Court Cancels Mediation, Settlement Negotiations Continue

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Just saying that for over a year before fans really started caring about this whole labor mess (March 2011) the players made repeated offers to the league, only to be flatly denied over and over again. So why should I blast D. Smith for rejecting the owners' offer and they repeatedly rebuffed the players' offers? http://www.thewarpath.net/804607-post191.html

Yes that was the post I was thinking of and it was one that had me rethinking my position a little bit.

I have no problem with rejecting an offer, it was the ineffectual posturing that put me off. Looking back over the articles from your link, yes - the NFL rejected the offers but seem to give reasons (which people may or may not agree with) for the rejection which, if not an actual counter offer, did point to factors where a middle ground might be found.

D.Smith's trashing of the NFL's last offers did not seem to point to a middle ground and, instead of 'powering down' to allow cooler heads to prevail, it seemed to me that he was stoking the litigation fires. Of course, knowing that Smith seemed litigation bound, perhaps the Owners' offer was just part their public opinion strategy which they knew Smith would reject. If so, Smith's public comments played right into their hands. Quite frankly, IMO, Smith, in his litigation strategy, is either a douche or is getting played like a fiddle.

Hopefully it is changing, but it seems to me BOTH sides are determined to cut off their noses to spite their face - the Owners by trying to milk every last penny out of the players AND get an ounce or two of blood in the process through the negiotiating table and the players by travelling down this all or nothing litigation path.

Again, not "blasting Smith" for rejecting the offer but, rather, for the manner in which he did it.