Sources say New Orleans Saints have unanimous vote to decertify NFLPA if necessary (video)

SmashMouth · 09-11-2010, 05:29 PM

A moment on solidarity and unity was seen on Thursday night as the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints got ready to open the 2010 regular season. Before kickoff, players from both teams walked out onto the field and each held up their index finger.

No, they weren't signaling that their team was the best. They were declaring that all of the players are one being, one entity in the discussions with the league owners for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The current deal is up at the end of this season and if a new one is not agreed upon, then there could be a lockout meaning no football in 2011.

Check out a video of the incident: Saints and Vikings show solidarity

The defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints voted unanimously, 59-0, to authorize the National Football League Player's Association (NFLAPA) to decertify as a union should talks on the new CBA come to an impasse.

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith downplayed the situation when contacted by ESPN on Saturday. Smith asked the Saints to vote on the procedure after meeting with the team in New Orleans, but he advised that all 32 teams will end up taking the same action.

The Saints voted on the issue this past Monday. A source within the union said that officials from the NFLPA are scheduled to soon meet with other teams including the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles. The process with all 32 teams is expected to be done by Thanksgiving.

read more

09-11-2010, 05:29 PM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,479 Blog Entries: 29	Sources say New Orleans Saints have unanimous vote to decertify NFLPA if necessary (video) A moment on solidarity and unity was seen on Thursday night as the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints got ready to open the 2010 regular season. Before kickoff, players from both teams walked out onto the field and each held up their index finger. No, they weren't signaling that their team was the best. They were declaring that all of the players are one being, one entity in the discussions with the league owners for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The current deal is up at the end of this season and if a new one is not agreed upon, then there could be a lockout meaning no football in 2011. Check out a video of the incident: Saints and Vikings show solidarity The defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints voted unanimously, 59-0, to authorize the National Football League Player's Association (NFLAPA) to decertify as a union should talks on the new CBA come to an impasse. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith downplayed the situation when contacted by ESPN on Saturday. Smith asked the Saints to vote on the procedure after meeting with the team in New Orleans, but he advised that all 32 teams will end up taking the same action. The Saints voted on the issue this past Monday. A source within the union said that officials from the NFLPA are scheduled to soon meet with other teams including the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles. The process with all 32 teams is expected to be done by Thanksgiving. read more Attached Thumbnails