Owners Vote on Proposal to end NFL Lockout 31-0

[Revolution]

NFL owners voted on Thursday evening to ratify a proposal to end the lockout, the first step in ending the longest work stoppage in NFL history.

The final vote was 31-0 with Oakland Raiders abstaining, according to a source inside the room. The focus will next shift to the players, who will also have to ratify the proposal.

NFL.com senior writer Steve Wyche reported that a football operations meeting will start Friday at 8 a.m. ET, according to a league source.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d820e3984/article/owners-vote-to-end-lockout-focus-shifts-to-nflpa?module=HP11_cp

You hear that, DeMaurice, you giant prick? It's up to YOU, and the NFLPA. (That also means you Kevin Mawae, you jerk!) Don't do anymore backdoor deals, secretive negotiation. Make the deal happen, DeMaurice, take your big, fat, paycheck, and slink back into whatever dirty hole it is you crawled out of in the first place.

Visa is OK with me, but I'm changing it. Go Owners!

[5412]

Hi,

So the owners vote 31-0 to ratify the deal.  Now let me see if I have it right.

Owners and players are sharing $9 billion.  Owners were getting a billion off the top and then the players got 60% of the rest.  That did not satisfy the owners, they wanted more.  Owners refused to open their books, admitted the league and every team was making a profit but they originally demanded $2 billion off the top because of the cost of new stadiums etc.  Hmmmm, don't the taxpayers normally pay for the stadiums, then give them tax free deals to boot?  In Tampa the taxpayers built a new stadium and practice facility, and the owners pay zippo for property taxes and they still skimp and put a lousy product on the field.   Ever see a union negotiation in your life where management asked labor for a give back, where they refused to open their books to show the union they were losing money???

The fact the owners ratified the deal so quickly makes me very, very suspicious.  Cool move on the owners part for a publicity standpoint, now they can blame the players if the deal is not ratified. 

The owners hired the same attorney that represented the NHL when they broke the union by cancelling an entire hockey season.  That was the goal of the owner of the Carolina Panthers and from what I read, he was asked not to attend some of the negotiations sessions which is likely a good thing.

For those who think the players are making too much money I always ask the same question.  Take your current team, (mine is the Bears), and ask this question.  Would you rather the money go to the players or the McCaskey family (substitute the name of the owner of your favorite franchise).  The owners are for the most part multi-billionaires and I feel so sorry for them.  If you are a Cowboy fan, would you rather the money go to Jerry Jones or the players?

NFL owners have the greatest gig in the country.  The colleges develop their labor force, they have a total monopoly in the labor market, the taxpayers build their factories and their customers pay several hundred dollars per seat regardless of the quality of the product......and in many cases they are forced to do so for two practice games before the season starts.   How would you like to work your tail off in college, then when you get finished have only one job available in the United States and have no leverage to negotiate your starting salary regardless of your skill level?

As a football fan, I want the players to ratify the deal.  At the same time, this is one time I stand with labor as opposed to ownership who contribute little if anything to the product that entertains us over the winter.

regards,
5412

[Revolution]

I disagree with a bit, but am too hooked on ESPN to comment much yet. However, I will say this: I don't think owners should have to open their books to players, and fans. Now, if law breaking is taking place, that's a different story. However, I would not expect my Employer to open her books to me so that I could see what the waitresses, cooks, etc are making, what her annual salary is, how much Petro takes in, etc. That just isn't right. Let alone everyone seeing the aforementioned. It would bring chaos, anarchy, and crying.

I'll try to deal with the rest of what you said later. I'd like to see other's opinions on this.

[cavegal]

Is this where i say...GO RAIDERS?   

[5412]

I disagree with a bit, but am too hooked on ESPN to comment much yet. However, I will say this: I don't think owners should have to open their books to players, and fans. Now, if law breaking is taking place, that's a different story. However, I would not expect my Employer to open her books to me so that I could see what the waitresses, cooks, etc are making, what her annual salary is, how much Petro takes in, etc. That just isn't right. Let alone everyone seeing the aforementioned. It would bring chaos, anarchy, and crying.

I'll try to deal with the rest of what you said later. I'd like to see other's opinions on this.

Hi,

No owner of any business is required to open their books to their labor force as far as I know.  With that being said....

I have written books and taught the subject of negotiations in industry for over 35 years.  In the case of publically traded corporations, their books are open and a matter of public record.  Privately held companies are an entire different matter.

Now when ownership is asking for the unions to "give back" salary, pension money etc. it is normally because they are losing money and can no longer compete.  It is somewhat customary for ownership to open the books to the unions and basically show them there is no blood left in the turnip so to speak.  Then, if the union does not make concessions, they know and understand the consequences.  Many a company has moved their production facilities outside of the US because the union leadership continued to demand more and more, knowing full well the company could not pay it, and then they blamed ownership when the finally shut the door and went elsewhere.  This is the only time I can remember where ownership wanted labor to give back a billion dollars in wages yet they readily admitted that the league and every team was profitable....never, ever seen that before.  Guess Jerry Jones and friends must be running out of money..... 

Many years ago 32 year old Lamar Hunt started the Kansas City Chiefs and the American Football league in competition to the NFL.  Now his daddy started one of the oil companies, I believe Gulf Oil so they were doing OK.  The first year in operations they lost a million dollars which was a lot of money in the 1960's.  The reporters went to his daddy and asked him what he thought about his kid losing a million dollars.  He responded by saying, "Well if he keeps it up in 400 years he will be broke!"  Make no mistake, anyone who can buy an NFL franchise has plenty of money and will not miss a meal.

Look at the Boeing situation in Seattle.  They want to open up a facility in the Carolinas which is a right to work state and the union went bananas.  Should have been no surprise to them, Boeing was upfront with them from the beginning, they just refused to accept the reality.

regards,
5412

[namvet]

playing in an empty stadium solves the problem. real quick

[Revolution]

WASHINGTON –- The lockout could well be in its final hours, and a timeline for league business opening appears to be in place.

Legal teams for NFL owners and players negotiated through the weekend and deep into Monday morning, wrapping up at 3 a.m. with an agreement on basic terms.
 
According to multiple sources, the deal is not 100 percent done, but the final document is. The 32 team player reps began a conference call at 11 a.m. ET and are going over a summary of the deal, with some of the key points of contention pulled out ad explained. Sources say there is no opt-out in the deal, so the current agreement will last for 10 years without the ability to renegotiate.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d820f4c7f/article/agreement-in-place-players-reviewing-deal-prior-to-vote?module=HP11_breaking_news

So ready for the NFL Season, Free Agency, Training Camp, etc to start.

[namvet]

not surprised. these guys don't get paid a dime if they stay out. and those meg buck cars and homes go into repo and foreclosure