At 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.