CBA Progress (or Lack thereof)

Actually don't ask. MLB's revenues now are the highest they have ever been - - and approach those of the NFL. Today, the majority of NHL teams are profitable and that was certainly not the case before the season-long lockout.


The sad reality is that both of those lockouts helped the economics of MLB and the NHL far more than they hurt the economics.


Pissed off fans vent and holler but they don't stay pissed off. They come back and spend their money.

I'm just one guy but I have forgiven neither baseball nor the NHL. They haven't seen a penny from me since they disgusted me. Their problems made me more of a soccer and lacrosse fan.

I'm just one guy but I have forgiven neither baseball nor the NHL. They haven't seen a penny from me since they disgusted me. Their problems made me more of a soccer and lacrosse fan.

That's funny because I was into baseball a little bit and always watched the World Series. Since the strike I haven't watched 1 complete game and couldn't even tell you who won the World Series last year. That strike really turned me off of baseball.

I'm just one guy but I have forgiven neither baseball nor the NHL. They haven't seen a penny from me since they disgusted me. Their problems made me more of a soccer and lacrosse fan.



I reacted slightly differently. I counted the number of days that MLB was on strike and then I doubled that number. For that many days after the players and management settled, I did not give them a dime of my money.


Then I went back to seeing games - - but not at the same rate that I did before the strike for an interesting reason. In my "boycott period", I discovered how interersting it is to watch minor league baseball.


Even today, I see a greater number of minor league baseball games every year than I do major league games - - although I spend far more on the major league games in total than I do for the minor league games.


Sadly, in the DC area, there is no really interesting "minor league football" - - aka college football. Probably the most interesting place to go is Navy; I only do that about once every other year. Maryland used to be interesting but is no longer. Same goes for UVa. Va Tech is just too far to drive in a day. I have gone to see Delaware play a few times too over the years. My sister is an alum and has access to good tix once in a while.

I watch a lot of NHL games on TV and go to at least a dozen games a year. But it took me awhile. As for baseball, I haven't watched a game since the strike. The disparity is even greater now. I do watch several minor league games a year (I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where there are several leagues).
I think a lockout would hurt the NFL as far as casual fans are concerned but most of us that spend time on boards will still watch the games.

While these things often go down to the last minute, this one is a lot more likely to go to a lockout because the players are asking for a deal worth more money than they're currently getting. Owners are opting out of the current deal, and asking for a better one. One side is going to have to accept a deal yielding less $ for them than the status quo.

In previous years, impasses have been resolved as they've found a way to ensure both sides get a slight increase. That can't happen this time. Someone's going to lose money, so they're a lot more willing to sit the 2011 season in an effort to avoid that.

The scab win over the Cowboys is probably one of the best upsets in league history.

While these things often go down to the last minute, this one is a lot more likely to go to a lockout because the players are asking for a deal worth more money than they're currently getting. Owners are opting out of the current deal, and asking for a better one. One side is going to have to accept a deal yielding less $ for them than the status quo.

In previous years, impasses have been resolved as they've found a way to ensure both sides get a slight increase. That can't happen this time. Someone's going to lose money, so they're a lot more willing to sit the 2011 season in an effort to avoid that.

but don't the owners have all the leverage here? if there's a lockout, the owners can still make money - the players dont.

but don't the owners have all the leverage here? if there's a lockout, the owners can still make money - the players dont.Well, the players get their signing bonuses for the life of their contracts whether there are games to be played or not. It's true that if there is a lockout, they won't get their salaries, but that really only kills the players who were just about to become eligible for free agency. I think the players have a majority of the leverage, even though a lockout is techincally due to the owners.

Well, the players get their signing bonuses for the life of their contracts whether there are games to be played or not. It's true that if there is a lockout, they won't get their salaries, but that really only kills the players who were just about to become eligible for free agency. I think the players have a majority of the leverage, even though a lockout is techincally due to the owners.

i've read that the owners will essentially fire/layoff everyone if theres a lockout and they can use the stadiums for other venues to makeup revenues while there's no games. and the owners still get their portion of revenue from tv deals, whether there are games or not. so the owners will still be generating revenue, but without having to pay for player salaries.

the owners seem well-prepared to weather the storm of a lockout. the players, on the other hand, by all reports have not been saving up money to last them through a potential lockout.

my bold prediction is that the lockout last no more than 4-6 games and we still have a 10-12 game season.

The scab win over the Cowboys is probably one of the best upsets in league history.Plus, it inspired The Replacements. So there's that...