thoughts on the NFL
June 13th 2011 17:05
Today is 6-13-11, day "I don't care" of the NFL v NFLPA labor situation. That said, I'm personally seeing some encouraging signs in the tea leaves.
The biggest I think is that the sides are meeting in small groups. I once read or heard a statement that tackling a large problem as a large problem will result in utter failure, but tackling a large problem by working your way through the many small problems will end up solving the big problem. I think that's what the NFL and NFLPA had to do - get past the "big problem" and get down to working out details on the hundreds or thousands of points between the two sides. Truly take a moment to think about the vastness of the business relationship between the two sides. Not only do you have high profile contentious issues like pay and benefits, but there are aspects we never consider: rules governing OTAs, paying agents, drug testing rules, rule change committee considerations, travel arrangements, future contracts, deferred payments, debt-to-equity rules for the teams, stadium arrangements and more. In a true partnership, which the NFL and NFLPA purport to have, all of these items require attention. Say Team X violates the debt-to-equity rules of the league - while the players cannot control this nor have any say over it they can certain make sure that they are covered in the instance of the league having to step in. The analysis of the salary cap, in current and future forms, must take hours upon hours of debate, discussion, give and take and finally agreement.
The fault of causing this lies with both sides, really. Of course the players didn't want to do anything - they had a great deal. Of course the owners didn't want to give in - they were "losers" in the last deal. What both sides want is to both win. That is painfully difficult to achieve, especially when you consider some of the massive egos that are directing some portion of these discussions.
That said, it looks like the two sides are moving beyond blame, moving beyond posturing, and focusing on the upcoming season, the dwindling time and the fact that both sides are feeling pressure to get a good deal done. I, for one, would rather have a delay in the season if the reason is more time was required to obtain that solid win-win agreement. I think that the NFL and NFLPA need to set new groundwork for another twenty years of labor peace between them, and this might be the right time to do it. And therefore, take the extra time and do the right thing from the get go, all to ensure that the final agreement is something that can well-serve both the owners and players for years to come.
In the end, I think we'll have our preseason football, our regular season football and a normal schedule. What I actually expect is that some time in August the two sides announce that the makings of a deal is done. The owners and players will agree in principle to a deal. But it won't be signed perhaps until September or October, as I think there will remain hours of work for both sides to craft the right language. There will be sticking points, but if the business of football is ongoing and successful, those sticking points will be worked out in relative ease.
The biggest I think is that the sides are meeting in small groups. I once read or heard a statement that tackling a large problem as a large problem will result in utter failure, but tackling a large problem by working your way through the many small problems will end up solving the big problem. I think that's what the NFL and NFLPA had to do - get past the "big problem" and get down to working out details on the hundreds or thousands of points between the two sides. Truly take a moment to think about the vastness of the business relationship between the two sides. Not only do you have high profile contentious issues like pay and benefits, but there are aspects we never consider: rules governing OTAs, paying agents, drug testing rules, rule change committee considerations, travel arrangements, future contracts, deferred payments, debt-to-equity rules for the teams, stadium arrangements and more. In a true partnership, which the NFL and NFLPA purport to have, all of these items require attention. Say Team X violates the debt-to-equity rules of the league - while the players cannot control this nor have any say over it they can certain make sure that they are covered in the instance of the league having to step in. The analysis of the salary cap, in current and future forms, must take hours upon hours of debate, discussion, give and take and finally agreement.
The fault of causing this lies with both sides, really. Of course the players didn't want to do anything - they had a great deal. Of course the owners didn't want to give in - they were "losers" in the last deal. What both sides want is to both win. That is painfully difficult to achieve, especially when you consider some of the massive egos that are directing some portion of these discussions.
That said, it looks like the two sides are moving beyond blame, moving beyond posturing, and focusing on the upcoming season, the dwindling time and the fact that both sides are feeling pressure to get a good deal done. I, for one, would rather have a delay in the season if the reason is more time was required to obtain that solid win-win agreement. I think that the NFL and NFLPA need to set new groundwork for another twenty years of labor peace between them, and this might be the right time to do it. And therefore, take the extra time and do the right thing from the get go, all to ensure that the final agreement is something that can well-serve both the owners and players for years to come.
In the end, I think we'll have our preseason football, our regular season football and a normal schedule. What I actually expect is that some time in August the two sides announce that the makings of a deal is done. The owners and players will agree in principle to a deal. But it won't be signed perhaps until September or October, as I think there will remain hours of work for both sides to craft the right language. There will be sticking points, but if the business of football is ongoing and successful, those sticking points will be worked out in relative ease.
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