NFL Lockout Thread

liquidhippo · Post by **liquidhippo** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:18 am

Interesting to see DeMaurice Smith mock the consultants on NFL network and take a shot at some of the owners at the latest news conference. Not sure what that's going to accomplish other than possibly tick off some of the owners and media.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:27 am

De Smith addresses recertification issue
Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 3:22 PM EDT
andrew-luck2 Getty Images

In a surprise appearance before the cameras and microphones parked outside NFLPA* headquarters, executive director DeMaurice Smith talked about the question of whether the trade association will lose its asterisk.

“Look, we visited every team some four times over the last two years,” Smith said in comments carried live by ESPN and NFL Network. “The decision by the players to decertify as a union was a significant one. And I think most of you remember by neverending road trip where we went team-by-team to talk about the issues of decertification.

“I know from yesterday that the issues for every player about recertification as a union is going to be an important issue, and here in America every time an employee makes that decision about whether he wants to be a part of a union it’s something that is serious, significant and should be done in a sober way. I know there’s a lot of questions swirling around, and I know from watching the folks at NFL Network that they’ve become experts on the recertification issue.

“Let me tell you, every individuals person has to make a decision about whether they want to be part of a union. And recommendations made by the Executive Committee as the advisors to the class or the board of directors as advisors to the class are just that. But the individual decisions are something that our players take extremely serious.”

That’s fine, but let’s be honest about what happened in 2010. Smith explained to the players that decertification represented the best legal strategy for dealing with a lockout. And so the players overwhelmingly accepted his recommendation to give him the power to shut down the union in order to block the lockout (which failed) and to obtain damages if the season is lost due to a lockout (which could succeed). To now explain it all as an intensely personal decision over which no one should have any influence seems a tad disingenuous at best, flat-out passive-aggressive at worst.

If De Smith tells the players that the best legal strategy for signing a new labor deal comes from recertifying the union (and it does), the players will vote to put the union back together as quickly as they voted to take it apart.

As previously explained, having a union in place insulates the NFL from an antitrust lawsuit that would threaten the draft. And if the draft comes under attack and if the draft is found to be an antitrust violation and if Andrew Luck (pictured) or someone else successfully overturns the draft and the rookie wage scale goes away and Luck can be paid whatever the Cowboys or Redskins or whoever want to pay him, the non-rookies can blame themselves for having less money available to pay their wages under the salary cap.

Let’s repeat that, a bit more bluntly. If the players don’t become a union again, some incoming rookie will sue the league, arguing that the draft and/or the rookie wage scale is illegal. If he wins, kids still playing college football will be paid much more money than the proposed labor deal gives them, and that money will come from the pockets of the 1,900 men who have to make the individual decision as to whether to be a union again.

De Smith may not be willing to make a recommendation, but I am. With protections in place to permit the union to decertify in the future if faced with a lockout, it’s a no-brainer to put the union back together again.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:29 am

It is becoming clear to me that the NFLPA really does have an idiot representing them.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:39 am

It certainly seems like the owners have conceeded a lot of things in this deal.

Seems like a nice deal for the players too.

I dont see what the holdup is.

Players seem to have gotten all they asked for.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:41 am

Originally posted by Liquid Hippo:
Interesting to see DeMaurice Smith mock the consultants on NFL network and take a shot at some of the owners at the latest news conference. Not sure what that's going to accomplish other than possibly tick off some of the owners and media. Agreed Greg. And really, what did that "press conference" accomplish other than to let the owners voting right now know that the players still have one more trick up their sleeve: Not recertifying. It look like a negotiating ploy more than anything else? Not recertifying would blow this whole thing up and do you really think there are more than 50 percent of all players who would vote that way? I just don't see it. The 50 percent player vote seems easier than the three-fourths vote of owners, but the owners are on the same page. I hope they vote 32-0 to ratify to show their unity.

De Smith didn't look good today. He still looked combative.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:42 am

” uh uh i have nothing intelligent to say uh uh im gonna go for a walk uh uh thanks buh bye uh uh”
-d smith.. leader of the nflpa…

THought this was funny.........someone else posted regarding D Smith press conference.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:51 am

Here’s how a deal can be done, now
Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 3:38 PM EDT
NFL And Players Resume Mediation Getty Images

This isn’t speculation. This isn’t a hypothesis. This is fact.

The NFLPA* is ready to do a deal. The NFLPA* is ready to commit to reformulating the union. But the NFLPA* doesn’t believe that it can be done without signed union cards.

And it won’t take two weeks to get the signed union cards. The NFLPA* is willing to agree to the proposed settlement and to commit to reforming as a union. The NFLPA* simply wants to wait until camps open to physically collect the cards.

The problem is that the NFLPA* believes that NFL lawyer Bob Batterman (pictured) is demanding that the owners require the NFLPA* to immediately reconstitute. And for the same reason that some owners think NFLPA* lawyer Jeffrey Kessler wants to blow up the deal, the NFLPA* now thinks Batterman wants to blow up the deal.

This one is simple. And the league needs to agree to it. Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith now trust each other. Goodell needs only to trust Smith for a week. Smith got the signatures needed to shut down the union, and he’ll get the signatures on the union cards to put it back together.

So while we’ve been making plenty of pleas to the players lately, he’s an open plea to the NFL. The players want to do this deal, but they want to do it their way. Let them do it their way, and a deal will be done.

NFL, the ball is in your court.

UPDATE: Based on what we’re currently hearing from the league, it looks like the NFL is willing to agree to those terms. Though it’s too early to declare that a done deal is coming, we’re finally moving in that direction.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:07 pm

Owners vote 31-0 to lift lockout!

(Al Davis abstained........maybe he fell asleeep. lol)

Ok, De Dum Dum Smith.....your turn.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:53 pm

No opt out of 10-year deal!!! FANS WIN!!

All teams have to be at 99% of $120.4 million salary cap this year. WOW. Some teams must start spending. Free agency should be wild.

Four pre-season games are guaranteed through 2013, which means there is still hope by owners for an 18-game regular season after 2013. Keep an eye on that.

but our fantasy football season for 2011 has been saved. De Smith must have the votes in hand as well. He better have it.

Players can report on Saturday and teams can talk with free agents on Sunday with three days to resign their own free agents. Get ready for the ride folks!! WOHOO!!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 1:07 pm

Free agency opens on Wednesday.
Trading period opens on Wednesday.
Training camps open on Wednesday.

Of course, the players need to ratify this first and De Smith is already putting cold water on this deal. Now it sounds like no vote will be taken by the PA tonight. We'll see. The players are headed towards a PR nightmare if they stall this much further. It's time for football and much of this deal looks pretty good for the fans. Not everyone got everything, but a 10-year no-opt out deal is good for the fans. Let's do it.

The fantasy football season is open for business. Let's plan for a wild season that hopefully starts on Wednesday. WOW. I'M PUMPED!!