NFL Owners Unanimously vote to suspend talks with Players

[cubedoggy]

...the NFL, without a doubt, has a fire in the kitchen.

Yup, somebody burnt the goose.

 

[Pats726]

I just get a picture of a disheveled Upshaw with a match in hand, having caused a big boom and wondering why?? I think he's a bit clueless..and out of touch...( could be an interesting cartoon...)

 

[dryheat44]

I just get a picture of a disheveled Upshaw with a match in hand, having caused a big boom and wondering why?? I think he's a bit clueless..and out of touch...( could be an interesting cartoon...)

I don't expect he'll have a job much longer. Some veteran players who are going to end up making less money are going to demand answers very quickly.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I've been reading this board for over a year, but finally decided to register. I'm not here to talk smack, just talk football. The Steelers aren't actually in that bad of shape. The $7M over the cap figure is including Jerome's salary, which is just over $5M. Once that is adjusted as well as releasing turnover Tommy, Willy Williams, and possibly Mike Logan we'll be a few million under. Our main hit this year is Jeff Hartings who has a $8M hit. They'll either release him and sign him for less or our new center will be Okobi or we'll draft one. I personally hope they can resign Jeff for a more cap-friendly deal and release Okobi (he's due to make $2M I think).

Anyway, not sure how much I'll post, but I enjoy reading what everyone has to say.

Welcome! Which Centers are you looking at in the draft?

 

[Mike the Brit]

Welcome, Steelgal! If you've read the board, you'll know that not all the Steelers fans here have been so constructive. I'm glad you're helping to keep the balance.

Include me among the doom and gloomers. Whatever happens to the Pats, the NFL without revenue sharing and the cap won't be anything like as fascinating, I fear.

 

[marty]

I've been reading this board for over a year, but finally decided to register. I'm not here to talk smack, just talk football. The Steelers aren't actually in that bad of shape. The $7M over the cap figure is including Jerome's salary, which is just over $5M. Once that is adjusted as well as releasing turnover Tommy, Willy Williams, and possibly Mike Logan we'll be a few million under. Our main hit this year is Jeff Hartings who has a $8M hit. They'll either release him and sign him for less or our new center will be Okobi or we'll draft one. I personally hope they can resign Jeff for a more cap-friendly deal and release Okobi (he's due to make $2M I think).

Anyway, not sure how much I'll post, but I enjoy reading what everyone has to say.

Welcome steelgal!
I'm not surprised by this announcement today, I'm sure many of you feel the same. Upshaw has overextended the "wants" for the players and now we'll see if the players will make any changes in their union representation!

 

[JoeSixPat]

Not good news? Or is it?

Trying to find the bright side - it seems to me that the only way out of this situation is to start withe the NFLPA easing their demand that ALL football revenue be included in the cap equation.

That demand created the domino that required additional revenue sharing among the owners - something that seems to defy a solution.

It seems to me that if the NFPLA gives a little in their "total football revenue" demand, it will allow the owners to compromise among themselves to share some but not all of the additional incomes, and to do so fairly and equitably

So in that sense, the fact that ALL the owners are banding together recognizing that a compromise is only possible if the NFLPA gives a little, its a good thing.

 

[flutie2phelan]

Upshaw overplayed his hand, left no time and no wiggle room, forced the owners to band together and say F*** this! They've actually done it, they've all cut their own throats -players, owners, agents . . . everyone. Welcome to Major League Baseball, goodbye to the NFL. The Golden Goose is now cooked and that's Gene Upshaw standing there holding the match. Played chicken and lost it for everyone. Screw them all! :bricks:

So Gene The Genius tried to play chicken ... but only killed the golden goose!

Not bad.

 

[Steelgal]

Thanks for all the nice welcomes. I don't troll anywhere because I can't stand those who come to our boards.

I'll try and answers those questions posed to me in this one post.

