the law. Look, I really don't give a damn about either side. I have no sympathy for them, and would probably make similar decisions depending on what side I'm on. It's all about self-interests. I have no idea why you would write "rather than considering the facts of the case". I think it's exactly what the judge has been doing, and pretty much the owners have historically been pushing the limits of the law. Nothing wrong with that from a greed standpoint, but don't make it sound like the facts are on the owners' side and the judge has just been a players' nut hugger or something. That would make you sound like a biased liar.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the decertification mean that a formal lockout cannot occour? Without an official union, the players aren't bound by any CBA, and can sign any contract that they and an owner agree to, right? So the lockout will only last until the first owner breaks, right? What's to stop some rogue owner (Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder, take your pick) from declaring that he wants a shot at the best free agents and start negotiating now? Am I missing something here? Either way, I'm now officially declaring my fanhood for the San Diego Seduction for the 2011 season.
My understanding of where we are: Both sides will wait and see regarding: -Ruling on the NFL TV contract money: it most likely will be placed in escrow, or the owners may receive a portion of it. If put in escrow, the owners are going to be under more pressure to get a new CBA in place or sign off on a second uncapped season. -Ruling on the player's injunction request. If rejected, the players are going to be forced back to the negotiating table as a union. If approved, the NFL will appeal and keep things tied up in court through May/June. The Players Association and DeMaurice Smith should be commended - everyone expected the usual roundabout of Billionaire Owners starving out the Dumb Jocks until they would sign off on a deal that cut them out of more money. The NFLPA really got their ducks in a row and have smacked the owners around a little bit. They know that if they can get this handled through the courts, the teams will be forced to open their books and demonstrate that only a small handful of franchises aren't making money (Jags, Bills) and that several are raking it in hand over fist.
I was listenting to MarkV on 610am this morning on my way home and the excerpt from the letter RogerG sent out sounded pretty good...kind of made me feel like wtf players, what more do you want...i'm sure that was the intent, b/c it listed less practices with helmets, better benefits, no 18 game schedule w/o union approval, etc...greedy bastards...
Mark V works for Bob McNair. And likely wants to keep working there. SR610 has a contract with Bob McNair. And likely wants it to remain that way. The owners are the ones who caused this work stoppage. Bob McNair was leading the charge for the lockout. Don't be fooled.
^^^That letter: In other news, and this may have been posted, Chargers LB Kevin Burnett rips Goodell. [rquoter]Goodell's full of it. He's a liar. You're a blatant liar. 'It's our league, it's we, we love the players, we want the league,' but what have you done for the players? What have you done, in all honesty, to improve the game, besides fine guys, besides take money away from guys, besides change a game that you've never played? ... He's done nothing to improve the game.[/rquoter] Then proceeds to rip him on the substance abuse program [rquoter] "If a guy has a drug problem, give him an alternative, don't just say, 'Hey, stop doing drugs. Stamp. Six games.' ... You put them in a drug program," he said. "OK, anybody can stick somebody in a nuthouse, but what else are you doing? What programs are you putting in place?" [/rquoter] Continuing on.. [rquoter] He also said that the NFL needs to take care of players outside of football if it wants to punish players for things they do off the field. "Because they suspend players outside of playing football. Is that their responsibility? No. They want us to be upstanding citizens, but if you want us to be upstanding citizens, you have to understand your role as well," he said. "In my contract, it says nothing about me being an upstanding citizen. ... That's what bothers me." Burnett said Goodell doesn't measure up to former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who Burnett said was willing to sit down with the players and reach a compromise. He said Goodell essentially represents the owners' interests, not the players'. He said that players are criticized for holding out but in this case, it's the owners who are doing the same to the players. "Owners talk about players that hold out of camp and we talk about players who walk out of camp ... well, the owners signed this deal. They signed this deal. Yeah, it was an opt-out, but they signed this deal and now they want money back. Now they're the player that's holding out." [/rquoter] Kevin Mawae on the upcoming draft: Everyone has to decide what they want to do. It is a special day. Our recommendation is to do what they think is best but if they do go, the man that will be shaking their hand is the man that locked them out. NFLPA: Talks ended as result of salary proposal [rquoter]At next week's owners meetings in New Orleans, the competition committee will suggest moving kickoffs up 5 yards to the 35, and bringing kickoff touchbacks to the 25. The committee also is proposing the elimination of blocking wedges on kickoff returns.[/rquoter] Players turning to other things during lockout.
Heh, looks like Goodell's attempts for fan support is working. Going to be plenty of mudslinging in the coming months.
