I'm heading down to Atlanta for the meetings of the NFL owners. I suspect a deal will be reached tomorrow, that the lockout will end and the rush to sign free agents will begin.
I don't think that anybody close to the negotiations ever expected games to be lost.
When a deal is cut, the owners are not going to claim, "We won," unless the words come from a rogue owner who later will be shunned by his peers. Owners will say that the league won, which is to say that the fans won.
I'm told that Jerry Richardson, the owner of the Carolina Panthers, has fought for the integrity of small-market teams such as his.
That's important. The NBA offers no protection for small-market teams. The Charlotte Bobcats, despite the star power of Michael Jordan, are in position where, even to have a chance to avoid losing money, they have to do everything right. While the rich get richer, small market teams shrink.
Their system has to be reworked, and the players will have to decide whether to accept responsiblity for helping rework it. Is it the obligation of employees to ensure that their employer is in a position to make money?
Unless the employer has made frivolous decisions, I say yes.
The NFL has thrived for many reasons, one of which is a real salary cap.
The league's success is legendary and, after tomorrow, it will continue to be.
Once an agreement is reached, the accent will be not on what happened but on what happens next.
It will be like the ACC men's basketball tournament. Fun to keep up with, cool to watch, glad you determined a champion, now bring on the NCAA tournament.
Once the league's future is secure, it will immediately be about the future of their team.
The mad scramble for free agents will be unprecedented, stock exchange traders holding up money and shouting out names. Be interesting to see whose voices are the loudest.
Yea whatever nimrod. Bend over America and get ready to give these greedy scab extortionist unionites more billions.
Cable bills going up again as well as gas food and everything else but lets make certain these overpaid egotistical cocky pampered spoiled brat player ratz get more billions off Joe and Sue Public.
Who pays? YOU and YOU and YOU ... Bend over.. Its going in all the way this time...
Boycott these rotten eggs ...
ps. At least they all served their country and protected America ...
YEA RITE !!!
Posted by: GI Joe | July 20, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Easy sport...
Posted by: GI Joe is nuts | July 20, 2011 at 12:07 PM
Really guy?!?! End of the day it's like that Taco Bell incident. Everyone went nuts when they found out it wasn't 100% beef...so what?? It taste great and I enjoy it on the occasion, not gonna stop going. I also enjoy watching football w/ family and friends....so they're making money off me?? So what, it's entertaining (wayyy more than BS reality TV) and I have a great time. Everyone wins...see ya at 1:00
Posted by: Nick | July 20, 2011 at 01:01 PM
PS, I'll be the guy in the authentic Panthers jersey and cap backwards. Guess I'm gettin "bent over" huh?? Meet me at the concession stand, I'm buyin a round of beers for everyone. We can all cheers to being "bent over"...
Posted by: Nick | July 20, 2011 at 01:06 PM
GI Joe is right.
Posted by: southpark | July 20, 2011 at 01:57 PM
Frivolous decisions? How about the salaries being paid to Gana Diop, Eddie Najera, and Tyrus Thomas?
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