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

[TLO]

Winston not concerned if NFL dies out in 20 years

ESPN.com news services

NFL Players Association president Eric Winston agreed with DeMaurice Smith's recent comments that a work stoppage in 2021 is likely, given the current relationship between the union and the league.

But Winston took it a step further Monday in an interview with WCPO in Cincinnati, suggesting that players shouldn't care that a strike or lockout "might kill the goose that laid the golden egg."

"Honestly I don't care and I don't think the guys in this locker room care whether [the NFL] is going to be around in 20 years because none of us are going to be playing," Winston, an offensive tackle for the Bengals, told WCPO. "So if these guys [the owners] want to own for a long time, then they can own for a long time. But another work stoppage might kill the golden goose."

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NFLPA head: 2021 strike or lockout very likely
A work stoppage in 2021 is "almost a virtual certainty," NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told Sports Illustrated in a video interview posted Thursday.

Smith, the union's executive director, said last week that "the likelihood of either a strike or a lockout is almost a virtual certainty."

The NFL's current collective bargaining agreement, which is set to expire in 2021, was finalized after a 132-day lockout in 2011.

Winston, 33, said the union is preparing its players for another prolonged labor dispute but emphasized that the long-term health of the NFL is not a concern of his.

"I'm certainly not worried about it," he said. "I'm not going to be around that long. I don't care if even if there are rookies in here -- they're not going to be playing that long.

"So if this thing dies out in 20 years, it dies out in 20 years. That's not really my concern, and I don't think it's any of these players' concern in here either."

Smith, when asked about Winston's comments during an interview Tuesday with ESPN's Outside The Lines, said the veteran offensive lineman is "a person who understands the frame and business of football."

"The owners locked us out the last time," Smith said. "They took the decision to make sure that people didn't have a place to work. They cut off the insurance to our families. They wanted to force an 18-game schedule. What are you supposed to do? Fight back, right?"

Winston is a 12-year veteran and has been the NFLPA's president since March 2014. He acknowledged that there are "always going to be issues between labor and management" but also said that a work stoppage will be the "inevitable outcome" unless serious progress is made in negotiations.


The NFLPA has clashed in recent years with the NFL over player discipline in such high-profile cases as Adrian Peterson's suspension for child abuse, Tom Brady's Deflategate suspension and, most recently, Ezekiel Elliott's suspension for alleged domestic violence.

Winston also was asked Monday why he thinks fans tend to side with ownership in labor disputes.

"My personal theory is [fans] think they have a stake in the team," he said. "I was as blindsided by it probably as anybody [in 2011]. ... They don't look at the issues the way we look at issues -- wages, hours, working conditions, and health and safety. You could talk about the same thing in a coal miners' union meeting as we do in our meetings.

"I think fans look at the team and say that that's their team -- they have an ownership in that. That's why you always hear fans say 'Oh, the salary cap,' and they think they're kinda the general managers. Obviously fantasy football and things like that play into it."

[notorious]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

"Them" = what, 10% of the guys that put on a uniform? If that?

C'mon, folks. Blasting away at the players when they have unquestionably the shittiest labor deal in all of professional sports isn't a great look.

I will almost always side with the players when it comes to a dispute.


We know they are spoiled, but damn, look at the owners. They are the master manipulators of the NFL, and when things go bad everyone else gets the blame but them.


**** em'.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by PAChiefsGuy

It's the most popular sport in America and generates the most money yet the players are vastly underpaid compared to other sports. Something isn't right here.

Barely. By a thread.

MLB is generating $9 billion a year these days and while the individual games don't generate the kind of revenue that 16 regular season games do for the NFL, the gap has narrowed and will continue to narrow.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Jesus, people. Quit comparing NFL players to Regular Joe jobs.

Your choice to be a ****ing coal miner.

Jealousy is a bitch.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

In fairness, the NFLPA has had it broken off in them repeatedly. They play the most demanding and most damaging of the professional sports. They have the shortest careers and feel it the longest after they're done.

If I could be similarly successful at any of the 5 major sports (including soccer), I'd take all of them over football and wouldn't think twice about it.

As a reward, they get no guaranteed money. Worse still, in a league where, what, 1 in 3 players see real money after their rookie deals are over, the rookie scale has turned to shit on them as well.

Meanwhile, the NFL is making more money than every other major sport.

If I'm an NFL player, I'm absolutely looking for some serious changes and if that means finding an asshole like Winston to head your PA - so be it. The soft-shoes approach hasn't done shit for them.

