NFL Lockout Thread

Erok
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NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:11 am

Just heard Jason La Canfora talking on NFL Network and what I heard was not good.

Having been a part of a collective bargaining session in the past, the players were supposedly to vote yday and approve what D-Smith took to them. The fact that they did not and La Canfora said that the players took issue with quite a few things in there means that they are gonna have to go back an renegotiate stuff with the owners.

I cant believe that these players took issue with stuff that was apparently ok'd by D Smith and the other exec comm members. Shouldve really been an easy sell.

With everyone in different cities now I would think the negotiations have to be over the phone.

If the owners concede to these items the player reps asked for yesterday then the players gave D Smith to ok the deal. If the owners do not agree to these demands this thing is going to linger on longer.

Seems like these players are trying to pull a last minute power play. Maybe it infuriates the owners....who knows. Hopefully the issues were minor and the owners concede to them.

Erok
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Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:00 pm

NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:13 am

THen you have this report:

Chester Pitts says the lockout won’t end for “two full weeks”
Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 12:08 AM EDT
NFL Lockout Looms As Negotiations Reach Final Day Getty Images

We’re gonna need more ice for all of this champagne.

At a time when it has been widely believed that the NFLPA* and the NFL will approve the proposed labor deal and open the doors for free agency and training camps next week, Seahawks guard Chester Pitts told Tony Bruno of FOX Sports Radio that it will take “two full weeks” to get the situation resolved.

Pitts is the Seahawks’ player representative, and he attended Wednesday’s meetings in Washington, D.C. So he’s privy to what’s going on behind closed doors.

Frankly, we don’t know what to make of any of it. Our gut feeling is that the players are dragging their feet in order to get something else from the owners, even if both the players and the owners will lose roughly $100 million each for every week of the preseason that is lost.

Jim Trotter of SI.com reported on Wednesday that the players’ request for $320 million in lost benefits during the uncapped year of 2010 remains an issue, even though that was a wrinkle of the prior CBA, which when viewed from start to finish was favorable to the players. And as Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com reported on Wednesday night, Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson and Patriots guard Logan Mankins still want $10 million each to put their signatures on the settlement papers of the Brady antitrust class action.

We think everything can get wrapped up quickly if/when the two sides decide to wrap it all up. For now, it looks like the players will be deliberately dragging their feet in the hopes of extracting a few final concessions from the owners.

Again, the two sides have resolved much thornier issues. It should be easy to resolve these remaining matters, if NFLPA* executive director DeMaurce Smith can display true leadership to his players — and if Smith can continue to keep a leash on NFLPA* lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, who possibly is stirring the “let’s get paid more money” pot.

Erok
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Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:00 pm

NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:34 am

Read this at another site.....

"Owners should pay Mankins and V Jax the $10 million they want, then agree that no team will ever sign either one of them again."

LOL.

Greg Ambrosius
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NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Greg Ambrosius » Thu Jul 21, 2011 5:38 am

Possible good news: Possible #CBA vote? @michaelombardi reported on @NFLNetwork that De Smith has asked 4 all player reps 2 be available 4 a conf call tonight
Founder, National Fantasy Football Championship & National Fantasy Baseball Championship
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius

Erok
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NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:03 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:
Possible good news: Possible #CBA vote? @michaelombardi reported on @NFLNetwork that De Smith has asked 4 all player reps 2 be available 4 a conf call tonight My guess is the owners are compromising on some of the issues and now D Smith wants to present it to his 32 reps.

If the owners agreed to all the changes/concessions the 32 reps wanted, I was under the impression they gave D Smith the ok to approve that deal. Being they are conference calling my guess is they gave into some but not others. I guess we will see.

Erok
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NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:11 am

I think they will haggle back and forth from 8-11PM tonight or so and late tonight you will find out we have a deal.

Erok
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Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:00 pm

NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:36 am

Recertification delay is a red herring
Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 1:55 PM EDT
ul_Horse-Virus-Pony-Express.JP+Z AP

I got a little fired up during the first segment of PFT Live while reading Rosenthal’s write up of the latest wrinkle in the CBA talks. But for good reason. (At least I think it was a good reason.)

The notion that it will take two weeks to recertify the NFLPA* is ridiculous to the point of offensive, or offensive to the point of ridiculous. Or both. It’s 2011, not 1924. The U.S. mail is as outdated as the Pony Express.

This potential issue was flagged for me by a source with knowledge of the talks several weeks ago. NFLPA* lawyer Jeffrey Kessler (a/k/a the guy who wants to be the next Marvin Miller) was whining during one of the sessions about the time it will take to put the union back together again. The NFL’s lawyers did Kessler’s work for him, laying out in detail the steps required to get the recertification accomplished quickly, via electronic means.

As I said during my rant (or words to this effect), it’s time for Kessler to sit down and shut up. If he wants to wreck a sport in pursuit of the glorification of his massive ego, wreck a sport no one cares about, like basketball. Whether he’s hoping to blow up the talks so that he can continue to pursue the litigation option or whether he simply wants one last pelt that he can wave around while doing his victory lap, it’s time for someone (and Gene Upshaw would have done it by now) to tell Kessler to zip it.

The twelfth hour is here. The big bells are ringing. It’s time for the players to vote on the deal that the man they hired to negotiate has negotiated.

And if Kessler is cajoling the Executive Committee and/or the player reps of a supposed trade association to get in the way, why not send the thing out to a vote of all players? With or without the approval of the men whose approval shouldn’t matter, more than half of the players will accept the recommendation of the one man they’ve hired to make this very recommendation.

Erok
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NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:36 am

Pro Football Weekly seems like the TMZ of sports.

Erok
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Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:00 pm

NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:02 am

D Smith and Jeffrey Kessler appear to still be playing games.

It is clear the owners want and will vote to end this today.

Does not look like the players are ready.

This could get ugly again now.

Erok
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Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:00 pm

NFL Lockout Thread

Post by Erok » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:07 am

IMO I dont think this gets settled tonight now.

D SMith press conference indicates he is still posturing and playing games. This is seriously a joke at this stage of the game.

This guy is a terrible speaker and horrible communicator. I cant believe he represents the NFLPA.

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