NFL owners don't get it...

[Highlandfire]

Bottom line folks, if the owners lose the appeal, football as we know and love it will end. There is no way in hell the NFLPA will agree to a new CBA and nor should they, they won. They will get everything they asked for.

I am telling you though, those conditions are going to cause the NFL to examine keeping in business. There is no way in hell I can see the owners entering into a system where every time they turn around they get sued individually and in court for anti trust violations and you know it is gonna happen.

[Highlandfire]

Blame the Owners

Initially yes. Now, the players and D Smith want to destroy the league as we know it. I do not feel at all they want a CBA any longer.

If this goes through I will honestly stop watching. Why bother? The panthers won't ever compete for a superbowl they just won't have the money. I will stick with College.

[countryboi]

Bottom line folks, if the owners lose the appeal, football as we know and love it will end. There is no way in hell the NFLPA will agree to a new CBA and nor should they, they won. They will get everything they asked for.

I am telling you though, those conditions are going to cause the NFL to examine keeping in business. There is no way in hell I can see the owners entering into a system where every time they turn around they get sued individually and in court for anti trust violations and you know it is gonna happen.

he is right no good will come of this. he is murdering the golden goose for one freaking golden egg

[Highlandfire]

he is right no good will come of this. he is murdering the golden goose for one freaking golden egg

The only reason D Smith took the job was to break the NFL. Why? He has political aspirations and this would definitely help him get where he wants to go.

[Fiz]

One pro union liberal judge gave the players what they want. You could tell in her statement she was very pro union not even will to admit that the owners had a defense. A more conservative court will see it in a different light.

You're deluded and in for a big let down.

[Fiz]

The only reason D Smith took the job was to break the NFL. Why? He has political aspirations and this would definitely help him get where he wants to go.

vote for me i "broke" the nfl

[jpniner]

mindless Union drones in a deep blue state would vote for him and organize for him as well. World Socialist workers unite!

[Highlandfire]

I don't think it has hit the NFL nor fans how truly screwed the NFL is now. Honestly unless the appeals court rules in the NFL's favor its over. Football as we know it will never be the same.

Why? Simple, the NFLPA will not agree to a new CBA unless it royally screws the NFL and bankrupts teams. The NFL proposes a 50/50 split. NFLPA says 70/30 for the players. What is the NFL going to do? Nothing, there is nothing they can do, agree or have the open system that has already been ruled on.

The Owners opened Pandora's box and screwed us all. Fans say 'they won't have these things happen it is just negotiating tactics' No its not. It never was. I honestly feel D smith was hired to do just this. Many times this could have been negotiated out and he did just enough to keep the NFL from saying the NFLPA didn't negotiate in good faith. The man was hired to destroy the current system of football, and unless the appeals court rules in favor of the owners, he has.

As for as the free system I am telling you teams like Jacksonville and Buffalo are done. They really have issues sustaining being in existence as is. We could see a couple fold up shop after this season and 3-4 more in a couple years. I can't see how an owner would keep a team with these conditions. Every time you turn around someone is going to be suing you claiming anti trust violations. If you don't spend enough, you are restricting their right to make money blah blah blah.

This is much worse than many think it is

[pnthrs]

This is much worse than many think it is

I agree with you 100% This system will never be as strong as it was without a complete gutting/revamping (which may or may not even be possible/allowed.)

What pisses me off also is that this paves the way for how the NBA will approach their contract negotiations. They are in a broken system (open books to players proving that) and will now use this NFL ruling to bolster their "negotiating" stance. If the NBA players dont give a little (hard cap, etc..) after this ruling than we are seeing exactly what will happen inevitably with the NFL when the NFL isnt as financially stable as it is now and the 2 are at the bargaining table.

It will be years for the NFL to fall to NBA financial woes, but the structures the NFL was always able to protect (caps, free agency, draft etc..) to ensure a great sport on the field and financially will be deteriorated every new "CBA" or year of "free system."

just WOW is all I have to say.

