Eric Winston: Don't care if NFL 'dies out in 20 years' because of work stoppage

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by JakeF

That's about business, not about personal attacks etc. Do a better job of negotiating and you won't need to lash out like a 3 yr old throwing a tantrum.

It's anchoring.

The problem Winston faces is that he doesn't have an infinitely long timeline to work with here. His constituency is comprised of people who have Bentley payments to make and 4th and 5th houses to pay for as well as extremely short careers in which to make the money that allows them to do it.

Worse still, for the guys on the fringes, a single year out of work now doubles the pool of new labor (effectively 2 years worth of draftees) and thus greatly increases the odds of them just being out on the street, $500K poorer and with no long-term NFL prospects now.

So for the super rich that are spending like sailors on shore leave, they'll want that money to cover exorbitant expenses because they live like idiots. For the young guys on rookie deals who are looking at 3-5 year careers, they can't afford to lose 20% of their career and earning potential in a Pyrrhic victory.

There isn't an easy 'negotiation tactic' for Winston here because he doesn't really have a hammer. At least not one that's easily wielded. So he has to throw some haymakers in the hopes they land. Sooner or later his own constituency will lack the political will to allow him to follow through on any long-term leverage.

I damn sure don't envy him.