Grade Goodell and Smith

[Its_The_Patriots]

I missed it. Has the deal been rejected? How many games are going to be cancelled?

A big fat F for both...

 

[MoLewisrocks]

In order to honestly grade them (without pre existing bias and on the basis of getting a deal done without missing a game) you have to look at where each side started and where it all ended.

Owners wanted to be back in the drivers seat revenue wise. Hoped for 55/45 split of all revenue formula. They got 52-53% and retained 1.5 stadium credit for up to three new builds in a decade. Tradeoff was cash spending limits but staggered formulas for meeting them ease any burden. Total league spending at 99% in first two years drops to 95% thereafter. No team cash floor in first two seasons goes to 89% in 4 year windows over last 8 seasons. Owners wanted a cap on rookie deals with savings split between veterans and retirees. Originally proposed a scale that would eliminate negotiation. Settled for a rookie hard cap with no loopholes that effectively cuts top ten deals in half and rules that limit negotiation and make holding out costly to the player and less likely. Wanted first round deals to remain at 5 years. Had to settle for it being an option, but again got language that eliminates negotiations and holdouts. Wanted 18 games in regular season but settled for revisit in year 3 when impact on revenue difference in new TV games is being negotiated and 55% of that particular revenue stream benefitting players will be the dangling carrot. Trade off was instituted health and safety off and in season workrules instituted early to soften up any pushback. Tough on coaches and GM's but they had no vote or seat at the table and frankly no skin off owners. Owners wanted union workforce absent judicial oversight. Got it. Owners wanted to close CA workmen's comp loophole and require players to file claims in state in which team played home games. Agreed to disagree and continue to hash that out in court. Owners hoped to prove decertification was a sham negotiation tactic (which everyone knew was the case) but settled for appeals court ruling that lockouts are a legitimate negotiating tool while decertification doesn't automatically signal end of a labor management relationship in impass. Got a new SRS amongst themselves. Held firm to conviction that deal must be negotiated and not litigated. Got an unprecedented CBA deal that guarantees labor certainty for a decade.

The players wanted the status quo or nothing less than a 50/50 split with no cost offsets. Opted for litigate to negotiate decertification strategy and ended up negotiating settlement that dismissed litigation upon recertification. They had to settle for 47-48% and some stadium offsets. The players were willing to cap rookie deals but didn't want scale. In exchange for any cap they wanted 4 year max deals for round 1 and 3 years for rounds 2-7 and half of savings funneld back to rookies. Had to settle 4 year max base deal with 5th year guaranteed if exercised option for round 1. And savings split between veterans and retirees. Players wanted improved working conditions and no increase in regular season games. Players got what they wanted with caveat that 18 games could be revisited in year 3. Players wanted appeal of all drug and personal conduct rulings. Got one and not the other. Players wanted automatic catestrophic injury guarantees of up to $3M per year in first 3 years of any player deal. Settled for up to $1M in year 2 and $500K in year 3. Players wanted to continue to be able to file workmen's comp claims in CA. Agreed to continue to disagree and hash that out in court. Players wanted $320M in lost benefits dollars and limits on Franchise tag in exchange for settling all pending lawsuits. Got neither. Players wanted opt out in year 5 to a 7 year deal. Didn't get it.

I think Goodell got the better end of the deal while getting owners to accept a deal that got them most of what they needed and some of what they wanted without missing a game other than the HOF exhibition. While De did manage (albeit after some 11th hour hystrionics) in the end to get the players to accept the best deal available (lower % split but of a pie poised for dramatic continued growth) as a fair compromise without having to miss a paycheck including for off season workouts.

Based on not getting this done back in March while listening to hardliners within their respective constituencies, neither merits an A. But both merit an A- to B+ when you consider they ultimately engineered a deal that insures 10 years of labor piece without causing each other or the game potential devastating long term damage. Not to say that either man deserves the lions share of the credit. Guys like Bob Kraft and Jeff Saturday spearheaded efforts to find middle ground, but Goodell and Smith backed their play and allowed that to unfold in due time.

Big winners in the short term were the lawyers who amassed millions in billable hours, although this deal will cost them long term because peace doesn't pay. Kessler may be the ultimate winner/loser because while he banked a bundle his decertification strategy took a hit at the appeals court level not to mention in the court of public opinion.

 

[mgteich]

I agree 100%.

I would tend to give the "A".

I'm not sure that a March deal would hsve been a 10 year deal with no opt out clause. Labor negotiations often go down to the end. They do that because the negotiators have to convice their constituants that they got the best they could. I don't see how the players or the owners would have been convinced to take this deal in March,

They have have been no losses at all, except for one preseaon game for 2 teams. They can schedule a scrimmage if they need the extra preseason game.

.

Based on not getting this done back in March while listening to hardliners within their respective constituencies, neither merits an A. But both merit an A- to B+ when you consider they ultimately engineered a deal that insures 10 years of labor piece without causing each other or the game potential devastating long term damage. Not to say that either man deserves the lions share of the credit. Guys like Bob Kraft and Jeff Saturday spearheaded efforts to find middle ground, but Goodell and Smith backed their play and allowed that to unfold in due time.

Big winners in the short term were the lawyers who amassed millions in billable hours, although this deal will cost them long term because peace doesn't pay. Kessler may be the ultimate winner/loser because while he banked a bundle his decertification strategy took a hit at the appeals court level not to mention in the court of public opinion.