Ravens Roster Moves

But apparently they don’t pay much attention to it…

Awesome topic, and great lead questions. I look forward to your response to Baltimore Warrior’s response.

I think the league is split on the new CBA. The NFLPA is preparing it’s members for what looks to be a very possible lock-out for the 2011 season. But the owners are optimistic that it can be signed by the end of the year. Goodell has come out and said that it is “very possible”. But I believe the NFLPA will hinder its progress. Players’ demand for money is going up while a lot of the teams don’t have the financial income to support some of the larger salaries that players are looking for. And I think as salaries go up, so do the costs of ticket prices, merchandise, etc…

 To support bigger contracts NFL franchises will need to make higher incomes. Which in turn brings another factor into the equation; Stadium capacity. I believe we are entering an era where stadiums will be built bigger than ever to seat more people. Bigger stadiums mean more seats. More seats means more tickets. More tickets means more income. You are already starting to see bigger and newer stadiums built among NFL in franchises such as the Cowboys, Giants, and Chiefs.

Teams such as the Bills and Jaguars however are having trouble selling tickets, which in turn is resulting in a loss of income. This is where the current problem lies; Teams not being able to support their player’s contracts due to a lack of income. Honestly I don’t see a solution that the NFL can do about this. Teams simply need to play better to get more fans. And I think the recession has a lot to do with this problem. In a time where families are struggling to make ends meet, a lot of families don’t have the financial means to go out blow 150-200 dollars on a game, so they opt to stay home and watch from their couch. So with the economy down, some franchises may need to lower the cost of tickets to attract more fans. And as the economy slowly goes up, I believe the NFL will go up with it.

While I believe the NFL does have a clear problem, I do not believe the judicial system will have to step in. I think in the long-run the league will fix itself through logical business decisions. And I think most fans have the wrong perception of the possibility of a lock-out.. While most believe to view it as a problem, I choose to view it as a stepping-stone to what will be a greater NFL. A better NFL. I think a lock-out is a healthy option for the NFL. Almost a re-set button if you will. It will allow teams to get there shit together before continuing with business.
 
So to sum it all up, I’m for a lock-out in 2011. Yes it will require fans missing a year of football. But it will allow the NFL to stop a bigger problem long-term. So would you rather take the quick fix by signing the CBA which could result in bigger problems in the future? Or miss a season and allow the NFL to fix what needs to be fixed and start operating properly again and prevent a possible strike and/or a complete dismantlement of the NFL altogether?