Entering this offseason, it seemed inevitable that a lockout was in the National Football League’s future. It was very obvious to the public that there was a significant gap between the owners’ and the players’ feelings. For many, the players’ views made the most sense. From the end of the season until where we stand today, a person’s perspective upon the NFL may likely have changed, and for good reason.
Several months ago, the owners and players disagreed on issues ranging from a rookie wage scale to extending the regular season. NFLPA members claimed former players are now suffering from the traumatic effects of playing in the early years of the league, when health issues were among the last of concerns.
The NFLPA’s DeMaurice Smith and other leaders, including players such as Kevin Mawae, worked to create an obvious divide between the players and the owners. The Players Association decertified itself as a union, which allowed the anti-trust cases to follow. The league canceled operations such as the annual Rookie Symposium. Obviously something had to give, right?
After months of ongoing labor talks behind closed doors between the elites of both sides, with the preseason hanging in the balance, something gave: the owners. With the player reps stalling and stagnant, the owners took actions into their own hands and passed their own resolution.
The owners stepped out of line. There was an established order of actions during lockouts, and the owners made a move even though it wasn’t their turn. The players were procrastinating, so the owners pushed the ball into their court. This calculated move wasn’t unfair, out of line, or unruly. It was proactive. For the first time in over 130 days, one side finally decided it was time to put ego aside and create a deal.
Not only did the owners make the first positive move, but they gave the players a lot of what they wanted . Let’s take a look:
· Owners agreed to spend at least 95% of the salary cap for the next ten years. This leaves teams with incredible amounts of money to spend; several teams have $30 million in cap space, including the Bucs who have almost $60 million. One can assume this means higher paychecks for players. This change goes down as a win for the players.
· Players now have the option to stay under the umbrella of the league’s healthcare plan for life. Once again, the players win.
· Ex-players benefits have improved with close to a billion dollars more in spending from the owners, including the $620 million Legacy Fund. I believe it’s safe to say this change is in favor of the players as well.
So, the players are now getting even more financial benefits than in the past. Keep in mind these figures: the 2010 NFL league minimum salary for an 8th year player was $710,000; the average American salary is just over $27,000. If the average American can manage to get by, why can’t the NFL players? Don’t forget that the vast majority of these players got a free education via athletic scholarship in college that they can fall back upon debt free. The numbers don’t seem to support the players’ argument.
In addition to the financial gains the players have made through this deal, the players now have to work less. Owners have agreed to limit the amount of contact players see through practices each year. They’ve also agreed to shorten offseason workouts. Practice times have been cut shorter. Players also get more days off per year. So, not only do these changes benefit players by earning more money for doing less work, but they could also prolong each athlete’s career as the NFL continues to inch closer and closer to becoming the National Flag Football League.
After the various positives that come out of this CBA, the players still disagree. The only possible reason for this is: Greed. Enough simply never can, nor ever will be enough. Prominent players, as well as player reps, are still upset with the deal. Takeo Spikes, for example, publicly criticized the owners while in the national media spotlight of ESPN’s SportsCenter today.
As a person who is never going to play in front of massive crowds on Sundays with millions watching my every move on TV, I can confidently say these players have forgotten what makes football special. These guys have gotten so caught up in the business aspect of the NFL that they can’t appreciate the incredible opportunity they have every Sunday of the NFL season.
One thing I can guarantee: there are millions of avid fans living vicariously through people they’ll never meet who would play for their favorite franchise for minimum wage. And not $710,000 NFL style minimum wage, but real-life 7 dollars and 50 cents an hour kind of pay.
I being one of those nutcases who still believe in myths like, “for love of the game,” the hardest part of this lockout is seeing the greed spew out while the public watches millionaires arguing with billionaires. Meanwhile cities across the country will see real financial struggles. Middle and lower class families will take monetary hits due to the NFLPA’s chess match with the owners. It is estimated that Canton, Ohio will lose $30 million with the cancelation of the annual Hall of Fame game.
Over the past few weeks, as more and more details come out of a lockout which has become unnecessary, it has become obvious that one party wants to solve the league’s problem while the other wants to point fingers. One party’s actions have been proactive, while the other party is driven by greed. It is for this reason that the NFL owners’ side of the lockout is the only side that makes sense.
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