NFLPA files complaint over league's guaranteed TV deals

[Ian]

I don't know if anyone has seen this yet, but I found this article somewhat interesting and thought I'd share it:

NFLPA-Files-Complaint-Over-Leagues-Guaranteed-TV-Deals / News - NFLPlayers.com

 

[DefenseRules]

This is going to be a very ugly negotiation, IMHO.

 

[N.Eman]

Wow, how can the league not worry and not prepare to come up with solution to the CBA question, instead they are concentrating on not loosing money if theres a lockout!! Should be going forward not backwards with this thing!

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Wow, how can the league not worry and not prepare to come up with solution to the CBA question, instead they are concentrating on not loosing money if theres a lockout!!

To be fair to the owners:

(A) This was put in place when the TV contract was renegotiated a couple of years ago.
(B) The owners are currently guaranteed money, but it's not "something for nothing"—for every week that the networks pay but don't have football games to air, they end up getting a week for free down the road.

 

[N.Eman]

To be fair to the owners:

(A) This was put in place when the TV contract was renegotiated a couple of years ago.
(B) The owners are currently guaranteed money, but it's not "something for nothing"—for every week that the networks pay but don't have football games to air, they end up getting a week for free down the road.

This is huge, its gonna be a long road getting this done and all parties satisfied!

 

[DaBruinz]

The main problem that I see is that the Players are acting as if they are owners themselves.. And they aren't. They are employed by the owners. they are not co-owners as given in their "house" example.

I believe that this is a case of the players forgetting their place and not realizing that this is as much their fault as it is the owners. It was their greed during the last CBA talks that brought us to where we are today.

Like any other contract, they ca push money into future years and that is what the owners did. that isn't leaving money on the table. Contrary to their belief.

Also, as pointed out, the owners may get the money from the contracts, but they would have to repay it if the league did, in fact, have a lock out.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

That's it, I'm bringing back Gene Upshaw from beyond the grave!

This new guy is a f'ing idiot. F you, Smith. Seriously. F you.

 

[patsfan-1982]

the players are forgeting that the owners were alredy millionaires befor they got into the NFL and most of them still have the companys that made them there money.



so will the owners will be makeing millions most of the players will have to get a 9 to 5 if the hold out goes to long

 

[patfanken]

Has anyone tried to figure out what it costs to OPERATE an NFL franchise. Lets for this example forget about the crushing debt of a stadium, and $150MM in player compensation per team Think of the cost just to send 70+ players and coaches on a chartered plane to another city. Think about the hotel costs, the equipment, the food. Think about the 100s of employees it takes just to open the stadium for game days....or on a more personal note the dozens of employees they have just to have training camp open to the public. Its literally hundreds of thousands per DAY, again not counting the player and stadium overhead.

The players are trying to squeeze the last dollar out of business that has expanding operating costs and revenue that is simply NOT expanding at the same rate. It makes no sense, and if the players want to claim some kind of "ownership" to the league, then should start making equity payments to the the guys who risked HUNDREDS of Millions of dollars getting into their franchises.

The players are NOT without several VERY legitimate issues, but it seems to me that looking more to CREATE an impass than they are to overcome one.

 

[mgteich]

I agree with you on all but one point, and I agree with the tone of your post. If the players want to be owners, then they should invest in a franchise.

My only nitpick is that I think that revenue is indeed expanding to more than cover the costs of ownership. The fact that certain franchises are mismanaged or are in non-economic cities does not mean that ownership isn't profitable and becoming even more so.

To check this, I would suggest looking at the value of franchises now and five or ten years ago. Am I wrong?

Has anyone tried to figure out what it costs to OPERATE an NFL franchise. Lets for this example forget about the crushing debt of a stadium, and $150MM in player compensation per team Think of the cost just to send 70+ players and coaches on a chartered plane to another city. Think about the hotel costs, the equipment, the food. Think about the 100s of employees it takes just to open the stadium for game days....or on a more personal note the dozens of employees they have just to have training camp open to the public. Its literally hundreds of thousands per DAY, again not counting the player and stadium overhead.

The players are trying to squeeze the last dollar out of business that has expanding operating costs and revenue that is simply NOT expanding at the same rate. It makes no sense, and if the players want to claim some kind of "ownership" to the league, then should start making equity payments to the the guys who risked HUNDREDS of Millions of dollars getting into their franchises.

The players are NOT without several VERY legitimate issues, but it seems to me that looking more to CREATE an impass than they are to overcome one.

 

[skinnydog]

I'm not one who usually sides with unions of overpaid players in general, but how are the players unreasonable in seeking to maintain a roughly 50/50 split in revenues?

 

[PYPER]

As the NFL and NFLPA prepare to do battle in the name of greed, there is one major player in this marriage that is being completely exploited and abused. The fans. Every financial windfall they score with the networks ultimately is paid for by the fans. When will the fans stand up and be heard. When will the fans enter this battle and demand their role be recognized. When will the fans make the owners and players realize that they are also "partners" in this exchange?

