NFLPA apparently advising players to plan for an NFL work stoppage of at least one year

[Ohio State NY Jets fan]

Heard this on sports radio on the way home, could be just tough talk but crazy if not

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nflpa-apparently-advising-players-to-plan-for-an-nfl-work-stoppage-of-at-least-one-year/

full article in next post

 

[Ohio State NY Jets fan]

With the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the NFLPA set to expire after the 2020 season, the two sides have been busy trying negotiate a new deal this offseason, and although things seem to be going well, DeMaurice Smith is still telling players to plan for a work stoppage. 

Smith, who serves as the executive director of the NFLPA, sent out an email to agents around the league this week telling them to make sure their clients are financially prepared for a lockout or strike of at least one year. 

"We are advising players to plan for a work stoppage of at least a year in length," the email states. 

The email was obtained by the Sports Business Journal. 

Although the email doesn't necessarily mean that a work stoppage is going to happen, it does mean that Smith is concerned enough about the possibility that he wants to make sure players are saving money now in case it happens. 

Some players, like Todd Gurley, are already preparing for a work stoppage. In San Francisco, Richard Sherman has been saying since September that a work stoppage will happen once the current CBA expires. 

Smith has already seen one work stoppage happen during his tenure with the NFLPA and that came in 2011, when the players were locked out for nearly five months. To avoid a lockout, the NFL and NFLPA will have to hammer out a deal that works for both sides. 

For the players, that will likely mean a deal that gives them an increased share of league revenue, exempting marijuana from future drug tests and getting contracts to include more guarantees. Players currently get 47 percent of league revenues and any number above that would most likely mean that the salary would make bigger jumps each season. 

Although there was a lockout eight years ago, early indications are that the NFL and NFLPA might be able to avoid any kind of work stoppage this time around. The two sides started negotiations in April and have met two times over the past eight weeks with things reportedly going cordially. 

According to NFL.com, there's a small chance that a deal could be in place before the 2019 season starts, although it's more likely that the two sides will negotiate a final deal at some point in 2020. Apparently, the two sides have similar views on most key issues, and as of now, there's "nothing that would make it blow up," a league source told NFL.com. 

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has also made it clear that he would like to see a deal done soon. Goodell was actually asked about negotiations during a brief press conference at the NFL's spring meeting last week. 

"I do hope it is sooner rather than later," Goodell said of the new CBA, via the New York Times. "I think there is great value to all parties, and most importantly our fans, that we get this issue resolved and move forward."

If you're an NFL fan, that's  exactly what you want to hear. The NFL hasn't had a work stoppage since the lockout in 2011, and even then, it wasn't that rough for fans. The two sides were able to resolve their issues and agree on a new CBA before the start of the 2011 season, which meant that the league didn't have to cancel any games. 

The last time the NFL had to cancel games due to a work stoppage came in 1987.  
I was in a hurry.

If a work stoppage does happen, it wouldn't start for at least two more seasons. The current CBA runs through the end of the 2020 season, which means any potential work stoppage wouldn't take place until the 2021 season. 

[k-met57]

Heard this on sports radio on the way home, crazy
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nflpa-apparently-advising-players-to-plan-for-an-nfl-work-stoppage-of-at-least-one-year/
 
will post article next

Such bullsh*t. Hello Mr Free spending, overpaid athlete....please start being frugal with your money starting today....good luck!!

When will the players learn? You can’t win vs the billionaires.

[Ohio State NY Jets fan]

maybe AAFL quit too soon

[Mike135]

Good thinking.  If players are prepped and ready for a year or two of not playing, really gives the NFLPA a huge advantage.

If the owners know the players are ready to sit for years, should hopefully help negotiations go smoothly.

If the owners think they have the upper hand on the players however, we could be without football for a while.

[Mike135]

5 minutes ago, k-met57 said:

When will the players learn? You can’t win vs the billionaires.
 

 

Sure they can.  And planning for it now is how they do it.

[jetscrazey]

Count on a work stoppage.  What the players want is probably more than what the owners are willing to give easily.

The major points will be guaranteed contracts and possibly an 18 game regular season, and the owners may dangle stopping marijuana testing as a tradeoff.

[Hackenberg - Banned]

Nothing will happen. Just more pointless propaganda. 

