As the sun set on another Super Bowl entertainment and a special performance by the Green Bay Packers led by Aaron Rodgers, the ex-UC Berkeley first quarter to win the prestigious trophy from the NFL, we fear dark days of the league.
Collective labor agreement expires March 4. Unless the NFL Players Association and owners of the team to agree at that time, the block player appears imminent.
Given the unprecedented popularity of the NFL, did not get a fair contract would be a farce. But, unfortunately, that we expect.
It became a game of chicken between the multimillionaires and billionaires right pampered with little consideration to the people who pay the price - the fans.
Not reaching an agreement would be a colossal mistake on the part of the players and the owners.
In addition to public relations disasters, such as a lock-out would create a logistical nightmare for individual research teams looking to improve mobility and self-coaching changes when there is no certainty of the season. It could also be affected by potential new 49ers stadium in Santa Clara and beat the Oakland Raiders?
This led us to this situation is typical of collective bargaining - differing opinions on what should be and how things should work. One such issue, of course, is how to allocate $ 9 billion in revenue in the league. Yes, it's dollars with a B.
The last collective agreement in 2006 has been quite generous to the players receive 60 percent of sales, whatever the economic climate. The owners seem to realize they made a bad deal then, and is anxious not to make the same mistake again.
Obviously, the players want to continue with the agreement, and the owners want a bigger slice of the cake again.
Another sticking point is the proposal of an owner to extend the regular season 16-18 games and reduce the preseason contest. The players say they need time to prepare physically and mentally for a tough season and regular addition of two other significant games for the season is likely to add further injury, reduced playing career and increase the chances of permanent physical damage.
The final answer here is obvious, both sides must compromise. But the devil may be in the details.
More people saw on Super Bowl Sunday than any show in television history. Owners and players must understand that such success in the NFL is a tribute to the loyalty of the fan. But it seems to get lost in the shuffle. Neither party has to turn back the fans who have invested heavily in this league.
If you have any questions about this, you should keep an eye on Washington to see how things work when discussing the rich and super rich without regard for those who pay the bills.
