Blame Game (by Chidi29 - March 16, 2011)

Turn out the lights. The party is over. Football is at a standstill.

The owners have locked out the players. In response, the players' union has decertified. Any further talk will come from the courtroom, the worst scenario for the league and fans alike.

It's now obvious that there was never any trust between the two sides. The league and union were highly critical of one another in press conferences following the news that the union had filed for decertification. The owners struggled with transparency, and the union followed up with ultimatums.

And now, until the CBA is resolved, the league is in shambles. The scornful remarks made by both sides will not soon be forgotten. Players and teams can no longer have any communications. Players can't even rehab at their team's training facilities. Kevin Faulk, recovering from a torn ACL, is at LSU. Any player drafted can not sign a contract. All undrafted free agents will not be allowed to sign with teams. The union is no longer regulating agents.

Fans have blamed both sides. That the owners were too greedy or that the union was too stubborn. That's our job. To figure out who was in the wrong and who screwed up. Our main import is hindsight.

The only way for this to get resolved quickly is for the owners and players to take the opposite approach. The blame can't be important. Their professionalism, supposed at least, has to shine through. The focus put on getting the issues resolved as quickly as possible. Even in the court system where a third party will take the reigns, cooperation between the two sides is still key.

If they are too busy passing around the blame, there's no telling when we'll watch another game.

© 2011 Steelers Universe

Once again - another excellent piece Chidi! :applaudit: :thumbsup:

Players want books, piece of NFL? Not gonna happen By Clark Judge




It's not a billion dollars or 18-game schedule or a rookie salary cap that keeps the NFL and its players from a peaceful settlement. Nope, it's trust. Neither side trusts the other, which is why the courts have been asked to intervene.

I'm serious. These guys can't even agree when the Players Association stopped being a union last Friday. The NFL said it was notified at 4 p.m. The players said it was 5:02 sharp, and why does it matter? Because it's another example of two sides with conflicting versions of the same story.

So talks dissolve, the union decertifies, the league initiates a lockout and let the litigation begin.

Players insist the league planned years for a lockout. Owners insist players never wanted to negotiate. I don't know that either is accurate, but I do know neither trusts the other -- and, yeah, that's what the NFL's first labor stoppage in 24 years is all about.

Owners insist they couldn't live with the past CBA because the acceleration of costs is beginning to outrun the pace of revenues. So they want something better, and what they want is a new collective bargaining agreement that initially included an additional $1 billion in cost credits.

Naturally, players were skeptical. They see a $9-billion business that is growing and just produced a Super Bowl with its best ratings ever and wonder: What's the problem? So they want answers. They want evidence. In short, they want the owners' books.

Fair enough. As executive director DeMaurice Smith said, if you're going to write a $1 billion check you want more than someone's word he needs it. I get it, especially after U.S. District Court Judge David Doty ruled the NFL acted against players' interests when it failed to maximize revenues from TV network deals.
But when you ask why they don't trust each other, don't start there. Go to the contentious issue of "financial transparency," which players have been pushing for nearly two years. They want the NFL to open its books to justify its demands, and the NFL has said it will -- only with a third party, which the players view as a no can-do. .... read more....http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/1...t-gonna-happen

The owners don't trust each other either, that is primarily why there is a problem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zulater

Players want books, piece of NFL? Not gonna happen By Clark Judge




[I]It's not a billion dollars or 18-game schedule or a rookie salary cap that keeps the NFL and its players from a peaceful settlement. Nope, it's trust. Neither side trusts the other, which is why the courts have been asked to intervene.

I'm serious. These guys can't even agree when the Players Association stopped being a union last Friday. The NFL said it was notified at 4 p.m. The players said it was 5:02 sharp, and why does it matter? Because it's another example of two sides with conflicting versions of the same story.

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:facepalm:

This is the exact problem. They're not focused on the main issue. Now it's just the two sides yelling over dumb, irrelevant things like the draft and this.

The kitchen is on fire and both sides are arguing who started it. Instead of putting out the fire.

During the interviews after the last meeting I saw nothing but egos. It seem to have turned into a war of wills, particularly Smith IMO. I don't see an agreement coming from this bunch unless this aptitude changes. Or the members of the negotiating teems change.

Nice job Chidi, thanks for the good work.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Texasteel

During the interviews after the last meeting I saw nothing but egos. It seem to have turned into a war of wills, particularly Smith IMO. I don't see an agreement coming from this bunch unless this aptitude changes. Or the members of the negotiating teems change.

Nice job Chidi, thanks for the good work.

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Yup. It became about showing who was more powerful rather than working together and getting the task done.

These guys are supposed to be professionals but are acting like two year olds. Times like this is when I wish this board made decisions. At least we'd be able to come to an agreement.