I'm amazed at how much NFL owners have managed to bend over the NFLPA in comparison to every other professional athlete.

Just seems odd to publicly state this 4 years before any real consequences from a strike will happen. Really bad PR move, but if it gets them some leverage then go for it.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

That's still probably 80%-90% better than labor deals across America for the working class. My guess.

For the amount of income generated? I kinda doubt it.

Moreover, most of those labor deals for the working class are in, at best, moderately skilled trades and NOT the top 0.1% of the particular class of people doing that job.

Looking at it apples to apples here, the NFL Players are getting a bad deal. That's not to say I'd put money in a hat for them but I'm damn sure not going to excoriate them for asking for more.

[Rasputin]

Go figure the year Chiefs are set and primed to go to the Super Bowl and win it three things will/could ac-cure that will demolish that pipe dream


A) Players strike/lockout by the owners NFL dissolves

B) WWIII because Trump

C) Zombie Apocalypse

D) Because Chiufs

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

For the amount of income generated? I kinda doubt it.

Moreover, most of those labor deals for the working class are in, at best, moderately skilled trades and NOT the top 0.1% of the particular class of people doing that job.

Looking at it apples to apples here, the NFL Players are getting a bad deal. That's not to say I'd put money in a hat for them but I'm damn sure not going to excoriate them for asking for more.

This.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Just seems odd to publicly state this 4 years before any real consequences from a strike will happen. Really bad PR move, but if it gets them some leverage then go for it.

Isn't this exactly the time you should be floating trial balloons? Or planting seeds?

Getting caught flat-footed is exactly why they've had to scramble in the past. Because suddenly the spigot turns off and they look at each other and go 'oh shit, what now?'....

Get those gears turning earlier and maybe you'll get a better result. And as you've noted, with no ability to effectuate significant change in the next 4 years, where's the leverage and where's the downshot? Take a big swing - maybe you'll hit it, maybe you won't. Perhaps it will convince an owner or two that there are serious fissures here that need mending.

If not, there's 4 years to regroup and see where to go from there. I see no harm here.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Isn't this exactly the time you should be floating trial balloons? Or planting seeds?

Getting caught flat-footed is exactly why they've had to scramble in the past. Because suddenly the spigot turns off and they look at each other and go 'oh shit, what now?'....

Get those gears turning earlier and maybe you'll get a better result. And as you've noted, with no ability to effectuate significant change in the next 4 years, where's the leverage and where's the downshot? Take a big swing - maybe you'll hit it, maybe you won't. Perhaps it will convince an owner or two that there are serious fissures here that need mending.

If not, there's 4 years to regroup and see where to go from there. I see no harm here.

Privately, yes. Its more of the perceived middle finger to the fans thats giving me pause. I am an absolute shit bargainer though so what do I know.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

For the amount of income generated? I kinda doubt it.

Moreover, most of those labor deals for the working class are in, at best, moderately skilled trades and NOT the top 0.1% of the particular class of people doing that job.

Looking at it apples to apples here, the NFL Players are getting a bad deal. That's not to say I'd put money in a hat for them but I'm damn sure not going to excoriate them for asking for more.

Eh they get payed to play a game sure injuries can happen but in my line of work I could get beat up any given time or even shanked and not see it coming. That's the risk I take. I could choose another line of work as well. I don't feel sorry for guys making millions of dollars more than me for playing a game.

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Barely. By a thread.

MLB is generating $9 billion a year these days and while the individual games don't generate the kind of revenue that 16 regular season games do for the NFL, the gap has narrowed and will continue to narrow.

Interesting. I'm obviously not familiar enough with the whole situation to really comment. Hopefully they work it out. If not, oh well.

I'm not going to take sides I don't know enough about the finances of the whole situation. I will say this a lot of people are going to call NFL players whiners because they make a lot of money but I don't think that is fair. If they are underpaid, they are underpaid. If they can get more money out of the deal, might as well do it. I know I would.

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

Eh they get payed to play a game sure injuries can happen but in my line of work I could get beat up any given time or even shanked and not see it coming. That's the risk I take. I could choose another line of work as well. I don't feel sorry for guys making millions of dollars more than me for playing a game.

Good point but hey if they decide they are too underpaid and they don't want to play their sport come 2021. So be it. You can't get mad at that just like no one can get mad at you if you decide a different line of work.

It's their decision just as much as your line of work is yours.

More than likely both sides are going to go back and forth with threats. It's mostly bluffing. Something will eventually get worked out. if there is a strike, it won't last long.

