Even better!!!! I hope its true.
Then this all ends Thursday!
(fingers crossed)
NFL Lockout Thread
NFL Lockout Thread
MORE ME ME ME REPORTING BY ADAM SHIFTY SCHEFTER.......
Report: League has yet to give teams permission to contact players
Posted by Mike Florio on July 19, 2011, 8:30 AM EDT
batsignal
Last night, we reported that the Packers have begun contacting players to advise them to be ready to report to the facility for a team meeting on Saturday. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com quickly confirmed the report as “100 percent” accurate, citing two unnamed club sources.
Some have speculated that the Packers received permission to contact their players, despite the still-ongoing lockout. This morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported via Twitter that no such permission has been granted.
Schefter hasn’t specifically reported that the Packers haven’t contacted player. If/when he does, we’ll have an unprecedented case of ESPN-on-ESPN-Milwaukee crime.
Meanwhile, quarterback Aaron Rodgers posted via Twitter that he hasn’t been contacted by the team. But he doesn’t need to be; he already knows. By contacting some and thus triggering an Internet-fueled Bat-signal, the Packers have done what they set out to do.
Report: League has yet to give teams permission to contact players
Posted by Mike Florio on July 19, 2011, 8:30 AM EDT
batsignal
Last night, we reported that the Packers have begun contacting players to advise them to be ready to report to the facility for a team meeting on Saturday. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com quickly confirmed the report as “100 percent” accurate, citing two unnamed club sources.
Some have speculated that the Packers received permission to contact their players, despite the still-ongoing lockout. This morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported via Twitter that no such permission has been granted.
Schefter hasn’t specifically reported that the Packers haven’t contacted player. If/when he does, we’ll have an unprecedented case of ESPN-on-ESPN-Milwaukee crime.
Meanwhile, quarterback Aaron Rodgers posted via Twitter that he hasn’t been contacted by the team. But he doesn’t need to be; he already knows. By contacting some and thus triggering an Internet-fueled Bat-signal, the Packers have done what they set out to do.
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Greg Ambrosius
- Posts: 36423
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:00 pm
NFL Lockout Thread
Could Vincent Jackson really hold up the new CBA? That's what is being reported as Jackson and Logan Mankins are two of the plaintiffs in the Brady suit who don't want to wait until their sixth year to become full free agents. They both want the franchise tags taken off of them before agreeing to the CBA. Hell, let them both become free agents and let's get this thing rolling.
Now it looks more and more like even if the new CBA is agreed upon by the players and owners by Friday, teams will have 72 hours to sign their own free agents starting on Monday. Total free agency would start on Thursday, July 28th. Either way, let's get this done and get the season rolling. Today appears to be a big day and hopefully by the end of the day we'll have a clearer view of whether the pre-season will be saved or not. Stay tuned.
Now it looks more and more like even if the new CBA is agreed upon by the players and owners by Friday, teams will have 72 hours to sign their own free agents starting on Monday. Total free agency would start on Thursday, July 28th. Either way, let's get this done and get the season rolling. Today appears to be a big day and hopefully by the end of the day we'll have a clearer view of whether the pre-season will be saved or not. Stay tuned.
Founder, National Fantasy Football Championship & National Fantasy Baseball Championship
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius
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Greg Ambrosius
- Posts: 36423
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:00 pm
NFL Lockout Thread
I know it's painful, but I'm going to keep providing updates until this labor deal is done and then maybe even after that. Here's the latest good news from Andrew Brandt:
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Lab ... -soon.html
All is still trending towards the NFL labor pains leading to delivery of a baby soon. And while we still expect a smooth landing, some last-minute turbulence has manifested itself in the recent settlement requests of the named Brady plaintiffs.
Named hold-ups
The horse-trading I mentioned previously has taken shape. Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins, casualties of the 2010 uncapped rules, were reported to not be going quietly into a settlement. Both were designated with franchise tags prior to the NFL locking out in March and said to have requested/demanded full free agency and/or a lump-sum payment to compensate them for their restriction.
