NFL owners vote to opt out of labor contract

A Gene Upshaw-led PA showing balls?

 

If there's no union contract, players are free when they finish their existing contracts.

 

Once upon a time, Ralph Wilson felt it was his responsibility to bail out the Raiders and Patriots to ensure the AFL's continued existence.

Times change.

 

When was the last Super Bowl canceled because of strife?

 

Just because the owners are fucking it up with their own infighting doesn't mean the system isn't superior to baseball's. It just means the owners are dumb enough to fuck up a great situation.

 

Gary Myer's column today suggests NFL owners want players to help build new stadiums for them, among other silliness. Last I heard, building the physical plant was part of the inherent investment risk to business owners that entitles them to a fair return.

FYI, Myers, who's been covering the NFL for the Daily News for almost 30 years, is usually a well-informed read, especially if you want to know what the folks in the NFL office are thinking. Few reporters are better connected than him.

 

I don't think this is about being rational or even a matter of the NFL owners being that unhappy with the current system. I think the owners believe that when things get tight, the players will cave. Given the past history of labor negotiations, it is an understandable conceit.

 

When was the last baseball game played with scabs?

 

Exactly.
More like mustard seeds.
It is Gene Upshaw we're talking about. A union leader that allowed his players to sign an agreement in which player contracts can be terminated at anytime.

 

Didn't they actually play some spring training games with the scabs in '95?

Playing a few games with replacement players was bad, but not as damaging as a cancelled World Series.

 

I didn't realize non-roster players in spring training games were considered scabs...