Rock out with your Lockout
 

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is declaring tomorrow (Tuesday January 18th, 2011) as "Let Us Play Day" to heighten awareness that if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is not in place by the spring, the owners are planning to lock-out the players, putting the 2011 NFL season in jeopardy.



If you're not familiar with the dynamics of the current lockout situation, there is a good read up [URL="http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2011/1/17/1934363/rock-out-with-your-lockout-nfl-work-stoppage-for-dummies"]HERE[/URL].

If you'd like to support the players, [URL="http://www.nfllockout.com/"]Sign the petition[/URL]!

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

Where can we vote for owners?

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

Where can we let both parties know that we don't support either side over the other, and they need all need to get their collective b**** a**es to the table and work out a deal.

Seriously, stupid idiots trying to play fan support against each other. I have no interest in who gets more money, I just want to watch football.

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;778486]Where can we let both parties know that we don't support either side over the other, and they need all need to get their collective b**** a**es to the table and work out a deal.

Seriously, stupid idiots trying to play fan support against each other. I have no interest in who gets more money, I just want to watch football.[/quote]

Brilliant.

I'd also like to vote for a cap-less NFL and Sunday Ticket being offered by all cable providers. Where can I sign that petition?

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

I agree with everything said by CRedskinsRule. **** them all.

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

The NBA and the NFL might have a lock out next fall. If both have a lock out at the same time, the US economy could take a hit.
All of the people out of work and the revenue the local economies count on from these games could send us into another recession. Playing with fire.
I do not claim to know all of the details on any of the sides, but I am very against expanding the NFL schedule. That is stupid. Why does the NFL insist on messing with a good thing? Greed!

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

Owners and players make way more money than they should now as it is. Why don't we move the NFL in the direction of the financial markets and allow us to get kick backs, "dividends", since we are the force that lines their pockets with green in the first place? That is the petition I want to sign. Until the day we have meaningful jobs like teachers, police officers and firemen get paid the same as these overpaid athletes, I will not be happy. I work just as hard as these guys who get to have fun for a minuscule percentage of their salary. Wait, am I sounding a tad bit bitter? Oops....

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

The owners are the ones who have opted out of the current CBA agreement. They voted to opt out 2 years early.

I'm siding with the players because I feel that the owners have dug themselves into their own hole. The owners want to keep the same percentage of sharing, but decrease what qualifies as sharable revenue with the players. The players take the biggest health risk by playing the game, and should be compensated fairly... It's up to everyone to figure out what, "fairly" is.

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

I'm with CRedskinsRule. I don't side with one side or the other, I just want to see football in the fall. Both sides are greedy, and they both need to get over it.

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

Selfishly, as a fan I want both sides to just forget about themselves and think of the fans and avoid a lockout.

But, when I step back...I support the players

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

Millionaires versus Billionaires, it's tough for me to feel empathy for anyone in this argument. Meanwhile the guy down the street has a moving van backed to his front door, with a couple of deputies watching, in Anytown America.

[QUOTE=RobH4413;778493]The owners are the ones who have opted out of the current CBA agreement. They voted to opt out 2 years early.

I'm siding with the players because I feel that the owners have dug themselves into their own hole. The owners want to keep the same percentage of sharing, but decrease what qualifies as sharable revenue with the players. The players take the biggest health risk by playing the game, and should be compensated fairly... It's up to everyone to figure out what, "fairly" is.[/QUOTE]
Give me a break please. Are there issues to work out yes, but all players and owners are more than "fairly" compensated for a game they all love. In 1987 players had a reasonable claim in that owners controlled the whole playing field. Now not so much. Players also are doing better at marketing themselves outside of the sport (ie manning). This is about two super rich groups risking alienating the very fanbase which has bought into the hype and enjoyment of a sports entertainment package. If the billionare owners and millionaire players can't understand that a large percentage of the fanbase may work 10 to 20 years to earn what they earn in a few seasons (for the lowest paid player) than they are all being selfish with a sport that I and my family enjoy the heck out of.

No my support is not a question of fairness to the players, or the pity on owners who just want a reasonable return. My support is for the thousands of fans across the nation on boards like this one day in and day out rooting and cheering and aching when their team wins and loses.

Hopefully the greedy owners and selfish players hear that message through their various sycophants and media outlets!