I'm far from being a cap expert. I don't understand all the ins and outs of the details, so I rely on others for most of it, but I've read that right now after Jerome's salary is reduced, we around $92M. I know they still have more cute to be made, Maddox, W. Williams, but the only big name cut might possibly be Jeff Hartings. I get most of that information from others as I don't take the time to try and figure it out myself.

As for free agency. The Steelers have never been a big FA team. They have always built through the draft. Our fans usually complain every year because they go out out and get those big name players, but they seem to draft well enough that they don't have to. The only player we picked up last year through FA was Cedrick Wilson.

As for drafting a center, I know everyone is high on NIck Mangold from OSU. Not sure if he'll still be around when we pick at 32, but if he is there, that's who everyone is talking about.

 

[patsox23]

One more Welcome Aboard for Steelgal. As you know from reading, it's a terrific site, with a lot of good people who talk FOOTBALL, not trash.

I think the Patriots will be fine, either way. My biggest worry is extending Seymour and, as some here have suggested, we ARE a big market team, we're likely to be one of the teams that can ONLY sign its own FA's, so it's possible Seymour will re-sign here.

If I'm the NFLPA, I'm panicking right now. Upshaw has done a terrible job with this and I believe the fall-out could mean his position at the top.

 

[Tunescribe]

It really stinks..I feel sad for football..Upshaw better get on a plane and go hide..I think the players will remove him ASAP...if they have any sense...IT is a dark day for football..really sad days...I feel like Upshaw really ruined it for his players...60%??? A bit laughable..I think he needs to answer to the players in his union..not available last night..so??

Do you think the players are smart enough to do anything other than what Upshaw suggests? Who's the Pats' player rep (Fauria or Vrabel?) and what does he have to say?

 

[dryheat44]

Do you think the players are smart enough to do anything other than what Upshaw suggests? Who's the Pats' player rep (Fauria or Vrabel?) and what does he have to say?

When the players who set themselves to be free agents find out they're indentured for another two years? When veterans can't find work (whether it's the fault of the Union of not...it's about perception)? When the free agency market is terrible because teams have no cap room and the players sign worse deals than they could have with their original teams?

Yeah, the Union membership is going to go bug-fu(k.

 

[Brownfan80]

One more Welcome Aboard for Steelgal. As you know from reading, it's a terrific site, with a lot of good people who talk FOOTBALL, not trash.

I think the Patriots will be fine, either way. My biggest worry is extending Seymour and, as some here have suggested, we ARE a big market team, we're likely to be one of the teams that can ONLY sign its own FA's, so it's possible Seymour will re-sign here.

If I'm the NFLPA, I'm panicking right now. Upshaw has done a terrible job with this and I believe the fall-out could mean his position at the top.

You can tell that it's that it's the NFLPA's fault simply from the reactions of some of the very players that the NFLPA is supposed to be representing. The players really should have risen up and had more of a voice. They better get Upshaw out if they'd like to be playing in 2008.

 

[CTPatsFan]

You can tell that it's that it's the NFLPA's fault simply from the reactions of some of the very players that the NFLPA is supposed to be representing. The players really should have risen up and had more of a voice. They better get Upshaw out if they'd like to be playing in 2008.

Unlike other sports unions (or labor unions for that matter), the individual NLFPA members do not vote up or down on an agreement. The representative has that responsibility and does so on his own (ostensibly with his membership's best interest in mind).

 

[flutie2phelan]

....
As for drafting a center, I know everyone is high on NIck Mangold from OSU. Not sure if he'll still be around when we pick at 32, but if he is there, that's who everyone is talking about.

Yeah, Gal o' Steel, (and please accept my welcome, too!) ... picking at 32 is a bit(h, ain't it?

I wish we could have spared you that unhappy experience!

 

[Brownfan80]

Unlike other sports unions (or labor unions for that matter), the individual NLFPA members do not vote up or down on an agreement. The representative has that responsibility and does so on his own (ostensibly with his membership's best interest in mind).

Ostensibly indeed! I think the players made a mistake in their representation then! Oi oi!