NFL Deal Summary

[Boone]

Here's the deal on the table per ESPN.

http://espn.go.com/photo/preview/!pdfs/espn_summary_nfldeal.pdf


I am not an attorney, but at a glance, that looks like a pretty damn good deal for players. The revenue percentages alone are staggering. In a world where, apparently 'ownership' no longer means a thing, I can't see how any employee could expect more.

I've heard all the arguments. Average career is only 3+ years, putting their bodies at risk, etc..etc... It doesn't matter. Even in 3 years, these guys will make more than the average American makes in a lifetime. And that's not even getting into things like 'health insurance for life' (a benefit you would not find anywhere else in American business).

My sense of things is that this IS the final deal. I think the owners have given as much as they should and as much as they will. The players better recognize that and sign the damn thing. If this becomes a stalemate and we don't have football this year, I'm done with the NFL and the Redskins.

 

[Goaldeje]

Why is it sideways? Hurts my small brain to read...

 

[Boone]

Right click and 'rotate'

 

[Lanky Livingston]

Here is a good breakdown by the National Football Post: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/We-have-a-proposed-deal.html

 

[Boone]

Follow-up thoughts. I was listening to ESPN yesterday and they had Ross Tucker (former Redskin) on and they were having a discussion about why fans seem to be blaming the players for the lockout. Tucker made what I thought were some really stupid comments. First of all he talked about how all these rich owners got their money from their daddy's while NFL players earned their money through hard work and God-given talent. Then he focused on the fact that, sure NFL players were millionaires, but the owners were billionaires.

Uh. Ross? That's because, they're ...like....the owners. It's the equivalent of basing a union dispute on the fact that the mean old company has all the resources and won't give them to the union members. I am not a Dan Snyder fan, but he earned his billions by being incredibly smart, shred, opportunistic, and focused. He came from no money. And most NFL owners earned their dimes the same way. Oh - and Ross put icing on the cake by saying fans were just jealous because NFL players were doing what they couldn't do themselves. Riiiiight.

I'll tell you why I think most NFL fans will end up blaming the players if this turns into a disaster. It's called 'capitalism'. Most fans believe in that. It's a system we have to operate in every day of our lives. Unless we start our own business (knock yourselves out NFL players), we have to find a company that we can believe in, that reflects our values or meets our needs in some way, and then we have to dive in, do the work that aligns with our companys mission, vision, and values. We agree to compensation for that. If we don't like that or can't ultimately live with it, we move on and find something else to do for a living.

Why is there some inherent requirement that NFL players get to live in some alternative parallel Universe? I reject that idea. Get over it NFL players and sign. the. ****ing. agreement.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

Another viewpoint: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2011/7/22/2287259/nfl-lockout-2011-owners-players-agreement-cba

 

[Goaldeje]

Boone, I don't like the apparent foot dragging right now by the players, but, to play devil's advocate... are you saying you completely trust Dan Snyder (or the rest of the owners)? If you were in negotiations with Snyder to buy a cupcake and there was a contract involved, I have a feeling you would check, double-check, triple check the contract, and then have your lawyer do the same before signing anything.

As for Tucker's point, I heard that too, and he's a dope. But I may be wrong, but I haven't gotten the feeling this time that EVERYONE blames the players. I think blame is more evenly split. Let's face it, both sides are greedy, period.

 

[Boone]

I wasn't saying I think fans currently blame the players by any wide margin - that was the premise of the ESPN conversation. I think the feeling from the analysts was that, with a deal that looks pretty damn sweet for players on the table, that the tide would turn if the agreement wasn't made soon. And I agree with that assessment.

I think your other comment (with love and all due respect ) is a red herring. It's not like the owners have been in a smoke-filled room for 6 months drafting an agreement. Demaurice Smith and the NFLPA leadership have been neck-deep in the details of this agreement every day. That being said, of course you are right at the core of your comment, that no decision-making body should rush a decision on a 10 year deal. And I'm not arguing they should. As long as they do it in time for the season to start on time, I have no issue with that. What I would have issues with is any player or player rep suggesting this isn't an incredibly generous deal (by any reasonable standards) and to refuse to ultimately sign-off on it because they didn't *win* on every single point.

I have to believe they'll sign off on it in the next 5 days. It would be insane not to.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

According to the NFLPA, the owners voted on the deal before the players had even seen it. This was a PR tactic, nothing more, nothing less.

EDIT: Boone, read the link I posted above. Explains it very well.

 

[Henry]

Eh. I'm a bottom line guy.

If a deal doesn't get done I blame them all.

 

[Boone]

According to the NFLPA...

Read what you just wrote and think about it. I'm cynical, but the idea that the owners put some mysterious document out there as a final product, and that the poor NFLPA had no idea what was in this thing...well, lets just say that doesn't even approach credible.

You're right that putting the proposed deal out there as if it were done (let's face it - nothing is done until the ink from both sides is dry on the same document) was a ploy to apply pressure. And it's probably going to be a successful ploy. There SHOULD be pressure on both sides to get this done.

