Bisciotti's Voice Heard Amongst Owners
by Bruce Raffel on Feb 6, 2010 7:00 AM EST
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PrintAt the Baltimore Ravens year end press conference the other day, owner Steve Bisciotti was outspoken about what was coming down the pike for the owners and players as a result of the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement. He spoke about how the current agreement has other owners who "are making less money than their linebackers."
He went onto state that unless something could be worked out before an uncapped year goes into effect in 2011, the owners would be put into a position of locking out the players and threatening the future of football. He spoke about how some teams are forced to "tarp" up 10,000 seats in order to make sure their home games are not blacked out on local television.
Biscitoti's words have since resonated throughout the league and the media.
ProFootballTalk.com had a short story on the Ravens owner's comments. Click here to read them and the concern that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was fined $100,000 recently for some of his public comments regarding the issue.
New Executive Director of the NFL Players Union, DeMaurice Smith, has said he is very serious about the concern of having no football in 2011 in an article posted here on SI.com.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an article here from USAToday.com, that the NFLPA must concede more in order for there to be labor peace in the future.
Obviously, this is going to be a long term issue that teams will keep in mind as the off season begins after this weekend, and the free agency period opens in advance of the NFL Draft in April. Keep tuned.
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The players are the reasom for this problem
Why can’t they be happy with 1 mil a year, and stop complaining. Thats more than most Americans make in 10 years
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 6, 2010 10:12 AM EST up reply actions
I'm siding with the players
The owners are responsible for the current stat of affairs. The current CBA was to run thru 2012 and the owners opted out, not the players. The owners have asked for a 18% percent reduction in players salaries and also wish to reduce retire player benefits.
The lack of interest by the owners to open their books with the NFLPA is an indication to me and others that the owners are not negoitiating in good faith (if your employer ask you to take a pay cut, you ask why). In my opinion an employer should provide a justification in the form of hard numbers to support the asked for reduction.
One aspects of this “issue” that IS not widely being discussed is the shared revenue concept that has allowed the smaller market teams (Colts among others) to compete at a high level year in and year out. There exist some differences between owners (Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder) and others in smaller markets as to whether the current revenue sharing stream system is antiquated and outdated. Never mind that this system has resulted in a product that has dominated the professional landscape in the US on TV and at the gate. I bring this to attention because the owners can’t agree with each other——so it should be no surprise to anyone that were are where we are with regards to this CBA (Ralph Wilson and Dan Rooney were against ratification of the current CBA and yet it passed anyway).
It is said that NFL franchises have increrased in value 500% over the last 15 years. Some owners have used their Stadium debt service as a reason to throw this current CBA away. It may be a legitimate reason to return to the negotiating table…….I’m just saying provide some concrete information to support the position or risk killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Otherwise, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls were witnessing greed by the owners as I see it.
But the owners are the bosses
and if they made a bad move in agreeing to the current CBA, then that allowed the players to benefit all this time. The players are still employees and to be complaining about being treated like “slaves” as I’ve heard some say, is offensive when they have to settle for hundreds of thousands, much less millions of dollars. The owners have a right to make their millions, they own the team! The players are being greedy and while I’d like to see the benefits improve, especially for the retired players, I have zero sympathy for the current players in this situation. Perhaps a rookie salary cap would be a lot more beneficial and free up a lot more money to go to the deserving vets rather than the guys who haven’t stepped onto the field yet get guaranteed contracts of tens of millions of dollars.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Feb 7, 2010 10:37 AM EST up reply actions
How is it being a slave being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, to play a game you love?
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 7, 2010 11:56 AM EST up reply actions
I wouldn't say it's slavery
But players do need to make their fair share of money. Football is a rough sport. Players do not last long, and often have long term health consequences afterwards. This is it for them. They need to make as much money as they can in a short time to support their family for a long time.
They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.
My heart bleeds for the players...
only getting 42% of the league’s revenue. Cry me a river!
aka 'Rexx'
I know right?
Just because players are being a-holes doesn’t mean we should be deprived of football in 2011.
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 8, 2010 10:13 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Both owners and players need a cut in pay. They need to spread the money around to all the concession workers, police, stadium cost, admin, tickets sales people. If it is the NFL family pay them a decent wage. Here’s another idea- cut everyones pay and lower ticket costs. The owners and players fight over millions and noboody else gets a check worth cashing. Their all paid too much and Iaugh at all their greedy problems. It just makes me want the game to be more violent so I get my moneys worth when these babies pout over millions. I hope they get rid of the helmet one day so my $120 ticket is really worth it. Along with the $6 hot dog.
If I had a kid rake my leaves and he showed up with a lawyer for more money I’d be pissed. If the courts ruled that the kid raking the leaves deserves a raise I’d fire him. If the courts said I can’t fire him and have to pay him his price for his work, I’d let the leaves lay in the grass and mulch. No work. Nobody gets paid. No leaves get raked. I’m with the owners if anything. They’re all greedy.
+1
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 8, 2010 10:14 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
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