[Jets Voice of Reason]

They did this last CBA and summarily caved on the franchise tag and rookie wage scale in favor of short sighted restrictions on two a days and voluntary OTAs and limited training camp practices. 

 

[TuscanyTile2]

The only positive that could come out of this is that Brady probably would retire rather than come back after taking an entire season off.

[k-met57]

1 minute ago, Mike135 said:

Good thinking.  If players are prepped and ready for a year or two of not playing, really gives the NFLPA a huge advantage.

If the owners know the players are ready to sit for years, should hopefully help negotiations go smoothly.

If the owners think they have the upper hand on the players however, we could be without football for a while.

you cant be serious? the PA has no chance, like every other lockout EVER. Best they can hope for is scraps.

i would venture to say, the average NFL player spends way too much in proportion to what they save or make, has no guaranteed contract, and has no ability or experience to do anything but be involved in sports...and that's probably like 80% of NFL players represented by the PA.

the biggest leverage the PA has is us the fans, but the billionares arent going to let that stand in the way....its happen before and its going to happen again.

[freestater]

They'll miss some games. I dont think an entire year, but a month.

[Mike135]

8 minutes ago, k-met57 said:

you cant be serious? the PA has no chance, like every other lockout EVER. Best they can hope for is scraps.

i would venture to say, the average NFL player spends way too much in proportion to what they save or make, has no guaranteed contract, and has no ability or experience to do anything but be involved in sports...and that's probably like 80% of NFL players represented by the PA.

the biggest leverage the PA has is us the fans, but the billionares arent going to let that stand in the way....its happen before and its going to happen again.

Very serious.  

Advantage nflpa imo.

[k-met57]

Very serious.  
Advantage nflpa imo.

Lol

Unrelated, got a bridge to sell ya...

[Peace Frog]

Owners can afford to miss a year’s worth of income. 

The rank and file players can’t. 

And because of the injury factor that year’s worth of salary is money many of them will never make back. 

Its not baseball where you just tack on a year to the end of your career. 

 

[flgreen]

31 minutes ago, Ohio State NY Jets fan said:

Heard this on sports radio on the way home, could be just tough talk but crazy if not

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nflpa-apparently-advising-players-to-plan-for-an-nfl-work-stoppage-of-at-least-one-year/

full article in next post

 

For sure this is crazy talk, and I also believe it's going to happen.

No football in 2021

[Peace Frog]

The average career of an NFL player is 3.3 years. 

Hey guys, here’s a good idea, let’s give up a THIRD of our career!!

Got that college degree to fall back on. May have to sell the Maserati and no more $20,000 sofas and suits made of flank steak. 

[Peace Frog]

Just now, flgreen said:

For sure this is crazy talk, and I also believe it's going to happen.

No football in 2021

So we’re only winning 2 SBs before the strike?

[whodeawhodat]

9 minutes ago, Peace Frog said:

Owners can afford to miss a year’s worth of income. 

The rank and file players can’t. 

And because of the injury factor that year’s worth of salary is money many of them will never make back. 

Its mot baseball where you just tack on a year to the end of your career. 

 

This... You have billionaires on one hand and athletes with how much of a window to make their career earning as a pro? 4 years? 8 years if you are really good?  We talk about 29 yo running back being done after tearing up the league for 6 years.   What I would like to see is rookie contracts go up and a cap on salaries.  Don't they do that in basket ball, I hear about max contracts.

[JustEndTheSuffering]

So the XFL it is.

[flgreen]

32 minutes ago, Mike135 said:

Good thinking.  If players are prepped and ready for a year or two of not playing, really gives the NFLPA a huge advantage.

If the owners know the players are ready to sit for years, should hopefully help negotiations go smoothly.

If the owners think they have the upper hand on the players however, we could be without football for a while.

How many of those players, who's  career might last 4-5 years at 7 figures, are willing to sit for a couple of years?

If the lockout lasts a season these guys will be tearing down the gates to get the big cash flowing again.  Save money for the lock out?  A very high percentage of the players who have made a fortune, are declaring bankruptcy with in 5 years.  Most of them are not such good money managers. 

[flgreen]

36 minutes ago, Jets Voice of Reason said:

They did this last CBA and summarily caved on the franchise tag and rookie wage scale in favor of short sighted restrictions on two a days and voluntary OTAs and limited training camp practices. 

 

Yep

and after awhile, probably a lock out,  The players will get the owners to agree to let them get stoned.

That's it

[RutgersJetFan]

Worst thing that can happen for football now. It feels like we’re in a transitional period for a whole lot of people actually giving a sh*t anymore about this league, not even putting out a product would be one heck of a mistake. 

[Jets Voice of Reason]

40 minutes ago, Mike135 said:

Very serious.  

Advantage nflpa imo.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/05/31/nflpa-wants-players-to-start-saving-money-in-advance-of-next-work-stoppage/amp/

“In 2009, we were faced with a major sort of signal that the owners were going to try and lock players out,” Atallah said. “We were trying to get as many players prepared as possible. . . We need players of every generation to really help the young guys understand what it takes to go through some labor strife. For the players who went through it in 2011, the union administration and player leadership did everything it could to prepare players across the league. I think it needs to happen again with the same sort of fervor.”

[Jets Voice of Reason]

2 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Worst thing that can happen for football now. It feels like we’re in a transitional period for a whole lot of people actually giving a sh*t anymore about this league, not even putting out a product would be one heck of a mistake. 

Plus It’s taken like 5 tries but the NFL has finally figured out how to handle the domestic violence cases without creating an uproar by blatantly bumbling the PR. 

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

1 hour ago, Mike135 said:

If the owners know the players are ready to sit for years, should hopefully help negotiations go smoothly.

lol

[jmat321]

The email is part of the union’s negotiation strategy.  Email all its members saying be prepared to sit out, attempting to light a fire under the asses of the owners.  See if the owners call BS or not.

[T0mShane]

2 hours ago, Ohio State NY Jets fan said:

Heard this on sports radio on the way home, could be just tough talk but crazy if not

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nflpa-apparently-advising-players-to-plan-for-an-nfl-work-stoppage-of-at-least-one-year/

full article in next post

 

Organized labor actions are one of my hardcore kinks. I hope the players take these POS owners to the ******* cleaners this time. They’re not still employing that bag of crap DeMaurice Smith, are they? 

[BROOKLYN JET]

@joewilly12 will go bat shirt crazy.

[flgreen]

6 minutes ago, jmat321 said:

The email is part of the union’s negotiation strategy.  Email all its members saying be prepared to sit out, attempting to light a fire under the asses of the owners.  See if the owners call BS or not.

Two years ago the NFL started structuring contracts of CS/FO people to accept less money in 2021 in the event of a lock out.

The NFL is prepared for this, and will endure a lock out much better then the players.  IMO both of them are ill advised for a strike.  Not sure the fan base will tolerate it.

[Kevin L]

1 hour ago, Peace Frog said:

Owners can afford to miss a year’s worth of income. 

The rank and file players can’t. 

And because of the injury factor that year’s worth of salary is money many of them will never make back. 

Its not baseball where you just tack on a year to the end of your career. 

 

People say this every time there's a stoppage, and yet the players get concessions every time.

Ultimately, this is a player's league, because they're the guys generating the money.

The owners will cave, as they always do.

[Doggin94it]

48% of revenue (that's an extra 1% to the players = $80,000,000/year). Stop testing for marijuana; it's no longer criminal and the owners have no real reason to care.  Done.

[Peace Frog]

41 minutes ago, Kevin L said:

People say this every time there's a stoppage, and yet the players get concessions every time.

Ultimately, this is a player's league, because they're the guys generating the money.

The owners will cave, as they always do.

Oh yeah the owners have been completely bent over. 

Lol

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

39 minutes ago, Kevin L said:

People say this every time there's a stoppage, and yet the players get concessions every time.

Ultimately, this is a player's league, because they're the guys generating the money.

The owners will cave, as they always do.

The owners measure wins and losses in dollars, not by polling the painfully naive.

[Hackenberg - Banned]

41 minutes ago, Kevin L said:

People say this every time there's a stoppage, and yet the players get concessions every time.

Ultimately, this is a player's league, because they're the guys generating the money.

The owners will cave, as they always do.

Lol where have owners ever caved in? The players never get anything but maybe a few more dollars, that the owners have a endless supply of for themselves. Jocks are just meat that's easily replaced. The high turnover of jocks is proof of that.