Likewise, the outcry from the NFLPA that this is some mysterious new document - that's a ploy as well. They are putting out as much 'misinformation' as the owners ... for example, the outcry about the players not being involved in the 'Supplemental Revenue Sharing' process - that's not even a player-related agreement - it's an internal agreement made between the franchises and owners that has never been subject to player input. The player's association might love to have input/sway on that agreement, but that's not relevant. It's another red-herring.

As usual, Henry is right - there will be plenty of blame for both sides if this doesn't get done, but regardless of how you feel about the owner's 'tactics', they've put an agreement on the table for all to see, providing everyone an opportunity to see in broad daylight what the offer here is. It's a very good offer, and the players better get that while the getting is good.

 

[the Omniscient]

According to the players and ESPN (Heath Evans, Takeo Spikes etc...) the only thing that got added was the timeline in which to get a deal done. Takeo Spikes said that the owners were trying to Bamboozle the players.

If this is true, I feel the players are being difficult just to be difficult. I have this image of a parent telling a child what to do and the child stomping their feet and crossing their arms and saying 'I don't want to!' I think that is where the players are at right now.

I have not chosen sides during this process, but from what I have heard this past week, the players need to man up and get the deal done.

 

[Goaldeje]

Did he really "bamboozle"? Awesome.

And Boone, if the players are dragging their feet because they think there is a better deal out there, you are correct, they need to speed it up. Everything I heard this week indicates that the owners have put everything on the table and are already pissed about losing one pre-season game. If they lose the whole revenue from a week of preseason games, the offer might go away entirely.

If however, they are going through the contract with a fine tooth comb, I have no problem with that.

 

[the Omniscient]

Yes, bamboozle was straight from Takeo's mouth. He seemed very angry about the timeline.

 

[servumtuum]

The NFLPA and a number of players have been acting like jerks. The owners know the NFLPA and a number of players have been acting like jerks. The owners know the fans believe the NFLPA and a number of players have been acting like jerks.

What better maneuver could you come up with than to suddenly produce a unanimously-signed "done deal the ball's in your court now" proposal that leaves the players in the position of either backing away from all current positions and arguments they had been making and submitting the thing to a vote among the players? If the proposal gets a majority among the players, which I see as a likely scenario, this will undermine the image of NFLPA leadership as being actually representative of the players true desires and cast them as the "Bad Guys" among both fans and players alike. If they vote against the proposal the same thing will occur only this time putting a pall on all players who will then likely blame the NFLPA leadership for their sudden loss of fan support.

The NFLPA overextended, the owners spotted it and picked the perfect time-when everybody's hopes were skyrocketing about a solution-to expose the overextension to its maximum potential damage level. It's the timing that was the true brilliance here.

This way, season, partial season, or no season the owners come out smelling like a rose. Win-win. Well played.

Since the players have to re-certify the umion prior to actually voting on the proposal, it will be interesting to see how this may effect DeMaurice Smith's position.

I wouldn't include Snyder as a major player, by the way, more likely The Jerruh.


Oh, by the way...Boone, I could teach you a few things about being a cynic.

 

[Boone]

Nice post serv...blogged

 

[servumtuum]

That was totally unexpected.

Uh..thanks.

 

[Ax]

Hey, if these guys won't sign, let's find replacements who will.

The more I hear from players, and player reps, the more I'm convinced that the stereotype, "dumb jock", is accurate, more often than not.

 

[burgold]

Hey, if these guys won't sign, let's find replacements who will.

The more I hear from players, and player reps, the more I'm convinced that the stereotype, "dumb jock", is accurate, more often than not.

I actually think this has something to do with it, but even more so... pampered, spoiled, diva who's used to be treated like Gods and getting everything they desired is at play. Think about it. For a considerable number of these guys, they were at the top of the food chain since they were 12 and people have been accomodating, bowing, scraping and going far out of their way to make sure they are happy.

Now, this person, in some respects is just a different brand of a silver spooned baby. If they get a great deal they don't understand how it can be a great deal because they didn't get everything they wanted and they almost always get everything they want. The fact that someone says "yes" before them and says, agree to "our" terms... unfathomable. They're too important and the world revolves around them.

I'm exaggerating a bit, but many players have been sheltered from reality for a long time. It impacts how you understand the world. A more than fair contract becomes a slap in the face. Now, they ought to read every line of the contract twice or at least have their lawyers do this, but they were initially supposed to talk about this and vote the day before the owners voted. When they delayed, the owners marched ahead without them. Imagine that. Imagine the offense that someone would proceed without showing them proper deference. Do the owners really not understand who they are!

The game would die without them. That's how they've been bamboozled, mistreated, and betrayed. Someone stopped feeding them peeled grapes.

 

[Nobody]

I have placed at least 90% of the blame on the players from the start, because they have asked for way too much.

If a fan dies at the stadium as a result of neglect on someone's part, are the players going to pitch in when the owner gets sued? Of course. They want all of the upside the owners are getting, with none of the BS that comes along with it. They're greedy, and they can all go to hell.

On that note, I'm glad they got a deal done. No football has driven me crazy

I can't neglect to throw in how I still believe this is entirely DeMaurice Smith's fault. I blame the players by default for not telling him to go **** himself.