So, who's side are you on now?

[Darth Bobo]

Well, even if the owners couldn't agree on some form of retribution to the NFLPA event, there will be particular owners who have to make a judgment call about the character of individual players.

I have a hard time believing that if Darius goes the NFLPA event and Fairley goes to the NFL event, that the first team set on drafting a DT is going to choose Darius over Fairley. Even if the bias is subtle, I would still expect there to be a bias against players who do not attend the NFL event. Speculation on my part, to be sure, but I think it is hard to imagine that owners won't be pissed off at all as they look to drop 10s of millions in this draft of lesser players, some of which aren't grateful enough to be honored to attend. I have a hard time imagining that any first round pick is chosen without first hearing from the owner.

For the first round rookies, falling even 5 spots (for any reason at all) can mean taking a ~50% pay cut, at least in terms of guaranteed money.

Are you betting that no owners will hold a grudge?

Can players afford to make that bet?

[carolinarolls]

owners

You have to be a complete moron to give the employees power and/or feel sorry for them because more is being asked of them for the same pay. Newsflash!! The entire country is being asked to do this. Suck it up!

You want me to suck it up and do all the work of the guy I just had to let go because I could no longer afford him so I can keep buying the tickets, cable TV, jerseys, and decorative gas grill covers doncha? Show me you ******* deserve it!!

They are HIDING behind player safety. This is is their job. They chose it. They are overtime exempt. It's called a salary and the figures are disgusting.

Get me some real football players and get these pussies outta here.

[Skew]

Hey owners! Darth done thunk up a scheme to collude without colludin'!

It took you 5 edits to get this remark? And all 5 were basically the same comment.

You sound like an overpaid player who feels intitled to more $ just because you are an athlete who plays pro football and never finished college. Always expecting someone else to pay for your free ride.

Remember, it's the fans who pay the salaries. Without their support, there is no football. And most fans would rather see scab players in the NFL this season than no NFL at all. So individual players don't mean as much to the fans as players themselves think they do.

I will ask you again, show all of us here on this board who it is that have the "All Hail The Owners" belief. Because we don't see it.

[top dawg]

Until the owners open their books and justify all their "po-mouthing", whining and bitching, I am on the players' side. To me it seems quite illogical for anyone to support the owners who are keeping their books closed tighter than the preacher's daughter's legs on the front row on Sundays. They got something to hide...you think?

The owners are playing a bunch of y'all like a badly tuned Stradivarius.

[Stumpy]

If the owners having said that they are under financial duress means that they should open their books, then I feel the players need to open theirs as well.

You want post career contributions to your healthcare, open your books and show us how much you put away into you tax-free health spending accounts or any health related expenses. (Hyperbaric chambers and Human Growth Hormone reserves don't count)

They claim that the majority of players are bankrupt within 3 years of retirement, open your books and show us how you spent your $350K-15M a year. What percentage of your game checks did you put away for your retirement? (Carson Palmer, you can sit back down :p)

[top dawg]

If the owners having said that they are under financial duress means that they should open their books, then I feel the players need to open theirs as well.

You want post career contributions to your healthcare, open your books and show us how much you put away into you tax-free health spending accounts or any health related expenses. (Hyperbaric chambers and Human Growth Hormone reserves don't count)

They claim that the majority of players are bankrupt within 3 years of retirement, open your books and show us how you spent your $350K-15M a year. What percentage of your game checks did you put away for your retirement? (Carson Palmer, you can sit back down :p)

The NFL is unique, in that it is very difficult (if not impossible) to replace extraordinary talent. You can do it, in a sense, in the right circumstances, but that certain je ne sais qoui that makes a player special and individual (and, thus, the team and the league) is forever lost without that player's talent. As such, they are more important to the NFL than the regular Joe is to his job. That being said, it is still a job, and this is still America. There is something inherently un-American to ask employees to take a pay cut in this county without evidence, particularly in the case of an arena that is basically a monopolistic profit-making machine (like the NFL). Moreover, there is something un-American about demanding that employees---private citizens---tell employers how they are spending their money.

It's really none of their business.

[Happy Panther]

If the owners having said that they are under financial duress means that they should open their books, then I feel the players need to open theirs as well.

You want post career contributions to your healthcare, open your books and show us how much you put away into you tax-free health spending accounts or any health related expenses. (Hyperbaric chambers and Human Growth Hormone reserves don't count)

They claim that the majority of players are bankrupt within 3 years of retirement, open your books and show us how you spent your $350K-15M a year. What percentage of your game checks did you put away for your retirement? (Carson Palmer, you can sit back down :p)

The owners aren't asking for more money they are taking less. They also aren't claiming financial hardship.

[top dawg]

bullpoo.

The NCAA puts millions of people in stadiums around this country every Saturday. If you think for one second that the fans would stop coming to games if every current player was benched and replaced with college kids and guys who graduated within the last 3 years you need to lay off the drugs.

Yeah, that wouldn't affect anything. BTW, drugs are bad for your health.

[Happy Panther]

replacement players would definitely drive fans away. But to what extent who knows?

I think it would hurt teams that currently have marquis players.

I honestly don't know if i would go to games if the rosters were replaced.

[c0r]

The owners aren't asking for more money they are taking less. They also aren't claiming financial hardship.

uhhhhhh. im not sure if this is sarcasm or serious. lolinternetz

and the replacement players argument has no place in this topic. the real NFL players WANT to play...the owners dont want them to...

[c0r]

For me to believe that they would have had to reject the decertification plan back in Nov and told their leadership that not having a deal was not an option. If they wanted to play they should have told Smith to get it done or get out and let someone who wants a deal run the negotiations.

i agree, the union seemed set on decertifying but they cant just tell De Smith to poo or get off the pot and accept any old deal that screws them in the future.

[carolinarolls]

replacement players will not drive fans away...

I cannot imagine a more scintallating atmosphere building up to week one with replacements. I predict record breaking ratings, turnout and news coverage.

[top dawg]

replacement players will not drive fans away...

I cannot imagine a more scintallating atmosphere building up to week one with replacements. I predict record breaking ratings, turnout and news coverage.

Perhaps for about one or two weeks. Then, once the intelligent fans realize that they are watching a glorified version of the USFL or XFL they will no longer support an inferior product.

Some of you guys must be naive. I am thinking that most of you are probably too young to remember the scabs back in the 80s. The product was not good. It was not good at all, especially when people have grown accustomed to the first-rate product that the NFL has developed into today.

Moreover, no one is saying that people don't support college ball. Of course they do. There are other dynamics working at the collegiate level that will always fuel the NCAA sports. But this does not necessarily mean that love and pride in one's school translates to the NFL. They are two totally different organizations.

Bottom line: If I, as a fan, am not convinced that I am looking at the best---particularly when I am paying premium rates to support the NFL as a whole---I am simply going to lose interest and fade away. I will let all the others consume snake oil on their prime swamp land in Florida.

Like I said, the owners need to justify what they are selling (in black and white). Only then will I even begin to trust them. This is not to say that I pity the players, but all negotiations should begin with a great level of transparency.

[c0r]

there will not be replacement players in the nfl.