Another two weeks before the lockout is over?

[ToxSocks]

I'm over this shit now....

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sp...-thats-a-sham/

Herald columnist Ron Borges from Atlanta: The union to recertify in a day? That’s a “sham”
Herald columnist Ron Borges is in Atlanta for the much-ballyhooed owners meetings where so many expect a settlement and a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Some expect it today.

In Borges’ view? Chill out a bit.

Here is the explanatory report he just filed:

By Ron Borges
ATLANTA – Once again, NFL owners want it both ways.

When the NFLPA tried to decertify the owners’ argument was that it couldn’t be done with by a simple snap of the union’s fingers. Time had to pass, they argued, or it was all “a sham,” a point they somehow won in front of the most conservative Federal appeals court in the country.

Now they are insisting that the NFLPA settle two multi-million dollar lawsuits, approve a new 10-year CBA that cuts their pay by hundreds of millions of dollars and recertify their union in a day.


The NFLPA has basically said they may be able to do the first two but recertification will take at least two weeks. The owners, as they always seem to be except when lining their pockets, are outraged and demanding a “global settlement’’ be completed today.

Now there’s “a sham,” because nearly 1,000 recertification cards have to be signed and returned, approving recertification before the union can re-form. And that takes a lot longer than 24 hours, according to the union.

With that as the latest background in what has become a far longer slog toward a settlement of the 132-day and counting lockout than either side expected, the owners are meeting in Atlanta poised to vote on approval of a deal with the players that they don’t yet have with the players.

“It’s an ongoing thing,’’ Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jimmy Irsay said. “Everyone is pushing in that direction but it’s never done until it’s done. We are hoping to get back to the business of football.

“You can only control what you can control. We’re going to try and do our part today getting something approved.’’

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith is trying to corral angry plaintiffs in the Brady vs. NFL case and his own Executive Committee and team player reps to the point where he can get a majority to approve both the settlement and the 10-year CBA framework presently on the table.

He has yet been unable to do that which is why no vote was taken on Wednesday even though many felt it was some sort of fait accompli. Let me tell you something, at this point there is no fait accom-anything, although at some point there will be an NFL season.

Just not anywhere as quickly as fans hoped and the two sides thought possible. As NFLPA president Kevin Mawea ominously said Wednesday the players are not on a July 21 deadline for anything.

So the owners are expected to approve a deal they don’t yet have sometime today while now arguing that a union is a great thing for their business even though the players don’t have one any more.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

gregaielloGreg Aiello

Deal on table will share at least $50 Billion of revenue w/players over next 10 years. RT @Greg_A_Bedard: "key for ... http://tmi.me/dl30Y


YEA THOSE DAMM GREEDY owners players win big there

Yeah, I'm sure Greg Aiello is completely neutral on the whole thing.

[BossChief]

NFL salaries combined would ve required to be nearly 4 billion dollars per year.

How does that compare what teams spent last year combined?

[BossChief]

Does any body else see a trend here?

Some time ago, they kicked the lawyers out and made significant progress.

Then lawyers were allowed back in and almost blew the whole deal up.

Both sides work through it and get to the point where a deal is within reach again and what happens?

The lawyers on both sides **** everything up.

Imagine that.

[Brock]

Well, of course things get testy when the lawyers come in, because that's when the stuff actually gets written down.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by BossChief

Does any body else see a trend here?

Some time ago, they kicked the lawyers out and made significant progress.

Then lawyers were allowed back in and almost blew the whole deal up.

Both sides work through it and get to the point where a deal is within reach again and what happens?

The lawyers on both sides **** everything up.

Imagine that.

How dare the lawyers give their clients consultation

[007]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

No, it wasn't.

Unless you expect the players to sign off on a 600+ page document without reading it.

Sounds like something congress would do.


Sorry.

[DeezNutz]

The thing isn't getting done without the lawyers, so there's no way that it's a bad thing that they're highly involved.

Savvy PR move by the owners today.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

The thing isn't getting done without the lawyers, so there's no way that it's a bad thing that they're highly involved.

Savvy PR move by the owners today.

Yep.

According to ESPN, Goodell was asked if he had any assurances from D. Smith that the players would even vote, much less ratify - and he said no.

They made a owner-favored proposal knowing that fans would likely get pissed at the players for not voting.

[Param]

So... Nothing has changed....

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Yep.

According to ESPN, Goodell was asked if he had any assurances from D. Smith that the players would even vote, much less ratify - and he said no.

They made a owner-favored proposal knowing that fans would likely get pissed at the players for not voting.

Exactly.

The good thing for the players is that the public is generally stupid and fickle. A well-played move or two tomorrow could swing public favor back on the players' side.

Overall, though, I think this is just some last minute, BS drama. I don't believe the owners are so ****ing stupid as to try to pass something untenable on to the players at this point. That veil would quickly be stripped.

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Yep.

According to ESPN, Goodell was asked if he had any assurances from D. Smith that the players would even vote, much less ratify - and he said no.

They made a owner-favored proposal knowing that fans would likely get pissed at the players for not voting.

Like the players or the league give a shit which side the fans are on.

I don't buy an ounce of what either one of them are selling.

Also, no player is going through that entire document page by page. Smith should have had an outline of all the key points to go over in the meeting.

It's strong arming on both sides.

When the smoke clears, if there are football games lost, I'm done giving a ****ing dime to the NFL.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

The thing isn't getting done without the lawyers, so there's no way that it's a bad thing that they're highly involved.

Savvy PR move by the owners today.

Of course, they are a necessary evil. But calling for an illegal action to occur as part of the wording of the deal they are there to help put together is somethig that seems too odd to have been a mistake.

They HAD to know that was illegal and if they didn't, they were incompetent.

Either way, lawyers are gonna want to push to miss a lot more time now due to this.

I mean, where do they go from here if those legal avenues are pursued?

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Exactly.

The good thing for the players is that the public is generally stupid and fickle. A well-played move or two tomorrow could swing public favor back on the players' side.

Overall, though, I think this is just some last minute, BS drama. I don't believe the owners are so ****ing stupid as to try to pass something untenable on to the players at this point. That veil would quickly be stripped.

I don't either. They aren't wiping away weeks of progress and going back to basically square one now. They aren't that stupid or strong-willed.

Both sides stand to lose a ton if this drags on more.

[mikey23545]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

No, it wasn't.

Unless you expect the players to sign off on a 600+ page document without reading it.

The President expected congressmen to vote on a 2000 page healthcare bill without reading it.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

I don't either. They aren't wiping away weeks of progress and going back to basically square one now. They aren't that stupid or strong-willed.

Both sides stand to lose a ton if this drags on more.

The smartest move for the players, in the long run, would be to tell the owners to go **** themselves, and that they shouldn't come back to the table until they fix the revenue sharing amongst the owners, instead of trying to take that money back from the players' slice of the pie. The players just aren't smart enough, and don't have the willpower. The money is just too tempting for them.