Labor Agreement Near!

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	Topic: Labor Agreement Near!
Russell_108 Admin Membership: Starter Joined: September 04 Total Posts: 14792 Favorite Team: Offline	Post Date: 06/15/11 13:19 Well finally it appears there is some traction in the labor negotiations between the NFL owners and players. After several rounds of recent talks, there is a sense of optimism coming from both sides. Both sides seem to realize that time is running out if there is to be a full season of games (and pay). Some reports say that a deal may be done before the 4th of July Holiday. Details about how a new CBA may look haven't been mentioned, but I'd be surprised if it didn't include another "opt out" clause for both sides like the last CBA. It was by the owners exercising their right to opt out of the last CBA that created this whole labor mess in the first place. You have to figure the owners aren't giving up any more than they were on the last agreement, and therefore it stands to reason that the players are conceding a few things. It's probably thru their concession that some of the things they want (better benefits for retired players; more player safety; fewer and less intense off-season team activities; etc) are conceded by the owners. You see? Compromise. Amazing how it works, and amazing how long it has taken for it to be realized. And one thing that has been praised for making these latest negotiations work is that both sides have kept the lawyers out of it. Huh? Forgive me if I am perplexed at that, but wasn't (isn't?) DeMaurice Smith, the Executive Director of the NFLPA a lawyer? Trial law and litigation were his particular areas of expertise if I remember correctly. Hmmmm. Just one of those curious things that everyone seems to have forgotten about. However, while I have questioned Smith and his style many times in the past, he did reportedly do something I liked on Tuesday. Tuesday, both sides brought their lawyers back into the negotiations and it wasn't long before there were problems again and progress made without them was looking to be undone. So Smith had his team back off. That is what gives me optimism. It's been rare that Smith has loosened his previous hard-line stance on not giving in on anything until being shown the books of each NFL team for the past 10 years. But these recent negotiations, along with reeling in what the NFLPA lawyers get indignant about is a sign he's finally realizing that compromise is necessary and beneficial to both sides if there is to be football. Maybe the pleas of the mass majority of players who don't make the millions and can't comfortably afford to sit out a lengthy litigation process have finally been heard. Smith not only represents the million dollar players like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees, but also those who make less than 500k. And those are the players who make up the vast majority in the NFL. They are the ones who don't have a cushion of cash to get them thru while their representatives rigidly hold onto a hard-line stance of unwillingness to compromise. I don't know why Smith has changed his mind and been more willing to negotiate recently. But whatever the reason was, thank goodness he has, as it appears that finally we are seeing a light at the end of what has seemed like a lengthy, nasty tunnel where the future of the 2011 football season was in peril. Things can still take a turn for the worse, as almost happened Tuesday when the lawyers got back into the room, but as long as the leadership on both sides remains committed to the idea of compromise for the betterment of the game, and ALL parties on both sides, a deal can get done. And it's sounding like it will be before July 15th. Plenty in time for training camps, preseason, and the 2011 regular season to begin without issue. It will be interesting to see whether with free agency whether I need to make any amendments to my top 10 fantasy RB's in 2011. DeAngelo Williams could end up in an interesting spot or two. Knowshon Moreno could get a nice bump up in value if the Broncos don't add a big time free agent RB. It would be nice to know for sure that Cedric Benson was going to back in Cincinnati as they will be running the ball plenty in 2011. Just things to chew on while we wait. But the wait is getting closer to finally ending. Hopefully very soon. ---- On any given Sunday any fantasy team can beat another, only to still lose Monday night.
Throwball Heroes_118522 Moderator Membership: Starter Joined: June 10 Total Posts: 5556 Favorite Team: Online	Post Date: 06/15/11 14:02 sigh Boy how I wish we could leave the lawyers out of all of this, but lo, that is not the case. I do hope we have a quick end to this lockout. Not sure how I could persuade my wife to let me go on my yearly Vegas trip for our draft if there was (potentially) no season. Nice article, Russ. ---- Stephen - http://www.the6thfloor.com/category/fantasy-football-2/ "Bringing confusion and contradiction to YOUR post!"
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