D-Day is Friday, March 4th

[TrueBeliever]

Here's what I don't understand - word is that while the sessions with the mediator have been "going well," now they're saying that no owners attended these meetings. What does that mean? Does that mean the owners had representatives there, but none of the owners themselves were there? Or does it mean that it was just people from the league office? And without the owners and/or their reps, does anything even get done?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Here's what I don't understand - word is that while the sessions with the mediator have been "going well," now they're saying that no owners attended these meetings. What does that mean? Does that mean the owners had representatives there, but none of the owners themselves were there? Or does it mean that it was just people from the league office? And without the owners and/or their reps, does anything even get done?

Each side basically leaves the heavy lifting to it's Management Committee or Executive Committee.

For the NFL that's Goodell and the three lawyers plus 10 owners including Richardson (Panthers), Bowlen (Broncos), Jones (Cowboys), Kraft (Patriots), Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Mike Brown (Bengals), Bill Ford Jr. (Lions), John Mara (Giants), Art Rooney II (Steelers), Mark Murphy (Packers). Not sure that any of the owners attended the mediation sessions.

For the NFLPA that's DeMaurice and three other lawyers plus 12 former and present players including Mawae (president-retired), Foxworth, Batch, Brees, Dawkins, Fujita, Morey, Richardson, Saturday, Vrabel and Waters. The NFLPA seemed to rotate several of those guys into the mediation in pairs over the course of the 7 days.

I believe when they had their earlier negotiation sessions (as opposed to the mediation) ownership was present and that didn't go so well...

 

[Keyser Söze]

No football....Brady another year older.

DAMNIT!

 

[WhiZa]

They are keep communication open, meeting everyday, and have a lot of money on the line. I can't see them not getting this done. Though I may have just jinxed it :bricks:

 

[Wolfpack]

I heard from a source that the 2011 season will absolutely NOT happen.

Of course, that source is a Chinese guy down the street that can't speak English and doesn't know what the NFL is, but nevertheless...

Well, that source is still more valid and reliable than most of the ones the Herald uses...

 

[Wolfpack]

D-Day isn't really this Friday, the 4th. If there is no agreement and we have a lockout (or potential decertification), nothing will really happen or be changed in the short term. They could very well keep negotiating through March and April, have a deal by May and it'll be like it never happened. (Let's face it.... if offseason workouts got cancelled it wouldn't be a significant problem except maybe to rookies).

The real D-Day is probably closer to the end of June than the start of March. If we go that long without a deal, then it will seriously cut into preparation, training camp, preseason, etc.

 

[Wolfpack]

When exactly do the players discover their paychecks are not in the mail??

It depends. Some players have roster bonuses, reporting bonuses, etc, etc. And obviously there won't be any signing bonuses for free agents if they aren't allowed to sign. But players generally don't get paid for offseason activities (or preseason games) so many of them wouldn't be expecting their next paycheck until mid September.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

It depends. Some players have roster bonuses, reporting bonuses, etc, etc. And obviously there won't be any signing bonuses for free agents if they aren't allowed to sign. But players generally don't get paid for offseason activities (or preseason games) so many of them wouldn't be expecting their next paycheck until mid September.

Interesting article yesterday about how unprepared most of the millionaires remain to engage in a protracted battle with the billionaires, even though they've been warned one was coming for 2 years now.

In one instance an Eagles player has already been approached by a couple of his teamates looking for him to float them a six figure loan to get them by...he declined.

The statistic is downright alarming: By the time they are out of the game for two years, 78 percent of NFL players are bankrupt or financially distressed.

NFL Players Ill-Prepared For Lockout | Philly Sports Daily

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Here's what I don't understand - word is that while the sessions with the mediator have been "going well," now they're saying that no owners attended these meetings. What does that mean? Does that mean the owners had representatives there, but none of the owners themselves were there? Or does it mean that it was just people from the league office? And without the owners and/or their reps, does anything even get done?