[roaddog96]

I won't get into semantics about the NFL and its actions to get to this point, but I think that the players still don't understand what they've gotten themselves into. By doing this, not only have they ruined themselves, but every sport with a union who decides to use this strategy, because simply put, the NFL becomes 32 individual franchises who operate under a set of rules for competition and that's it.

Players would now have to negotiate insurance policies with their respective team, because no team now has to guarantee or even offer it it in the contract, and teams would no longer have a minimum amount that they would have to pay to secure the services of a player. Could you imagine a player who was making 75,000 a year under this system being able to afford the kind of health insurance that he would need to cover his back in the case of major injury?

With no draft, there would be no chance for small market teams to acquire marquee talent, and in order for the NFL to completely fulfill their end of the bargain, every team would have to play each other at least once in order to prevent “restraint of trade” lawsuits. That's right, the players, who have been adamant about not playing more than 16 games in a season, would now have to play 32, in order to prevent a litany of lawsuits that could ensue should they restrict any money that could be made by playing a team.

Owners would basically have all power, because each club could institute rules as they see fit, and with no union to cover their back, any player could be fired at any time, with no due recourse. Tactics which may be in the players advantage now could turn on them should they actually come to pass, because now they would be just like 99% of America, with no actual power to control their own professional lives, and working with the constant threat of losing your job for the slightest insubordination.

[countryboi]

I won't get into semantics about the NFL and its actions to get to this point, but I think that the players still don't understand what they've gotten themselves into. By doing this, not only have they ruined themselves, but every sport with a union who decides to use this strategy, because simply put, the NFL becomes 32 individual franchises who operate under a set of rules for competition and that's it.

Players would now have to negotiate insurance policies with their respective team, because no team now has to guarantee or even offer it it in the contract, and teams would no longer have a minimum amount that they would have to pay to secure the services of a player. Could you imagine a player who was making 75,000 a year under this system being able to afford the kind of health insurance that he would need to cover his back in the case of major injury?

With no draft, there would be no chance for small market teams to acquire marquee talent, and in order for the NFL to completely fulfill their end of the bargain, every team would have to play each other at least once in order to prevent “restraint of trade” lawsuits. That's right, the players, who have been adamant about not playing more than 16 games in a season, would now have to play 32, in order to prevent a litany of lawsuits that could ensue should they restrict any money that could be made by playing a team.

Owners would basically have all power, because each club could institute rules as they see fit, and with no union to cover their back, any player could be fired at any time, with no due recourse. Tactics which may be in the players advantage now could turn on them should they actually come to pass, because now they would be just like 99% of America, with no actual power to control their own professional lives, and working with the constant threat of losing your job for the slightest insubordination.

the players have to know these things right?.....right? i mean they planned this far

[carolinarolls]

weird ish is going to happen for sure. Contracts will be upheld but buses, hotels and flights may get downgraded. Ownership is gonna make their cuts in one way or another.

Hell I would draft Cam and offer him 25mill and when he turns it down say OK...see ya.

There aren't any players worth 50 mill this year and if restrictions are going to be gone FA will have to fill in the gaps.

This just keeps getting better and better. The more I think about that piece of sh-t DeSmith, I hope the whole league implodes and he gets blamed, maybe even assassinated.

I will be fine with just college for a few years until everyone finds their brains again.

[Davidson Deac II]

We the Fans need to start our own organization that will boycott if they dont reach a CBA. We are the most powerful party in the NFL and I would imagine no fan wants to see there team close up shop.

No one says we are obligated to buy tickets or anything. Not even those wicked PSLs do that. We could just abstain from going to all games and bring the owners and the players to there knees.

Agreed, but it would never work. We are addicts to football. :)

[roaddog96]

When players have to work and play games year round because of DeMaurice Smith and his lawsuit, they will try to re-unionize and negotiate with the NFL. The owners will win this in the end, one way or the other. Like my grandfather used to say when he talked about boxing "Sometimes it's better to give ground and survive than to try to go for the jugular in a losing situation. You lose both ways, but at least if you give ground, it's only temporary, because you can always come back the next round. If you go for the jugular and lose, that's it."