NFL to close up shop?

[Mr. Scot]

This is from Pro Football Talk. I would not read too much into it.

I would.

Florio may be the king of speculation when it comes to regular football stories, but his lawyers background puts him in pretty good standing when it comes to discussing anything with a legal aspect.

[PantherBrew]

Nope, I am still lol'ing. You lose.

http://nfllabor.com/2011/03/11/nfl-transcripts-commissioner-goodell-jerry-richardson-john-mara-jeff-pash/

Those transcripts sound like something the NFL and the Owners would say. Oh wait.

It's weird they would say things that make them look in the right.

[Mr. Scot]

can't reason with ideology.

Can't reason with idiology either though.

To be honest, were I an owner I might be hesitant to open my books to a group with members dumb enough to think they can make a valid comparison between the league and the slave trade.

[stirs]

Why wouldn't they considering the shit sandwich they were being served.

Here is your sandwich guys with millions of dollars.

S h i t sandwich indeed.

[Panthro]

Can't reason with idiology either though.

To be honest, were I an owner I might be hesitant to open my books to a group with members dumb enough to think they can make a valid comparison between the league and the slave trade.

I have an easier time believing the comparison to the slave trade than I do that the NFL is in dire financial trouble

[Mr. Scot]

I have an easier time believing the comparison to the slave trade than I do that the NFL is in dire financial trouble

I don't buy that either.

They're doing this because they want the most favorable deal, not because they're a step away from the poorhouse.

Most business owners would probably be overjoyed to be in the kind of 'dire financial trouble' the NFL has.

[RHCPanther]

I would.

Florio may be the king of speculation when it comes to regular football stories, but his lawyers background puts him in pretty good standing when it comes to discussing anything with a legal aspect.

I'm aware of Florio's legal background. However several legal analysts have been proven wrong about how this labor dispute would play out. I still see this as a test of will between the owners and the players with each side posturing.

[Panthro]

I don't buy that either.

They're doing this because they want the most favorable deal, not because they're a step away from the poorhouse.

Which they have every right to try and do. I am sure there is an amicable solution out there but I am afraid we have moved beyond that and pride is now on the line.

[Carolina Husker]

Here is your sandwich guys with millions of dollars.

S h i t sandwich indeed.

Flawless logic.

[Mr. Scot]

I'm aware of Florio's legal background. However several legal analysts have been proven wrong about how this labor dispute would play out. I still see this as a test of will between the owners and the players with each side posturing.

I still see it primarily as a fight between two 500 pound guys that just ate four pizzas each over who gets the last breadstick.

I don't ultimately care who wins or loses other than that I want to see the draft, free agency and the salary cap come out pretty close to how they were before. The only people really losing in this fight are the 'little people', including the fans.

[CatMan72]

I'm not sure how they could get away with shutting down, I suspect the players would drag the owners back into court and claim they shut down simply as a negotiating tactic which I would assume is illegal, since in essence it's the same as a lockout?

On the other hand, the judge found the union had the right to disband at any time for any reason, so the same logic may apply to the league, they have the right to cease to exist at any time for any reason.

The the league did this, the backlash would be tremendous.

[Mr. Scot]

I'm not sure how they could get away with shutting down, I suspect the players would drag the owners back into court and claim they shut down simply as a negotiating tactic which I would assume is illegal, since in essence it's the same as a lockout?

On the other hand, the judge found the union had the right to disband at any time for any reason, so the same logic may apply to the league, they have the right to cease to exist at any time for any reason.

The the league did this, the backlash would be tremendous.

If the owner of Joe's Pizza decides to close up shop, you can't go to court and force him to stay open.

They can legitimately do it. I seriously doubt it'd happen, mind you, but think the threat is credible enough that the union should take it seriously.

[mountainpantherfan]

The NFL is not operating at a lose. And from everything I have seen and read not one team is either. What is happening is that each team is experiencing profit loss and thus the total value of the business is decreasing.

Bruce, I was not in favor of a lockout and the blame for this entire situation is on the owners for agreeing to the previous CBA in the first place. Paul Tag and Gene Upshaw were horrible leaders and should be remembered as so. Both men knew that the former CBA was only going to serve them long enough for them to retire. And both the owners and the players were stupid enough to follow them with the players walking away with a king's ransom.

This set the stage for the owners wanting to renegociate. But the players have forever been told by Upshaw and the likes to never give up anything you have gained, which is not a bad position to take. The owners on the other hand are losing profit and feel that a better system can be reached where players recieve a lower percentage or a set amount each year. The owners have never asked the players to take less money but rather reduce the percentage of a ever growing revenue.

The players want the old CBA or better and the owners want less than the old CBA. What's the compromise? Everyone keeps saying just sit down and come to a compromise but there isn't one except for there to be no CBA.

The owners want a CBA and so do I because I want a salary cap and a draft. The NFLPA knew that the only way they were going to walk away from this looking like the winners were to take it to the courts and get rid of the draft and salary cap. Any other outcome is a recession on the part of the players and they are not willing to do that.

And the point about opening the books is moot. The players know the NFL isn't losing money and that the books will not show anything to begin with. Thats why the owners aren't willing to do it.

[RHCPanther]

I still see it primarily as a fight between two 500 pound guys that just ate four pizzas each over who gets the last breadstick.

I don't ultimately care who wins or loses other than that I want to see the draft, free agency and the salary cap come out pretty close to how they were before. The only people really losing in this fight are the 'little people', including the fans.

I agree with the gist of the argument. As much as the fight may seem frivolous to the fans, I think there is quite a bit at stake here. The fact they can't figure out how to split it up is shame no doubt