Finally, someone has seen the light
June 24th 2011 03:16
For about two weeks now, players and owners have been meeting in "secret" locations all over the place. What we're seeing now strongly suggests that the two sides have settled upon some very real and meaningful points, and are now working out only-they-know how many details. This is what the NFL and NFLPA really wanted to do all along (this I have to believe). But why didn't they?
First, I think that there was some real anger and on both sides. Owners like the Wilsons in Buffalo and Browns in Cincinnati were vocal in their dislike of the current CBA. On the opposite side of the NFL richness scale, the top guys didn't much like it either. Why? For the lower-end guys it took away wiggle room, the ability to cut player salaries among other things. For the big guys it looked like the players were getting too much of the pie. Players were angry because they saw the current deal as a good one and felt like the owners had pulled the rug out from under them, and were looking to improve things out of spite. There's a very real sense of distrust between the players as an organization and the NFL as an organization; a lack of trust that the NFL stewardship is designed for all to win, and not just the owners themselves to win.
I think that strategically the owners felt that for whatever reason they were in a better negotiating position than they were in past years. Players believed that their dissolution and anti-trust complaint would net them the same benefits that it did last time. In part I think this was a far-reaching strategic error on the part of the union; I believe that the NFL's entire stance was designed to defeat the union dissolution and anti-trust game. While the union won the early skirmishes in the courts, it became clear to the players - and I think equally clear to the owners - that allowing this thing to linger in the courts was extremely dangerous for both sides. Allowing the courts to set precedents could result in both sides losing, but taking the reins back meant that a win-win could still be found.
I also think that personal enmity between Smith and Goddell played a role in this. Obviously both men are mouthpieces for their respective groups, and in that role they have to say and do things in a particular way. But I don't think that they were allowed the opportunity to really just sit down, draw up some ideas on the backs of cocktail napkins and see if they could really truly work together. I think that these two leaders had to do that, had to sit down look into each other's eyes, see the seriousness there and begin having the frank discussions that they needed to have.
Next, I think both sides finally realized that the pressure on them from the fans was mounting, and that fans were equally irate with both sides. The looming season played an obvious role but I just sense that both sides felt the fans were slipping away. Neither side wants to risk losing the fans, and it is in both sides' best interests to ensure that the fans are happy.
Finally, I think that from the owners' standpoint, they threw out the arrogant, overbearing jerk-types from the negotiations. There are some men in that ownership group who just don't get it, and both owners and players alike know it. Someone had to get the word to the jerks so that they learned to stand down. Everyone knows how valuable their franchises are and that they have a business to run and protect, but there are ways of being intelligent when negotiating with employees and ways of being utterly stupid. I think things got better when the utterly stupid were eliminated.
If you want a real sign that there's more than enough positive momentum to getting a deal done, teams are inking their deals with printers to get the 2011 media guides done. No team is going to do that without having some kind of really hard evidence that a deal is near and will get done to everyone's satisfaction.
As Smith and Goddell said, there are probably thousands of issues that need to be discussed, debated and decided upon. There are still major sticking points that will take some real work. But the truth of the matter is that the two sides are obviously narrowing their gaps, working to come together and recognize that striking a deal is the best possible option, and offers the ultimate win-win situation. It's simply a matter of weeks now.
First, I think that there was some real anger and on both sides. Owners like the Wilsons in Buffalo and Browns in Cincinnati were vocal in their dislike of the current CBA. On the opposite side of the NFL richness scale, the top guys didn't much like it either. Why? For the lower-end guys it took away wiggle room, the ability to cut player salaries among other things. For the big guys it looked like the players were getting too much of the pie. Players were angry because they saw the current deal as a good one and felt like the owners had pulled the rug out from under them, and were looking to improve things out of spite. There's a very real sense of distrust between the players as an organization and the NFL as an organization; a lack of trust that the NFL stewardship is designed for all to win, and not just the owners themselves to win.
I think that strategically the owners felt that for whatever reason they were in a better negotiating position than they were in past years. Players believed that their dissolution and anti-trust complaint would net them the same benefits that it did last time. In part I think this was a far-reaching strategic error on the part of the union; I believe that the NFL's entire stance was designed to defeat the union dissolution and anti-trust game. While the union won the early skirmishes in the courts, it became clear to the players - and I think equally clear to the owners - that allowing this thing to linger in the courts was extremely dangerous for both sides. Allowing the courts to set precedents could result in both sides losing, but taking the reins back meant that a win-win could still be found.
I also think that personal enmity between Smith and Goddell played a role in this. Obviously both men are mouthpieces for their respective groups, and in that role they have to say and do things in a particular way. But I don't think that they were allowed the opportunity to really just sit down, draw up some ideas on the backs of cocktail napkins and see if they could really truly work together. I think that these two leaders had to do that, had to sit down look into each other's eyes, see the seriousness there and begin having the frank discussions that they needed to have.
Next, I think both sides finally realized that the pressure on them from the fans was mounting, and that fans were equally irate with both sides. The looming season played an obvious role but I just sense that both sides felt the fans were slipping away. Neither side wants to risk losing the fans, and it is in both sides' best interests to ensure that the fans are happy.
Finally, I think that from the owners' standpoint, they threw out the arrogant, overbearing jerk-types from the negotiations. There are some men in that ownership group who just don't get it, and both owners and players alike know it. Someone had to get the word to the jerks so that they learned to stand down. Everyone knows how valuable their franchises are and that they have a business to run and protect, but there are ways of being intelligent when negotiating with employees and ways of being utterly stupid. I think things got better when the utterly stupid were eliminated.
If you want a real sign that there's more than enough positive momentum to getting a deal done, teams are inking their deals with printers to get the 2011 media guides done. No team is going to do that without having some kind of really hard evidence that a deal is near and will get done to everyone's satisfaction.
As Smith and Goddell said, there are probably thousands of issues that need to be discussed, debated and decided upon. There are still major sticking points that will take some real work. But the truth of the matter is that the two sides are obviously narrowing their gaps, working to come together and recognize that striking a deal is the best possible option, and offers the ultimate win-win situation. It's simply a matter of weeks now.
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