I told you it would be an interesting offseason and so far we haven't been disappointed. The negotiations between the players and owners for a new collective bargaining agreement alas has come to the inevitable halt that we all new it would. Make no mistake that despite what you hear from both sides that it is not about money, IT IS ABOUT MONEY!!! I don't know about you but if I went to my boss and said I need to know your bottom line, my bottom line would be out the door and on the street. Players should take a look at history. In 1987 the owners learned how to defeat this simply by putting "A" product on the field. Maybe it was a little rag tag but it was still football. The replacement players entertained us in 1987 and ultimately that is what football is all about.....Entertainment! The latest ploy by the players is to de-certify as a Union so that they can individually file suit against the owners and the league stating that you cannot lock us out now because we are not part of a union. The owners on the other hand are saying that this de-certification of the Union is a sham just so the players can go to court and let the courts decide who is right and who is wrong. There are of course several other issues involved in the suit having to do with anti-trust laws. In my humble opinion the owners are missing a golden opportunity to fight fire with fire. Simply, do not play into the players hands and just don't Lockout the players. Any player under contract, now that there is no union, should be allowed to report to their respective facilities for work. From Spring practice all the way through the start of the season. I really don't believe the players want to report to work until they get their demands met. As an owner I would just tell all players under contract I expect you to play. In addition since there is no union, we the owners no longer have to split the $9 billion in annual revenue and we will spend it as we see fit. The players should know by now what the "Golden Rule" is "He who has all of the gold makes the rules". If a court sides with either the players or the owners this will eventually go to the Supreme Court which could take a while. I do not believe either side wants to wait that long. Should this initial ruling go in favor of the players the owners can do exactly what I stated earlier, just allow the players to come to work. If the ruling is in favor of the owners and the court says that the union is still together, then the owners "can" Lockout the players and simply follow the formula from 1987 until the players decide they have lost enough money. Either way in the end the players will have to capitulate if they want to make any money at all this season. You might think by what I have expressed here that I am on the side of the owners but you would be incorrect. I am simply taking things to their logical conclusion. When you have the privledge of playing in the NFL regardless of the term of your career, you know what you are getting into and you have a choice. You can play for a lot of money or you can go out into the real world with the rest of us. The lowest salary in the NFL is somewhere around $300K a year more than most of us regular people will ever make. What we as fans can do if we really want to impact the sport is simple. Don't buy season tickets. Cancel your season tickets now! If you believe the owners are wrong, this would make the biggest statement and have a dramatic impact immediately. If you are leasing a suite for six figures, cancel it. You should have grounds to get out of your lease if there is no football being played. IMAGINE...32 NFL cities and their fans go on strike by NOT participating in this fiasco. The impact on the owners would be immeasurable...I guarantee it!
So, Football Fans where do you stand? I waiting to hear from you. Join in the fun as it appears we will have a lot to talk about over the next few months. See ya soon.................