If true, these requests were neither new nor out of left field. I am told these requests have been swirling for some time, with the player agents and outside counsel pressing DeMaurice Smith to present them as important issues towards settlement. As to precedent, in 1993, all named plaintiffs in the Reggie White v. NFL case were exempted from receiving franchise tag designation for the rest of their careers.
These were minor speed bumps, though, as updated reports – and a tweet from Jackson – suggest there is no longer an issue. Thus, with optimism towards resolution in mind, let's look at the steps by which a new CBA would come to fruition.
The road to a CBA
This morning, a completed draft is being readied for the NFLPA Executive Committee and the NFL's Labor Committee. The NFLPA Executive Committee and all 32 player representatives are set to meet today in Washington to peruse, and hopefully approve, a proposed settlement. A full vote by all 1900 players would then take place. Players would recommend that the Brady named plaintiffs sign off on the deal. Upon approval by the named plaintiffs, the ball would change possession into the Owners' hands.
On Thursday, the Owners are meeting Atlanta, with two or more executives from each team attending. If at least 24 of 32 owners ratify the proposed CBA, peace will be born after four months of grueling labor pains. The NFL would then spend Thursday and Friday briefing team executives on the intricacies of the new CBA.
Comprehensive settlement
The pending litigation and related matters – Brady v. NFL, the television contract case under Judge Doty, the NFL's unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB, the NFLPA collusion grievance from last year, etc. – are expected to be rolled up into one all-encompassing "global settlement" between the parties.
Recertification
Without a union, the labor exemption – shielding the NFL from antitrust liability – does not attach. As part of the new CBA, the NFL insists that the NFLPA return to its previous role as the exclusive union of NFL Players.
If recertification mirrors the 1993 post-White recertification, there must be:
• A majority vote (50% + 1) of NFL players – by signed authorization cards – designating the NFLPA as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of all present and future players
• The NFL voluntarily recognizing the NFLPA
• The NFLPA filing a notice with the U.S. Department of Labor and an application with the IRS (to reclassify for tax purposes from a trade association to a labor organization)
Although it sounds like a lot, in today's electronic age, preparations have likely been made for this to be done electronically, via the Internet, saving some much-needed time.
Judge Nelson's blessing
Beyond the Player and Owner votes, there is the matter of the still-pending Brady v. NFL and presenting their settlement agreement to Judge Susan Nelson, the presiding judge who has been apprised of all the negotiations from mediator Arthur Boylan.
Nelson would ensure notice was given to all 1900 NFL Players and potentially hold a hearing where Players unsatisfied with the proposed settlement are afforded the opportunity to object (Judge Doty held the same in 1993 with only a handful of players objecting). Nelson would have ultimate authority to approve the ten-year settlement and end Brady.
This process – more of a formality, especially once the NFLPA recertifies – is not expected to delay the resumption of NFL football.
A not so simple issue
One issue all sides will be watching is what will happen with decertification. The Owners will try to foreclose the NFLPA's ability to decertify in the future; the Players will resist mightily. To deny decertification as an option will be a major blow to future union leaders in all major sports leagues.
With a ten-year agreement, decertification is not something that will concern the NFL for a long time, but it is in the interest of both parties to find a mutually agreeable solution, and incorporate it into an explicit and unambiguous clause in the next CBA.
Judicial oversight
The 1993 CBA – as a result of the White settlement – carried oversight from the Minnesota District Court. That oversight has represented a pebble in the shoe of the NFL, with Judge David Doty's rulings – for Michael Vick and others – costing Owners tens of millions.
The Owners are insistent in not having similar oversight in the coming agreement, and I sense they will not.
Timeline
Upon expected approval by the full NFL ownership tomorrow in Atlanta, there is a seminar scheduled for team negotiators to review the new rules to play under in the business of football.
