NFL Lockout Thread

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 1:24 pm

From everything Ive read about the new CBA, it certainly seems the players have made out on almost EVERY issue! Yet, D-Smith and their fool lawyer are still not going to approve this deal. Holy sh**, you have to be kidding me!

Report: De Smith tells player reps there is “no agreement” with NFL
Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 8:08 PM EDT

To put a twist on T.O.’s catch phrase, get your cold water ready.

After several days in which it looked like the NFLPA* was making an eleventh-hour power play against the league, it could be that the league is trying to make a twelfth-hour power play against the NFLPA*.

And it looks like it won’t work.

On the heels of an ominous e-mail that was directed by an unknown sender (likely Jeffrey Kessler) to unknown recipients (likely the board of player representatives), Jim Trotter of SI.com and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen have obtained a copy of the e-mail sent by NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith to the board of player representatives.

Here’s the full text, as Trotter posted on Twitter, with edits to make it more easily readable.

“As you know the Owners have ratified their proposal to settle our differences,” the e-mail states. “It is my understanding they are forwarding it to us. As you may have heard, they apparently approved a supplemental revenue sharing proposal. Obviously, we have not been a part of those discussions. As you know from yesterday, issues that need to be collectively bargained remain open other issues such as workers compensation, economic issues and end of deal terms remain unresolved. There is no agreement between the NFL and the Players at this time. I look forward to our call tonight.”

Gulp.

Folks, there’s no way the NFLPA* will be approving the deal tonight or passing it along to the players for a vote. And once the league has to start canceling preseason weeks and not just one preseason game, real money is going to disappear — and the chances of getting a deal done will diminish.

SS · Post by SS » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:22 pm

Who knows at this point. At least half of them figured it out.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:42 pm

NFLPA* fears lawsuit from Vincent Jackson
Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2011, 9:16 PM EDT
95567475_vj Getty Images

Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson is represented by a couple of the hardest charging agents in the business. Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod have engineered, for example, the recent holdouts of Darrelle Revis and Roddy White. Also, they threatened litigation on Jackson’s behalf last year against the San Diego Union-Tribune based on the suggestion by Kevin Acee that Jackson was broke.

There’s talk in league circles that the NFLPA* fears they’ll be the next target of the Schwartz and Feinsod hardball tactics. Specifically, we’re told the NFLPA* is concerned it will be sued if Jackson’s role in the Brady antitrust lawsuit is settled without Jackson receiving $10 million.

That’s why the NFLPA* keeps pushing the issue — and that’s why it continues to be a roadblock in a process that now has plenty of them.

Only one man can put this issue to rest. And that’s Vincent Jackson. If he truly wants nothing (as he supposedly said on an unverified Twitter page earlier this week), he needs to call a press conference and say so. Otherwise, we’ll assume he wants $10 million.

Hopefully, I won’t be sued for expressing that opinion.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:37 pm

So much posturing by the players, so much wasted time. This could have been done long ago but for all of the tough talk and clueless behavior. And now we hear they don't think they got enough "respect' because the owners want an answer in a timely fashion. Give me a frickin' break. Players - it's on you. The deal is fair, sign it. End this charade.

Old School · Post by **Old School** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 5:32 pm

New idiot player of the day; Heath Evans.

"Real fans should know the owners slipped in new things in the CBA" Really Heath? Well real fans know that you're not a real football player.

Say Heath, what exactly did they slip in? "We dont know cause we havent had a chance to review it. But they slipped in some things"

Can you be more specific Heath? "Um I dont know"

:rolleyes:

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:08 pm

Originally posted by Old School:
New idiot player of the day; Heath Evans.

"Real fans should know the owners slipped in new things in the CBA" Really Heath? Well real fans know that you're not a real football player.

Say Heath, what exactly did they slip in? "We dont know cause we havent had a chance to review it. But they slipped in some things"

Can you be more specific Heath? "Um I dont know"

:rolleyes:

This shows you how poorly led the NFLPA is by D Smith. The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Owners put it on the players today. That makes them look really bad......yet still more posturing and grandstanding by Dee Smith and players.......NFLPA looks real bad now after some reps are saying they didnt see a deal to vote on while others are saying the language changed. Wow! What a junkshow.

Erok · Post by **Erok** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:14 pm

By the way, all D Smith had to do was come out at 10PM or so after speaking to all the reps and simply say to the media....."We only received/reviewed parts of the new CBA this evening. We need additional time to review all of the details in it and discuss it in greater detail with our members. We will do this over the next day or so and see where we are at." Thank you Good Night.

But no, Dee Smith gotta keep trying to be hard.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:31 am

Agree with all of the points here. Heath Evans looked like a fool on the NFL Network last night. He's not even a player rep. He doesn't know what he's talking about and he goes on live on the NFL Network. What a fool.

Dee Smith needed to have his constituents hold off on the hardline rhetoric last night. If they honestly didn't have the full CBA, then he should have gone in front of the media and said they can't vote at this time because they are still getting the final alterations of the new deal. He should have showed the same unity as the owners and had everyone speaking the same words. Instead, you can tell not everyone is informed and there is a huge communication breakdown among the players. This stems from the leader.

Here's my two questions that nobody seems to be asking:

1. What is this supplemental revenue sharing that Goodell announced and that Dee said he was not involved in? What does that mean? The players are guaranteed that all teams spend 99% of the salary cap over the next two years and not lower than 95% over the remainder of the 10-year deal, so no matter how big the pie gets the players always benefit. So what does the supplemental revenue sharing mean that has Dee upset?

2. Secondly, why is recertification such a big deal? Does the union really believe it won't be a union going forward? Okay, it might take some time and maybe they don't want to be told when they need to recertify, but isn't that needed to settle the final points the union is contending aren't in the final CBA? The owners can't settle those final points until the union recertifies, so why is that such a big deal?

Can anyone help me there? I'll check everywhere for details this morning.

[ July 22, 2011, 06:32 AM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]

Diesel · Post by **Diesel** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:58 am

To question a leader takes a lot of guts(or stupidity), because in this case, I'm pretty sure everyone voted for this leader. I'm not sure how D.Smith was elected. Do the players have a vote?

I say it takes guts or stupidity, because in order to question someone's authority, you should have a clear knowledge of what your leaders are doing and a good idea for a solution. Otherwise you are just a whiner or a fool. This is why I think D.Smith is doing this with barely any criticism by the players. Almost all of them don't want to be the whiner or the fool. These guys are football players. Not lawyers. But I hope that these college graduates see the light here, and realize that once this deal is done, they NEED better leadership. I'd love to see D.Smith's college grades in "Communications", which in any politics, is HUGE. This is the area in which I think D.Smith bombed the most.