You may be relieved to know that the entire Finance/Management Committee is in attendance today including Kraft. The owners are convening their own meeting in Va. to commence later today and run through Thursday evening. That is the meeting at which they will make their decision whether or not to lockout the players. The last scheduled mediation session is underway now but only scheduled to run thru noontime... No word on whether they will meet tomorrow.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Interesting article yesterday about how unprepared most of the millionaires remain to engage in a protracted battle with the billionaires, even though they've been warned one was coming for 2 years now.

In one instance an Eagles player has already been approached by a couple of his teamates looking for him to float them a six figure loan to get them by...he declined.

NFL Players Ill-Prepared For Lockout | Philly Sports Daily

Brother-in-law went to BC. Drafted 3rd rnd by the Bills. Got a $75K signing bonus, which alone aside from salary was a few years total salary for me. Spent 3 yrs in the NFL and had nothing once his NFL stint ended. Had to sell the BMW.

I admit I find it difficult to sympathize financially with folks who in one or two years earn more than the career earnings of many readers and yet have financial problems. I am not demeaning their off the charts talent and worse yet the awful toll on their bodies which to me at least justifies their compensation.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Either.....
"In BILL WE Trust" or
"BILL's EGO & BUST"

Don't get me wrong there is NO OTHER coach who who can readjust on fly, plug players in & out of positions better than BB. BUT With Pats team we had last year with TB having a RIDICULOUS TD/INT season and our MONSTER 3 TE tandem BJGE & Woodhead with a decent running game & McCourty coming into his own has a shut down corner not to mention our receivers NO BIGGER than a parking meter sooo what BB needed to do was get JULIUS PEEPERS! A PASS RUSHER! SB was there for taking. He was there for taking SHOOT BB was monitoring him year before. JP & Jason Taylor would have been KEY! BB would have gotten every last mile out of J Taylor. BB needed to address pass rush that cost us BIG TIME IMO.

 

[BradyManny]

They really need to find some compromise common ground because historically that is where they will end up eventually, anyway.

Very true. Great post all around.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Brother-in-law went to BC. Drafted 3rd rnd by the Bills. Got a $75K signing bonus, which alone aside from salary was a few years total salary for me. Spent 3 yrs in the NFL and had nothing once his NFL stint ended. Had to sell the BMW.

I admit I find it difficult to sympathize financially with folks who in one or two years earn more than the career earnings of many readers and yet have financial problems. I am not demeaning their off the charts talent and worse yet the awful toll on their bodies which to me at least justifies their compensation.

I read a piece on Vick's financial situation a while back. In the beginning he had a sound advisor. But by the time the second deal got done (and as I recall in his case it was done early) he was done listening to that guy. Said Michael should have had a net worth approaching $100M by the time he was indicted. Instead he was already on the verge of bankrupcy even without the incarceration... Owners have tried, individually and collectively, to edumacate these "talents" about finances and business and long range goals for their post football careers to little avail. They get nothing but the straight cash homey mantra from their union and the agents it oversees... Then when the cash stops flowing and it all goes to hell those same clowns point at the owners and demand they do something about it...

I know Kraft tries really hard to make an impression on his players. Vince is one of the guys who operates on a budget - had to save to get his tricked out truck - and lives fairly modestly by NFL standards because he actually does want to set himself and his children up for the long haul. Blank (and a lot of other weathly and influential Atlantans) tried to no avail with Vick. One way in which the Rookie wage scale the league is proposing would help is there wouldn't be the insane money out of the gate and as a result no need for agents on the rookie deal and less agents messing with these guys on NCAA campuses because the front money they are investing now in grooming them stictly for enhanced selection and hype would be a lot harder to justify if not impossible to recoup.

 

[Joker]

Joe Kerr...6'3...305...OK I got a little age on the ol' wheels but give me a 100K and I'LL play O line if there's a lockout...now which one of you $uckers wants to play QB???..:biggrin2: