NFL owners could opt out of CBA with union as early as Tuesday
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3399645

NFL owners could opt out of CBA with union as early as Tuesday

By Chris Mortensen
ESPN.com

NFL owners might opt out of the existing labor agreement as soon as Tuesday when they hold their next meetings in Atlanta, according to league sources.

One management source called it a "high likelihood" that the owners will exercise their option to terminate the agreement, which will trigger a number of alternatives, including a potential work stoppage by 2011. Another source said "be prepared" for the action, although it was "not a 100 percent proposition yet."

An NFL Players Association source said, "We expect it to happen."

A league spokesman said the NFL had no comment.

The decision to exercise the option is not expected to have any significant impact on the next two seasons, 2008 and 2009.

However, by opting out of the agreement that was struck on March 9, 2006, the NFL would play 2010 without a salary cap, unrestricted free agency for players would be increased from four years to six years and the orderly selection of college players in the annual draft would not exist after 2011. These "poison pills" are designed to motivate both the owners and the union to work toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

When the current CBA was agreed upon amid much acrimony between high- and low-revenue clubs, the deal included options for both the owners and players union to terminate the terms early in either 2008 or 2009. The deadline for opting out this year is Nov. 8 but league sources say many owners want to pull the trigger now.

Three owners contacted by ESPN.com declined to comment, with one joking, "The fine is so high for speaking a word about this that you would have to buy my children's shoes."

The players union will not be caught off-guard by an early opt out.

NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw had his first official meeting with NFL management leaders two weeks ago as a "feeling out" session. Upshaw made it clear to league officials that the union is not about to "give back" what has gained in collective bargaining.

During the NFLPA's annual meeting in mid-March, much of the union's agenda was spent discussing the options of a looming labor battle. Upshaw warned of a possibility of an owners' lockout in 2011.

The NFL has not had a work stoppage since 1987, when an ill-fated union strike resulted in three regular-season games being played by "replacement players" before the union broke ranks.

Upshaw took over as the NFLPA executive director and decertified the union, which led to an anti-trust lawsuit that the players won in federal court. That ultimately led to the breakthrough 1993 labor agreement which led to unrestricted free agency for players and a salary cap.

Upshaw has told his player ranks that decertification is again a possibility, along with other options, although the union is not inclined to strike because football careers are relatively brief.

Chris Mortensen is an NFL reporter for ESPN.

The NFL and the Players Union are playing with fire here.

They will get another CBA done, there is too much money to lose for both sides for it to happen otherwise.

Hopefully they will implement a rookie pay scale in the new CBA.

Dumb asses.

Darn, I was going to post this. Guess next time I won't try reading the rest of the board first.

Already? Seems like it wasn't that long ago that they last went through all of this bargaining BS.

Well, the lawyers need to feed their children too.

Work stoppage = new AFL & Saturday football fan for me. I'm nearly to that point anyway.

Heh, 2011? About the time the Chiefs "should" be ready for a long postseason run? Classic.

While there is alot of issues here, I would be surprised if there'd be a "lockout" since there is alot of stake here.

That pretty much sums it up.

I guess the owners are willing to become Major League Baseball, Part II.

Dallas, New England, Washington and the Giants become the Yankees and Red Sox, while teams like Minnesota, Buffalo, and Green Bay become the Royals, A's and Twins.

Fun.

We will feel like nothing changed though.ROFL

Nickels and Dimes ...

Not at all. The league will be fine. Even if there is an ugly work stoppage, their business will last far longer than any players' careers, and the players had better be well aware of that fact.

The NFL salary system is broken. Blue chip rookies are paid far too much money without ever having proven their ability to play in the league. I'd rather see a system that is weighted toward veteran compensation.

Cap the teams, but also cap the rookies at a much lower rate than they're compensated now.

Interesting.... the majority of the big money from the Al Davis spending spree doesn't really kick in till 2010. Amazing coincidence, eh?