Are you ready for some football? Well.. you'll have to wait until 2012.

[Baseball Nut]

Not good. Those are the first two words that come to mind after hearing today's news that talks in the labor negotiations between the NFL and NFL Players Association for a new collective bargaining agreement fell apart and the players' union moved to decertify, which should lead to the league's first work stoppage in 24 years.

The players will now allow the CBA to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET. This will prevent the NFL from instituting a lockout which allow individual players to sue the league for antitrust violations which will probably be lead by Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
These are Drew Brees' most recent tweets on Twitter.
"To our fans - I give you my word that we as players are doing everything we can to negotiate with the NFL towards a fair deal"
"The NFL brought this fight to us - they want $1 billion back, we just want financial information to back up that request"
"They refuse to give that information to us. They think we should just trust them. Would you?"
"We have a responsibility to our players - past, present, and future, to advance this league forward, not take 3 steps back."
"I am very sorry that you as fans have to endure this. Football is more than just a game for all of us. We will keep fighting...always"
"Not once have the players asked for more money during this negotiation. That is a FACT. I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for us"
"Past players sacrificed a great deal to give us what we have now in the NFL, and we will not lay down for a second to give that up"
"We have a responsibility and at some point you just have to stand up for what is right"
Translation... hope you like college football because that's all you'll be getting in 2011.



More...

[SellingAllCards]

As fans we should boycott them. Both sides have enough money and if they weren't so greedy this would be done and over with. Every sport suffers with a strike/lockout never a good idea. The numbers are astounding for a league making around $8 billion last year.............................................. ...............................

[dfr52]

I blame this on the owners since they are the ones enforcing the lockout. Both sides were making money but the owners wanted more. If football wasn't such a violent sport that leaves players in poor health I could maybe understand the owners stance.

[Ground Support]

100% believe that there will be a deal done before kickoff.

Way too much money involved for everyone in the US. for there not to be any games played..

Count on a season in 2011. This was a power play by the union to get the Owners to fold.

[gladdyontherise]

Football will be played, despite the owners trying to force the players into taking way less money..

Who really believes the owners are losing money? For them to state that is just silly in my opinion, we all know they're making bigtime profits

[dfr52]

Football will be played, despite the owners trying to force the players into taking way less money..

Who really believes the owners are losing money? For them to state that is just silly in my opinion, we all know they're making bigtime profits

The Union has been stating since before the season even ended that they wanted to see the books so this can be proven. With how much money the NFL generates its easy to doubt their claims.

[gladdyontherise]

The Union has been stating since before the season even ended that they wanted to see the books so this can be proven. With how much money the NFL generates its easy to doubt their claims.

For sure, but they'll never show them unless forced because what they claim compared to reality is probably 100% different.

I like the players stance on the matter, they have no issues with giving back money, but they want to see why they need to do that, makes sense to me.

[jackson0114]

As much as I hate no NFL in 2011, I agree with the players. Im not giving anyone money if I dont know what for.

Sad day if theres no NFL in 2011...I cant Imagine it

[dfr52]

For sure, but they'll never show them unless forced because what they claim compared to reality is probably 100% different.

I like the players stance on the matter, they have no issues with giving back money, but they want to see why they need to do that, makes sense to me.

Same here.

Unless its proven w/out a doubt that the league and the teams are losing money then I don't think the players should take less than they are currently receiving.

[HiEnd]

Players were hell bent on breaking the union all along. Here's a detailed break down of what the owners side of the offer was. Players walked away from alot of good deals.

Owners were more than willing to show 5 years worth of numbers and the players wanted 10. The players were never going to agree to a deal

1. We more than split the economic difference between us, increasing our proposed cap for 2011 significantly and accepting the Union’s proposed cap number for 2014 ($161 million per club).

2. An entry level compensation system based on the Union’s “rookie cap” proposal, rather than the wage scale proposed by the clubs. Under the NFL proposal, players drafted in rounds 2-7 would be paid the same or more than they are paid today. Savings from the first round would be reallocated to veteran players and benefits.

3. A guarantee of up to $1 million of a player’s salary for the contract year after his injury – the first time that the clubs have offered a standard multi-year injury guarantee.

4. Immediate implementation of changes to promote player health and safety by:

◦Reducing the off-season program by five weeks, reducing OTAs from 14 to 10, and limiting on-field practice time and contact;
◦Limiting full-contact practices in the preseason and regular season; and
◦Increasing number of days off for players.
5. Commit that any change to an 18-game season will be made only by agreement and that the 2011 and 2012 seasons will be played under the current 16-game format.

6. Owner funding of $82 million in 2011-12 to support additional benefits to former players, which would increase retirement benefits for more than 2000 former players by nearly 60 percent.

7. Offer current players the opportunity to remain in the player medical plan for life.

8. Third party arbitration for appeals in the drug and steroid programs.

9. Improvements in the Mackey plan, disability plan, and degree completion bonus program.

10. A per-club cash minimum spend of 90 percent of the salary cap over three seasons.

[dfr52]

Players were hell bent on breaking the union all along. Here's a detailed break down of what the owners side of the offer was. Players walked away from alot of good deals.

Owners were more than willing to show 5 years worth of numbers and the players wanted 10. The players were never going to agree to a deal

1. We more than split the economic difference between us, increasing our proposed cap for 2011 significantly and accepting the Union’s proposed cap number for 2014 ($161 million per club).

2. An entry level compensation system based on the Union’s “rookie cap” proposal, rather than the wage scale proposed by the clubs. Under the NFL proposal, players drafted in rounds 2-7 would be paid the same or more than they are paid today. Savings from the first round would be reallocated to veteran players and benefits.

3. A guarantee of up to $1 million of a player’s salary for the contract year after his injury – the first time that the clubs have offered a standard multi-year injury guarantee.

4. Immediate implementation of changes to promote player health and safety by:

◦Reducing the off-season program by five weeks, reducing OTAs from 14 to 10, and limiting on-field practice time and contact;
◦Limiting full-contact practices in the preseason and regular season; and
◦Increasing number of days off for players.
5. Commit that any change to an 18-game season will be made only by agreement and that the 2011 and 2012 seasons will be played under the current 16-game format.

6. Owner funding of $82 million in 2011-12 to support additional benefits to former players, which would increase retirement benefits for more than 2000 former players by nearly 60 percent.

7. Offer current players the opportunity to remain in the player medical plan for life.

8. Third party arbitration for appeals in the drug and steroid programs.

9. Improvements in the Mackey plan, disability plan, and degree completion bonus program.

10. A per-club cash minimum spend of 90 percent of the salary cap over three seasons.

That's all well and good but the owners still want a larger percentage of the profit. The players were fine w/ the old deal, its the owners who decided to walk away and create this situation.

[wheeler281]

HiEnd great post

Yeah this is all on the players IMO

The union put out grandios statement "lets see the books thats all we want" when they knew all along they were not entitled.
It was a ploy to win some fans over. Which at the beginning always will work.

[wheeler281]

They should not have to open their books that is the difference between ownership and an employee. 2nd I agree with the nfl network guys that opening the books when they agreed on the prior cba was never required and the players have never had it so good. They left and amazing deal on the table and chose to decertify. Moronic move. FTR The owners will never open their books and should never be made allowed to do so

[dfr52]

HiEnd great post

Yeah this is all on the players IMO

The union put out grandios statement "lets see the books thats all we want" when they knew all along they were not entitled.
It was a ploy to win some fans over. Which at the beginning always will work.

But the owners are the ones walking away from the current agreement and enforcing the lockout.

[dfr52]

They should not have to open their books that is the difference between ownership and an employee. 2nd I agree with the nfl network guys that opening the books when they agreed on the prior cba was never required and the players have never had it so good. They left and amazing deal on the table and chose to decertify. Moronic move. FTR The owners will never open their books and should never be made allowed to do so

Then the claim that the league and owners are losing money is pretty much meaningless and their breaking away from the current CBA is just a money grab.