Twitter burns as Owners ratify

Here's a little nugget that I think is pertinent. THE PLAYERS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

There are plenty of smart well-intentioned football players but none of them have any real experience in actual labor negotiations or union management. They hired someone to lead their union who was supposed to mitigate this fact. Hell that's the point of hiring professional labor personnel...they know what they're doing. Unfortunately I think De Smith has proven again that he doesn't have the head for this job. The NFPLA* let this get out of control when they didn't properly manage expectations and the situation on their side to make sure everything was in order to move forward with the process in the proper way.

If any average Joe can follow this on the internet, I am sure the majority of players should have been able to. That being said, I think both sides did quite a lot towards the end to keep this going (the owners throwing the right for first refusal and from the players side the whole settlement situation with the Brady case). I think at this point the players rep need to show leadership and just get everyone to vote on this and move on.

I use to think player reps were always the level-headed "smart" guys. This has shown me that isn't always the case. But whatever...it's time for everyone to put on the big-boy pants and finish this thing.

The NFL PR machine is almost as good as the GOP/DEM PR machine. They agree to a deal THEY come up with, and act as if was something the players also agreed on and that they are the ones holding this up. The worst part is, people believe it...lol I guess that's why people keep voting in the same cats that continue to feed them bullshit at election time as well. /facepalm

I am still waiting to see a link or something concrete that shows the owners in some way, altered the terms that had been agreed upon with NFLPA leadership or inserted language that was either contrary to that agreement or inserted terms that were simply never contemplated. Show me the link as to the specifics parts of the agreement that "THEY come up with, and act as if was something the players also agreed on". I haven't seen it. I have heard allegations and diatribe and read Vonnie Holliday's tweet, but nothing referring to the specifics parts of the proposal that the players did not agree to. Please show me exactly what you are talking about by referencing the Proposal's terms.

Ahhh, but the owners are constantly evil and have money so it MUST be there fault, evidence is simply not needed to prove that immutable point. <sigh>

I use to think player reps were always the level-headed "smart" guys. This has shown me that isn't always the case. But whatever...it's time for everyone to put on the big-boy pants and finish this thing.

I get that 1600 players want a chance to see the final product and understand it before agreeing to it, but that's what the players' reps should have been doing all along so that the players can say "okay, how was this issue finally resolved? How was that issue finally resolved?" And get there answers quickly. It's not the players I blame as much as their reps and the NFLPA legal team. It's as if the legal team didn't keep the reps involved and the reps were certainly not communicating with the players. Now, the NFLPA leadership is expecting the players to understand four months of negotiating in one day and to make an informed decision. Bush league.

If I was a player (1) I would probably been more informed on the progress and bugged my rep for substantive information along the way; and (2) I would be deeply pissed at my rep if what he had been telling me up to know didn't match what I was hearing now.

Time to go to work. Let's get it!

I am still waiting to see a link or something concrete that shows the owners in some way, altered the terms that had been agreed upon or inserted language that was either contrary to that agreement or was simply never discussed. Show me the link as to the specifics parts of the agreement that "THEY come up with, and act as if was something the players also agreed on". I haven't seen it. I have heard allegations and diatribe and read Vonnie Holliday's tweet, but nothing referring to the specifics parts of the proposal that the players did not agree to.

Ahhh, but the owners are constantly evil and have money so it MUST be there fault, evidence is simply not needed to prove that immutable point. <sigh>

I don't think you'll find that. I think the issue is the players like the agreement but they have to poll all 1900+ players, in other words the players must vote to be a union again. Then they can vote on accepting the new CBA. So technically the players are not ready, but it is their own mistake for not having found a way to quickly get their vote ie; a simple e-mail from each player using employee numbers or something.

The issue of the owners adding things I think is the owners demanding the players reform prior to being allowed to show up at team facilities. I think the players were hoping the owners would take all the risk and open their doors and them allow the players to come together to vote on reforming then the player rep could send the vote to whomever and with the majority vote then the player reps could vote on the new CBA as a union. But the owners don't want to take the risk and I don't blame them.

As far as the other issue's like injury settlements that's all arguments a union would have to argue which can't take place until the players reform.

HOF game is cancelled
FYI - For those going to Canton - the game is canceled but the tailgating party is still on.

The real culprit here is Twitter. Everyone's getting up in arms, even some players, publicly minute by minute for the world to see for what is just a standard part of the process. We're talking about a 10 year deal with no out clause. Of course, they should take their time to review it. Sorry if everyone wanted the players just to sign off on it right away...but maybe they're not as stupid as so many believe.

NFL network just talking about it saying basically ther is 2 big issues...

1- is the CBA which the players and owners don't have issues with.

And

2- how to settle the law suits and reform as a union "legally".

Now personally I think the NFLPA* should already have had a plan for all this and or atleast talked about by their lawyers. Why do I get the feeling the players had no intention of reforming and D.Smith never informed the players or their reps that the negotiations were going forward as if they will reform as a union? Then all the reps come back and are upset about the whole idea of reforming and dropping all the lawsuits.