It's official - CBA is out

Just read it on NFL.com.  If no agreement is reached by 2010, the season would be played without a salary cap, which is very bad for the Packers.

What does this mean to fans and games on the field?
Even without another agreement, NFL football will be played without threat of interruption for at least the next three seasons. The 2008 and 2009 seasons will be played with a salary cap. If there is no new agreement before the 2010 season, that season will be played without a salary cap under rules that also limit the free agency rights of the players. If not extended, the agreement would expire at the end of the 2010 league year.

What are the issues?
A collective bargaining agreement has to work for both sides. If the agreement provides inadequate incentives to invest in the future, it will not work for management or labor. And, in the context of a professional sports league, if the agreement does not afford all clubs an opportunity to be competitive, the league can lose its appeal.

The NFL earns very substantial revenues. But the clubs are obligated by the CBA to spend substantially more than half their revenues – almost $4.5 billion this year alone -- on player costs. In addition, as we have explained to the union, the clubs must spend significant and growing amounts on stadium construction, operations and improvements to respond to the interests and demands of our fans. The current labor agreement does not adequately recognize the costs of generating the revenues of which the players receive the largest share; nor does the agreement recognize that those costs have increased substantially -- and at an ever increasing rate -- in recent years during a difficult economic climate in our country. As a result, under the terms of the current agreement, the clubs’ incentive to invest in the game is threatened.

no calary cap would suck, Cowboys Cali and NY teams would spend lots of $ for best players.

Now that the owners have opted out, we will see a stalemate for the next 2 years.  Neither side will budge until a compromise will be forced.  The players will demand 60% the owners will say less and it will stay that way until the midnight hour.  But who will blink first?

The players have already said that once the cap is gone they will never accept another cap.  That is probably a negotiating ploy, but indicates how resolved the players are to give nothing back that they have gained in previous negotiations.

My guess is something will get done before the start of the 2010 uncapped year, but not much before then.

My concern is that without the CBA (which was vacated by unanimous vote on 5/20/08) is that such fundamental assumptions may not apply any longer.  Such as, when drafted how long does a team retain the rights to a college player. Can he sit out a year and re-enter the draft hoping to improve his chances of being drafted by a team with deep pockets?

I am not doubting that TT is a shrewd football man, but I am concerned that once issues (60% of ALL revenue)  are surrendered how does one (the owners) go about getting it back when the NFLPA says that they don't want to give anything up?

Sounds like a recipe for a lock out, not immediately but down the horizon.

And since the vote was unanimous, the Packers certainly voted to opt out.

God Save the Packers, God Bless Ted Thompson.