When will fans say F.ck the NFL and NFLPA and take our business (and hearts) elsewhere?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

As the NFL and NFLPA prepare to do battle in the name of greed, there is one major player in this marriage that is being completely exploited and abused. The fans. Every financial windfall they score with the networks ultimately is paid for by the fans. When will the fans stand up and be heard. When will the fans enter this battle and demand their role be recognized. When will the fans make the owners and players realize that they are also "partners" in this exchange?

When will fans say F.ck the NFL and NFLPA and take our business (and hearts) elsewhere?

They won't. The NFL has yet to hit the part of the abuse/ignore curve where they lose fan interest and revenue. Until that happens, IF it happens, and actually quite a bit after that when declining revenues are blatently apparent to the most stubborn owners, THEN you may see an attitude and behaviour adjustment. Don't hold your breath.

Personally in the short term the only thing I forsee destroying my life interest in the Patriots and football would be a free agency like beesball where each year's staff of starters changes radically. I may pretty much root for the laundry but the steady players add the flavor that keeps me coming back. Remove it and there's plenty else in life to do.

 

[BSR]

At the end of the day I really don't care which side makes more, the owners or the players. I will be pissed though if there is a lockout. These bunch of millionaires (players) and billionaires (owners) need to figure this out soon so it isn't the thousandaires (fans and other employees) that get screwed. I'm really getting tired of hearing of why we can't sign this player because of the CBA or this other player is angry because of the CBA. I understand that the CBA is a reality of this business and it can't run without one, but as a fan I am not part of the business side of things and CBA shouldn't be a regular part of my lexicon. I have enough crap in my day to deal with.

I am on board with any legal maneuver that leads to a speedier resolution no matter who it screws. I really don't care anymore.

 

[mgteich]

Don't slam the door on your way out!

Seriously!

The nfl will have plenty of fans even without you.

The owners are running a business. They do this better than any other professional teams in the US. The players would be run over without a union.

Just BTW, how much do you think the top doctors in the US make, the top entertainers, the top lawyers, the top business executives? The nfl has the best in the world.

You think that the netwroks pay too much for the nfl. Well, I guess that you're entitled to your opinion. They too are running a business. There is great competition among all the networks and satellite channels for nfl coverage, as it should be.
================================================

We may be without football for part of a year, or perhaps a full year. And in a couple of years, the nfl will be in solid shape again. I watched professional football in the 50's. I certainly will continue even we lose a year. And as far as fans that whine about the nfl negotiating contracts, and threaten to leave a year before any work stoppage, good riddance! You can join those who leave because the patriots haven't won a Super Bowl since 2005.

As the NFL and NFLPA prepare to do battle in the name of greed, there is one major player in this marriage that is being completely exploited and abused. The fans. Every financial windfall they score with the networks ultimately is paid for by the fans. When will the fans stand up and be heard. When will the fans enter this battle and demand their role be recognized. When will the fans make the owners and players realize that they are also "partners" in this exchange?

When will fans say F.ck the NFL and NFLPA and take our business (and hearts) elsewhere?

 

[Wolfpack]

I hate to say it, but I think the players have a point in complaining that the owners negotiated a non-revenue benefit of financial value, which is not fair since such non-revenue benefits aren't shared with the players.

Regardless, from articles I have read elsewhere (mostly PFT), this appears to be a losing cause for the players primarily because they didn't challenge it when it first appeared several years ago.

 

[Wolfpack]

Don't slam the door on your way out!

Seriously!

The nfl will have plenty of fans even without you.

And that's the attitude that allows them all to treat us like such crap. But I do respect your honesty in that you are willing to let them crap all over you and you'll just go back for more and more when they command you to.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I hate to say it, but I think the players have a point in complaining that the owners negotiated a non-revenue benefit of financial value, which is not fair since such non-revenue benefits aren't shared with the players.

Regardless, from articles I have read elsewhere (mostly PFT), this appears to be a losing cause for the players primarily because they didn't challenge it when it first appeared several years ago.

Indeed. As I read the complaint, I said it has some merit. However, they doesn't mean they will (or should) prevail. I hope they don't. If the players do prevail, then I think it's just a matter of setting a dollar figure on this particular benefit the owners have (getting money through the lockout) and putting that into the players pool - where it will stay right up until they negotiate another deal which, coincidently enough, is happening (or not happening as the cast may be) right now!

 

[mgcolby]

To be fair to the owners:

(A) This was put in place when the TV contract was renegotiated a couple of years ago.
(B) The owners are currently guaranteed money, but it's not "something for nothing"—for every week that the networks pay but don't have football games to air, they end up getting a week for free down the road.

This wording has been in the TV contracts for over 20 years. The NFLPA is just a little behind, which seems to be the norm for them.

 

[mgcolby]

I'm not one who usually sides with unions of overpaid players in general, but how are the players unreasonable in seeking to maintain a roughly 50/50 split in revenues?

Its currently 60-40 in the players favor.