NFL CBA: Time To Panic?

Pretty much, yeah.

Negotiations are moving slowly, as fans begin to accept a work stoppage as an inevitability. It's a shame, really, but that's part of the nature of bargaining. The players attain their maximum leverage right before a work stoppage. Because of this, and the fact that the issues are quite contentious, it is extremely unlikely that we'll see any tangible progress until August approaches.

When we see headlines like this, it's easy to realize that the situation is becoming dire. The main issue, of course, is the division of money. Players want a roughly 50-50 split, while owners only want the players to get about 40% of revenues. In a league that pulls in over $7 billion per season, a difference in 10% means hundreds of millions of dollars.

When the dust settles, we will almost certainly see a rookie pay scale. (Always sell out the new employees, right?) But the idea of an 18-game season as a means of generating new revenue streams seems like an impracticality.

Finger pointing can go either way; it's easy to want to blame the players AND the owners for what seems like excessive greed. Still, with so much cash at stake, it isn't hard to see why progress has been so difficult.

Hopefully, teams can reach an agreement in which both sides feel like winners. If they can't - and they almost certainly can't - fans will inevitably end up on the losing side.

Here's to hoping.



(Sidenote: I sure am glad this NFLPA ad didn't make it on the air during the Super Bowl. What a terrible commercial.)