(This post is contingent on an agreement not being met by 11:59 PM on March 3, 2011.) When the clock runs out tonight on the negotiations between the soon to be decertified NFLPA and the owners, the clock runs out for any chance of seeing professional football in the fall. Sure, we can hope for a miracle and see an agreement between the two sides, but that's what it would have to be, a miracle. Obviously neither side wants to skip a season or miss a few games during the season, but neither side wants to budge and the primary issue is money.
Sure, the owners want to lengthen the season to 18 games even though fans don't care for that. Obviously we'd like to see more football games and the NFL would clearly make more money from it, but if given the choice between 18 game seasons and this upcoming season being locked out, I'm sure we'd all choose to keep the current 16 game system in place.
Players get injured all of the time. Not all of those injuries come from illegal hits. Many come from freak accidents where a player lands on another player. Adding two games to the schedule increases a player's chance of getting injured. Obviously they'd be opposed to lengthening the season.
There is also the institution of a rookie pay scale. Currently, the number one pick in the NFL draft can bring in $50 million in guaranteed money. That's obviously wrong. You're awarding a player without him proving his worth. Yes, he was great in college, but that doesn't always translate. I agree with lowering rookie wages so that proven talent can rake in more dough.
The main issue is the $9 billion "pie" that the NFL makes each year. The owners want more and the players want more. It always comes down to money and they can try to hide that with the other issues as much as they want, but it's simply about money.
So if you want to follow football when August rolls around, you better start brushing up on law because all we'll be hearing about is lawsuits, injunctions and lockouts.
(Side note: ESPN is doing an excellent job at exciting people for the draft while this lockout drama in unfolding. Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay are definitely bringing in viewers for round 1 of the draft even though there may not even be a season.)