As we expected, there will likely be a three-day period of interaction between teams and their own players – players under contract, rookies, pending free agents. That period will be full of tampering, as players and agents will want to know what is behind Door Number Two before agreeing with their own team.
Following that time, the bell will ring on the 2011 League Year, setting off the building of rosters and talent in as compressed a time period as the modern NFL has known. Teams and agents are bracing themselves, but fans are ecstatic.
The labor pains are ending, the baby will be here soon.
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Lab ... -soon.html
All is still trending towards the NFL labor pains leading to delivery of a baby soon. And while we still expect a smooth landing, some last-minute turbulence has manifested itself in the recent settlement requests of the named Brady plaintiffs.
Named hold-ups
The horse-trading I mentioned previously has taken shape. Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins, casualties of the 2010 uncapped rules, were reported to not be going quietly into a settlement. Both were designated with franchise tags prior to the NFL locking out in March and said to have requested/demanded full free agency and/or a lump-sum payment to compensate them for their restriction.
If true, these requests were neither new nor out of left field. I am told these requests have been swirling for some time, with the player agents and outside counsel pressing DeMaurice Smith to present them as important issues towards settlement. As to precedent, in 1993, all named plaintiffs in the Reggie White v. NFL case were exempted from receiving franchise tag designation for the rest of their careers.
These were minor speed bumps, though, as updated reports – and a tweet from Jackson – suggest there is no longer an issue. Thus, with optimism towards resolution in mind, let's look at the steps by which a new CBA would come to fruition.
The road to a CBA
This morning, a completed draft is being readied for the NFLPA Executive Committee and the NFL's Labor Committee. The NFLPA Executive Committee and all 32 player representatives are set to meet today in Washington to peruse, and hopefully approve, a proposed settlement. A full vote by all 1900 players would then take place. Players would recommend that the Brady named plaintiffs sign off on the deal. Upon approval by the named plaintiffs, the ball would change possession into the Owners' hands.
On Thursday, the Owners are meeting Atlanta, with two or more executives from each team attending. If at least 24 of 32 owners ratify the proposed CBA, peace will be born after four months of grueling labor pains. The NFL would then spend Thursday and Friday briefing team executives on the intricacies of the new CBA.
Comprehensive settlement
The pending litigation and related matters – Brady v. NFL, the television contract case under Judge Doty, the NFL's unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB, the NFLPA collusion grievance from last year, etc. – are expected to be rolled up into one all-encompassing "global settlement" between the parties.
Recertification
Without a union, the labor exemption – shielding the NFL from antitrust liability – does not attach. As part of the new CBA, the NFL insists that the NFLPA return to its previous role as the exclusive union of NFL Players.
If recertification mirrors the 1993 post-White recertification, there must be:
• A majority vote (50% + 1) of NFL players – by signed authorization cards – designating the NFLPA as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of all present and future players
• The NFL voluntarily recognizing the NFLPA
• The NFLPA filing a notice with the U.S. Department of Labor and an application with the IRS (to reclassify for tax purposes from a trade association to a labor organization)
Although it sounds like a lot, in today's electronic age, preparations have likely been made for this to be done electronically, via the Internet, saving some much-needed time.
Judge Nelson's blessing
Beyond the Player and Owner votes, there is the matter of the still-pending Brady v. NFL and presenting their settlement agreement to Judge Susan Nelson, the presiding judge who has been apprised of all the negotiations from mediator Arthur Boylan.
Nelson would ensure notice was given to all 1900 NFL Players and potentially hold a hearing where Players unsatisfied with the proposed settlement are afforded the opportunity to object (Judge Doty held the same in 1993 with only a handful of players objecting). Nelson would have ultimate authority to approve the ten-year settlement and end Brady.
This process – more of a formality, especially once the NFLPA recertifies – is not expected to delay the resumption of NFL football.
A not so simple issue
One issue all sides will be watching is what will happen with decertification. The Owners will try to foreclose the NFLPA's ability to decertify in the future; the Players will resist mightily. To deny decertification as an option will be a major blow to future union leaders in all major sports leagues.
