Treble Damages

[aabtec]

OK, granted weei does not always have the best guests but yesterday I was listening to the 10-2pm show and they had a guy on talking about the NFLPA lawsuit.

If the NFLPA should win they could conceivable win 7.5 billion in damages. This would essentially drive the league into bankruptcy.

It was rather interesting that they persoon on the radio said flat out if the NFLPA wins everything they will essentially put themselves out of business as many teams will fold.

I wish I could remember the guys name but it was a little surprising what he said.

I guess I had too much free time yesterday.

aabtec

 

[fair catch fryar]

OK, granted weei does not always have the best guests but yesterday I was listening to the 10-2pm show and they had a guy on talking about the NFLPA lawsuit.

If the NFLPA should win they could conceivable win 7.5 billion in damages. This would essentially drive the league into bankruptcy.

It was rather interesting that they persoon on the radio said flat out if the NFLPA wins everything they will essentially put themselves out of business as many teams will fold.

I wish I could remember the guys name but it was a little surprising what he said.

I guess I had too much free time yesterday.

aabtec

Call me crazy, but I'm going to be the first to go out on a limb here and say that regardless what happens the NFL will not go out of business.

 

[Pujo]

It's an interesting point, since I think the NFLPA is really looking for injunctive relief, with monetary damages hanging there just for the threat. But what if the players get everything they want, and kill the golden goose?

 

[DaBruinz]

Well, with Doty not on the docket for the 1st hearing, it's likely that the NFLPA will not win everything.

Also, even if Doty was still on the case, many lawyers believe that the NFLPA decertification will be ruled a sham since they really have nothing to decertify over. Not like in 1989 when they had free agency hanging in the balance.

 

[Ring 6]

It's an interesting point, since I think the NFLPA is really looking for injunctive relief, with monetary damages hanging there just for the threat. But what if the players get everything they want, and kill the golden goose?

I think that if it actually happened that the players won every non-monetary remedy they ask for and the NFL decided to can the draft, allow total free agency and a free employment market, it would be the worst thing that ever happened to the players.
Teams would fold up, and the 'rich' one would remain, and there would be much more supply than demand for players. Half would be out of work, and the other half would see their earning power destroyed.
It will never happen, because the only goal of the lawsuit is a more favorable CBA, but I'd love to see what happens if they rule for the players, and the owners dont blink and say Ok, lets do that, and do not turn the suit into a settlement and new CBA.

 

[upstater1]

OK, granted weei does not always have the best guests but yesterday I was listening to the 10-2pm show and they had a guy on talking about the NFLPA lawsuit.

If the NFLPA should win they could conceivable win 7.5 billion in damages. This would essentially drive the league into bankruptcy.

It was rather interesting that they persoon on the radio said flat out if the NFLPA wins everything they will essentially put themselves out of business as many teams will fold.

I wish I could remember the guys name but it was a little surprising what he said.

I guess I had too much free time yesterday.

aabtec

First let me say I doubt this.

But second I would say that they wouldn't put themselves out of business.

Bankruptcy courts would see to it that the teams were sold, just like the Phoenix coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins were sold.

I imagine the vast majority of viewers could care less abut who owns the teams, as long as they win!!!!

 

[MoLewisrocks]

First let me say I doubt this.

But second I would say that they wouldn't put themselves out of business.

Bankruptcy courts would see to it that the teams were sold, just like the Phoenix coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins were sold.

I imagine the vast majority of viewers could care less abut who owns the teams, as long as they win!!!!

Phoenix is still technically in limbo, owned by the league. Pittsburgh was sold to Mario for essentially the money they owed him ($30M) and a promise to pay off creditors who were owed about twice that. In the NFL we're talking billions in judgement vs. a league with limited assets (the few teams who own their own stadiums which may themselves be debt ridden and absent a viable product rather expensive white elephants that teams that don't even own them are legally bound to). And we're talking a league wide judgement that might bankrupt more teams then the market can provide qualified owners for, which btw the bankrupcy court ruled in the Phoenix case would have to be identified because bankrupcy cannot be used to circumvent league rules on ownership.

And if we're talking treble damages for loss of a full season we're talking closer to $15B or close to half a billion per team in debt added to existing debt which for teams paying for their own stadiums would be a tough sell to any investor.

 

[signbabybrady]

Call me crazy, but I'm going to be the first to go out on a limb here and say that regardless what happens the NFL will not go out of business.

Go out of business might be crazy......But keep in mind that revenue sharing would likely go out the window with all this meaning the teams in better markets and better run would have even more money and the teams in crappy markets run terribley would have even less and likely would not even be able to pay competative rates. This in my opinion would kill the product so bad that it could actually threaten the product especially when you figure the draft and free agency as we know it could be gone to and it could be just a free market for players and no draft.

I actually asked this question in another thread as I dont fully get what the players stand to gain should this actually get in front of a judge. Apparently the answer is 7.5 billion. I might kill the whole thing for my piece of that.

If I were the owners I would call their bluff and give them an altimatum except this or we will go to court and you can be responsible for ruining the league to get yours.

 

[patman52]

It's an interesting point, since I think the NFLPA is really looking for injunctive relief, with monetary damages hanging there just for the threat. But what if the players get everything they want, and kill the golden goose?

Then 1500 players divide up 7.5 bill, which is one year of op expenses, why is that going to be the end of football? The stadiums are still there, there are still 32 very rich guys that would like to own a team, the fans are still there so are the players and the coaches. Within 2 months of the NFL shutting down there will be competing leagues, competing for fans.