As someone else mentioned police put their lives on the line daily, I don't see millionaire police officers (well not ones who aren't corrupt). Teachers in truly downtrodden school systems risk life and limb in trying to elevate their students out of despair - tell them about a guy with a 40 million dollar contract who isn't being fairly treated. Tell the miners who go down into the depths of the earth that the poor football players are not given more than 5 years of guaranteed health benefits, I doubt you will though cuz they would look at you like you are crazy.

The owners are no better. Tell other ceo's that their return rate in this economy is "only" 8% (or whatever). Or take their woe is me story to baseball which would love to have the same type player salaries and non-guaranteed contracts.

Both sides are at fault for not acknowledging that this system that upshaw and the old commissioner worked out really is a boon for the sport and all involved ought to do everything in their power to ensure it stays upright.

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

The only players I feel a little pity for are the the grunts who work for the minimum or just a bit more than that. At least they have a case for being compensated for in case of serious injury or being cut.

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

CRedskins, I understand your point completely. But look at this statement you made:

[B]The owners are no better. Tell other ceo's that their return rate in this economy is "only" 8% (or whatever). Or take their woe is me story to baseball which would love to have the same type player salaries and non-guaranteed contracts.[/B]

As much as the owners gripe about the players, the truth is the pie has grown larger and the game has gotten much more violent. For every Manning there are hundreds of Ethan Albrights. Those players who will continue to make relative chump change if we go in the direction the owners would like.

Yes there are billionaires and millionaires in the NFL. But the rising tide has not lifted all boats equally.

Re: Rock out with your Lockout
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;778504]Give me a break please. Are there issues to work out yes, but all players and owners are more than "fairly" compensated for a game they all love. In 1987 players had a reasonable claim in that owners controlled the whole playing field. Now not so much. Players also are doing better at marketing themselves outside of the sport (ie manning). This is about two super rich groups risking alienating the very fanbase which has bought into the hype and enjoyment of a sports entertainment package. If the billionare owners and millionaire players can't understand that a large percentage of the fanbase may work 10 to 20 years to earn what they earn in a few seasons (for the lowest paid player) than they are all being selfish with a sport that I and my family enjoy the heck out of.

No my support is not a question of fairness to the players, or the pity on owners who just want a reasonable return. My support is for the thousands of fans across the nation on boards like this one day in and day out rooting and cheering and aching when their team wins and loses.

Hopefully the greedy owners and selfish players hear that message through their various sycophants and media outlets!

As someone else mentioned police put their lives on the line daily, I don't see millionaire police officers (well not ones who aren't corrupt). Teachers in truly downtrodden school systems risk life and limb in trying to elevate their students out of despair - tell them about a guy with a 40 million dollar contract who isn't being fairly treated. Tell the miners who go down into the depths of the earth that the poor football players are not given more than 5 years of guaranteed health benefits, I doubt you will though cuz they would look at you like you are crazy.

The owners are no better. Tell other ceo's that their return rate in this economy is "only" 8% (or whatever). Or take their woe is me story to baseball which would love to have the same type player salaries and non-guaranteed contracts.

Both sides are at fault for not acknowledging that this system that upshaw and the old commissioner worked out really is a boon for the sport and all involved ought to do everything in their power to ensure it stays upright.[/quote]

Well when it comes to being fairly compensated... one of the hot issues at hand is the availability of information. The owners have repeatedly claimed that the times are tough, and new economical problems have risen, so more revenue is needed to offset these extra costs.

The NFLPA has acknowledged this complaint, but wants some proof of the impact on the owners themselves. In short, the NFLPA wants the owners to show them the books and go from there. The owners will not even discuss this as a possibility. [URL="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/15/2586480/with-each-day-that-passes-likelihood.html"]The offer is completely off the table. [/URL]

Secondly, being fairly compensated also involves increased health benefits for the players. With the inevitability of an 18 games season, some real sticking points involve the players increased wages and health benefits for these two extra games. More games = more wear and tear on the body = more money to pay for the ailments. Rookie salaries are also up for debate as well.

Before you cry about how you don't want to hear their complaints because they're millionaires, consider the amount of work that an NFL player must go through in order to reach that status. It's an incredibly demanding job, and many players earn every penny through hard work, dedication, and a lot of luck.