With a ten-year agreement, decertification is not something that will concern the NFL for a long time, but it is in the interest of both parties to find a mutually agreeable solution, and incorporate it into an explicit and unambiguous clause in the next CBA.
Judicial oversight
The 1993 CBA – as a result of the White settlement – carried oversight from the Minnesota District Court. That oversight has represented a pebble in the shoe of the NFL, with Judge David Doty's rulings – for Michael Vick and others – costing Owners tens of millions.
The Owners are insistent in not having similar oversight in the coming agreement, and I sense they will not.
Timeline
Upon expected approval by the full NFL ownership tomorrow in Atlanta, there is a seminar scheduled for team negotiators to review the new rules to play under in the business of football.
As we expected, there will likely be a three-day period of interaction between teams and their own players – players under contract, rookies, pending free agents. That period will be full of tampering, as players and agents will want to know what is behind Door Number Two before agreeing with their own team.
Following that time, the bell will ring on the 2011 League Year, setting off the building of rosters and talent in as compressed a time period as the modern NFL has known. Teams and agents are bracing themselves, but fans are ecstatic.
The labor pains are ending, the baby will be here soon.
Founder, National Fantasy Football Championship & National Fantasy Baseball Championship
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius
NFL Lockout Thread
Players better approve this today.
-
Greg Ambrosius
- Posts: 36423
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:00 pm
NFL Lockout Thread
Originally posted by W. Klown:
Players better approve this today. I think one thing Adam Schefter just said on ESPN that makes sense is that D Smith would not bring this to vote today if he thought it had any chance to fail. And the same tomorrow with Roger Goodell and the owners. Both guys are like politicians and will have their votes counted before taking it to the public, so if you hear they are taking a vote today it should be a good sign that the votes are there from his 32 player reps and his 1900 players. Same with Goodell. It would take nine teams to defeat the new CBA tomorrow and I'm sure Goodell has his votes counted already and there's no way there are nine teams against a new CBA, even if it's not perfect for them.
We should now a lot more by this time tomorrow.
Players better approve this today. I think one thing Adam Schefter just said on ESPN that makes sense is that D Smith would not bring this to vote today if he thought it had any chance to fail. And the same tomorrow with Roger Goodell and the owners. Both guys are like politicians and will have their votes counted before taking it to the public, so if you hear they are taking a vote today it should be a good sign that the votes are there from his 32 player reps and his 1900 players. Same with Goodell. It would take nine teams to defeat the new CBA tomorrow and I'm sure Goodell has his votes counted already and there's no way there are nine teams against a new CBA, even if it's not perfect for them.
We should now a lot more by this time tomorrow.
Founder, National Fantasy Football Championship & National Fantasy Baseball Championship
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius
NFL Lockout Thread
RUH ROH.......
Multiple sources are now reporting they need to go back to the bargaining table! (Eric Edholm & Mike Florio)
YOUVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!
Where is ALbert Breer? He hasnt tweeted in four hours. What is going on here.
This has added a whole new dimension of silly now if this report is true.
Multiple sources are now reporting they need to go back to the bargaining table! (Eric Edholm & Mike Florio)
YOUVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!
Where is ALbert Breer? He hasnt tweeted in four hours. What is going on here.
This has added a whole new dimension of silly now if this report is true.
NFL Lockout Thread
OK, the best reporter through all this, Albert "MY MAIN MAN" Breer just tweeted!
He thinks "the players will be voting real soon but both sides will have people who do not like the deal."
JUST VOTE ALREADY THEN!
He thinks "the players will be voting real soon but both sides will have people who do not like the deal."
JUST VOTE ALREADY THEN!
NFL Lockout Thread
Originally posted by The FF Maestro:
just two words to sum up this entire fiasco; sheer absurdity. I have two different words....
BULL - - - - !
just two words to sum up this entire fiasco; sheer absurdity. I have two different words....
BULL - - - - !