Will NFL players step onto the field next season? Can we endure a year without our favorite pastime? What would our Sundays in the fall look like without professional football? These are some disturbing questions that may not get answered anytime soon. Unfortunately, fans may end up watching their favorite teams standing in the strike lines.
There is a possibility that players may go on strike in the year of 2011. This is due to a disagreement between players and owners. Recent events indicate that NFL players may go on strike next year. The commissioner of the NFL and the president of the NFL Players Union are not agreeing with each other on a few issues. Both men have met several times without coming to a resolution.
Team owners have backed away from the current collective bargaining agreement. Players are not willing to settle with offers that are not in their best interest. Many of the players feel that team owners are giving them the short end of the stick.
Owners are behind a formidable and potential strike happening in the near future. They are not interested in honoring the agreement they have had with players for years. They prefer establishing a rookie wage scale that will restrict the amount of money that rookies will make when they enter the NFL. The rookie wage scale would allow teams to avoid paying high salaries to new players that don’t live up to the team’s expectations.
The present NFL structure payout permits the players to receive close to sixty percent of the total revenue earned by the league. Team owners are not happy with this payment structure. They believe this is unfair when you consider the fact that league revenues are declining. The increasing cost of running a team is lowering their profits. Team owners also argue that they have to support the financial expenses of keeping the league afloat.
Who will win in the end? This question cannot be answered at this time. Hopefully positive talks between both sides will continue. A lockout will ultimately leave many fans upset and disappointed. It also can leave a negative connotation on the image of the NFL.
Football is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Can you imagine a year without football? Unfortunately, a lockout may occur this upcoming season. One thing is for sure, the NFL, teams, players, and fans will suffer if a lockout occurs next year!
Written by:
