The NFL owners have big money and that gives them tremendous power to shape the perceptions of the fans who want the work stoppage to end and NFL football to take place in the fall. Notice how the owners are winning the public relations battle with the players union.
I ask you one key question. Why haven’t you heard anybody in the media ask one owner or the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about their plans to shut down the NFL for two years. U.S. District Court Judge David Doty found overwhelming evidence that the owners had negotiated a deal with the television networks which would have given them a $4 billion war chest so that could withstand a two-year work stoppage in need be.
I haven’t heard one owner or NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell be asked whether the judgment was correct and why they were going to do that. If a player or the players union had been slammed in court by a judge, you’d better believe the media would ask them about it the next time they put microphones in their face.
They had lied to the judge and told them they were not planning a lock out.
The guys who cover the NFL don’t want to do that because the NFL pays them directly or indirectly and they don’t want to jeopardize their jobs.
I don’t think it’s a good idea for the union to ask players not to go to the draft because it’s not going to mean much in the long run, but DeMaurice Smith and the NFLPA are getting pounded in the public relations battle because of it.
The Owners were definitely planning for a “Lockout” just as the Players were
planning to “Decertify the Union” and basically have the CBA resovled by the Courts and Lawyers.. Both Sides have been preparing for this for about 2 years now. It has become obvious that there is little repsect and trust between both sides and until they can address these hard feelings, nothing will get accomplished.. Not to be overdramatic,but this is starting to look and sound like the Israeli/Palestine problem that we have seen over the last 40 years where neither side wants to acknowledge or address the needs of either side truthfully,realistically and with mutual repsect, therefore nothing gets accomplished and bad feelings become more ingrained…
G, LEVERAGE!!! Both sides were trying to get leverage. Its a business…. Its what you do when you see a problem arise. Y aren’t you up in arms about the sham decert?
Both sides are full of crap and are trying to make as much money as they can. BOTH. What it comes down to is this question…. Are the NFL and players partners? The answer is no. The owners own the teams and the league and all the work that comes with it. The players play. So the question becomes…. What is a fair deal? The jury is still out… I don’t blame the players for holding out. I don’t blame the owners for locking out. I blame the players for walking away from the table. And so… They get the blame for now cause they walked away… Simple as that…. And the fans seem to agree.
it seems to me the tv networks should demand there money back , take the nfl to court , saying no play no pay. if you eliminate the 4 billion i bet you have a quicker resolve to this stoppage. i also feel the networks overpaid which is also part of the problem which is there own fault.
Because the media is a joke that’s why. Journalism is dead.
Nev, that’s the deal they agreed to. I remember when that deal went down and the networks were well aware of the situation. Everyone is making money off football and they were willing to take the chance. Think about it…. Sunday= what? In my house…. Church and football.
All the players should migrate to a new league, and wipe out the NFL – I bet the owners would crap bricks with all of their new stadiums needing payoff. Be bold players, leave them behind.
Or….. The players would realize quickly that most fans root for the name on the front, not the name on the back.