[CBFF] ESPN: NFL owners vote unanimously to opt out of labor deal

[Phil DeNomme]

Not surprised at all.  I really hope they get something done before 2010 and
one of the things in the new CBA is an NBA-like rookie salary structure.
$30M SB for a rookie is freaking retarded.

-----Original Message-----
From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com
[mailto:cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of Victor Waldron
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:04 AM
To: CBFF
Subject: [CBFF] ESPN: NFL owners vote unanimously to opt out of labor deal

NFL owners vote unanimously to opt out of labor deal
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

ATLANTA -- The NFL officially notified its players union on Tuesday
that it will opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement,
which could lead to a season without a salary cap in 2010 and a
possible lockout in 2011.

Owners voted unanimously Tuesday morning to opt out of the deal, which
was extended in March, 2006. The NFL had until November to opt out of
the deal, but decided to do it early instead of waiting for the
deadline.

"A collective bargaining agreement has to work for both sides," the
NFL said Tuesday morning. "If the agreement provides inadequate
incentives to invest in the future, it will not work for management or
labor. And, in the context of a professional sports league, if the
agreement does not afford all clubs an opportunity to be competitive,
the league can lose its appeal."

According to the NFL, clubs are obligated by the collective bargaining
agreement with the National Football League Players Association to
spent almost $4.5 billion on players costs in 2008. Players received
around 60 percent of league revenues. Growing costs of stadium
construction and operations also figured into Tuesday's decision.

"The current labor agreement does not adequately recognize the cost of
generating the revenues of which the players receive the largest
shares; nor does the agreement recognize that those costs have
increased substantially -- and at an ever increasing rate -- in recent
years during a difficult economic climate in our country," the NFL
said.

NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw had been anticipating the early
termination of the agreement. He met with owners two weeks ago and
from that meeting, he asked for audited financial reports from owners
to document their economic problems.

"Roger [Goodell] e-mailed me this morning told me they had a unanimous
agreement to terminate the deal," Upshaw told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
"My response back to him? 'What a surprise.'

"It was exactly what we expected. I'm glad they did it now because we
knew it was coming," Upshaw said. "But this is no surprise and the
process will move forward. We'll have more to talk about later."

There will be a salary cap in 2008 and 2009. The league said it will
continue negotiations with the union.

"We are resolved to do our best to achieve a fair agreement that will
allow labor peace to continue through and beyond the 2011 season," the
league said Tuesday.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com. ESPN NFL reporter Chris
Mortensen contributed to this report.

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