[tk13]

Kind of harsh, but as we've talked about in other threads... and as DJ said in this one, these guys are getting killed on every labor deal while the owners rake in billions of dollars. I'm guessing there's going to be a lot more ugly talk leading up to the next negotiation. They just want to look tough. I wouldn't worry too much about it yet.

I'm surprised Winston even brought up the coal miner thing. That's not a great look. But it's the same thing when people say "these guys make millions for playing a game." They do, but these guys are the best at the world at what they do, and the game makes billions of dollars. It really doesn't matter what your job is. If you're the best at the world at it, you're going to use that leverage to get paid for it. There isn't a single person in this thread who wouldn't.

There's barely 15-20 decent QBs in the world, maybe less at some other positions. The players only leverage is that the quality of football would go downhill without them. Maybe people would still watch, but if that was the case we'd still be watching the XFL. Go ahead and find 10 more guys off the street who can throw a football like Patrick Mahomes.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

Winston, 33, said the union is preparing its players for another prolonged labor dispute but emphasized that the long-term health of the NFL is not a concern of his.

"I'm certainly not worried about it," he said. "I'm not going to be around that long. I don't care if even if there are rookies in here -- they're not going to be playing that long.

"So if this thing dies out in 20 years, it dies out in 20 years. That's not really my concern, and I don't think it's any of these players' concern in here either."

That's the voice of a man who loves the game.

This is a perfect encapsulation of the problem with the NFL. It's too big. There's too much money for the owners, and many of the players are there because they're great athletes and the money is too big to walk away from. No one involved in the sport cares about the sport any more.

[PAChiefsGuy]

Originally Posted by tk13

Kind of harsh, but as we've talked about in other threads... and as DJ said in this one, these guys are getting killed on every labor deal while the owners rake in billions of dollars. I'm guessing there's going to be a lot more ugly talk leading up to the next negotiation. They just want to look tough. I wouldn't worry too much about it yet.

I'm surprised Winston even brought up the coal miner thing. That's not a great look. But it's the same thing when people say "these guys make millions for playing a game." They do, but these guys are the best at the world at what they do, and the game makes billions of dollars. It really doesn't matter what your job is. If you're the best at the world at it, you're going to use that leverage to get paid for it. There isn't a single person in this thread who wouldn't.

There's barely 15-20 decent QBs in the world, maybe less at some other positions. The players only leverage is that the quality of football would go downhill without them. Maybe people would still watch, but if that was the case we'd still be watching the XFL. Go ahead and find 10 more guys off the street who can throw a football like Patrick Mahomes.

Exactly.

Hypothetically If there was a job posting on indeed.com to make millions of dollars playing football in the NFL or even the league minimum $500k or whatever is can you imagine all the job applicants?

These guys are the top 0.1% they deserve the money they are getting and they are putting their bodies on the line. If they see an opportunity to make more money and are willing to strike to do it I can't fault them for that. Especially when I see the contracts these NBA and MLB players are getting I'd be like 'wtf?' if I was an NFL player too. Flip side I'm not going to get mad at the owners either for trying to get the best possible deal for themselves. That's what I would do. I don't care how rich I am I am not going to look to get ripped off.

It's all relative but we know something will get worked out. They'll both talk tough for years probably. Every threat NFLPA makes I'm sure the owners will make one back. Eventually something will get worked out.

Originally Posted by Rain Man

That's the voice of a man who loves the game.

This is a perfect encapsulation of the problem with the NFL. It's too big. There's too much money for the owners, and many of the players are there because they're great athletes and the money is too big to walk away from. No one involved in the sport cares about the sport any more.

Not many of them do but it wouldn't say no one. Brady clearly loves the game. Peyton did. Ray Lewis. I'm sure there are more but those are some of the guys I can think of. Those are the guys I'd love to see representing NFLPA not Eric Winston.

Anyway, Former TE Jordan Cameron actually talked about this

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...ally-love-game

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Spott

I don't care if Winston dies in 20 years, either.

They got 4 years to vent. They will sign a better deal and the NFL will give a little.

The baseball players almost cost the game of baseball its life because they didnt want a hard salary cap. It took the McGuire/Sosa home run chase to bring the fans and game back. And now its mostly about your own team. How many fans watch other teams play? They learned the selfish principle from the players and owners.

Baseball would be in better shape if they had a hard salary cap. It's unfair to have LA with $263 million to spend and 80% of the team under $100 million. LA gets to makes mistakes and move on. Other teams make mistakes it cripples their competitiveness.