Fujita gives player's side of potential NFL lockout

QBREES9 · 01-20-2011, 11:21 PM

We're approaching the end of the current league year in the NFL, and if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement isn't reached by midnight March 4, the players could be locked out. Translation: We can't even show up for work. The players have suggested having a "lock-in," where we would basically hunker down in a hotel somewhere for as long as needed and hammer out a new CBA before the clock strikes midnight. We have received no response from the league about this.

What all this means is that our families will lose their health coverage, injured players will no longer get treated by our doctors and trainers, and games could be cancelled. Do I expect anyone to feel sorry for us? Absolutely not. The real issue is what's at stake for everyone involved in the business of football and the undeniable impact that a lack of football will reap. Each NFL city is expected to lose about $150,000,000. Trust me, the city of Cleveland can't afford that. And as for the city of New Orleans, whose economy is so dependent on the service industry and visitors staying in their hotels and eating in their restaurants, it's just not fair to them. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently claimed a lockout wouldn't be all that devastating. For someone with his level of influence, that's one of the most irresponsible things I've heard yet. This is much bigger than some gripe the owners have with the players.

So what's the gripe? In a nutshell, the owners are demanding that the players play two more games each year AND take an 18% pay-cut. And when we ask why, they tell us it's none of our business. The players are willing to be reasonable about this, and if we knew the NFL had fallen on hard times and that sacrifices were a must, then that's a different story. But as we all know, the league is doing just fine. Revenues are as high as they've ever been and the fan-base is growing every year. This season, TV ratings for regular season NFL games blew the World Series out of the water. The NFL has negotiated TV deals that will pay them $4.5 billion in 2011...even if NO games are played. So when we ask them to explain how the "current economic model is broken," I think that's a pretty justifiable question.

Fujita gives player's side of potential NFL lockout | wwltv.com | WWL Sports

D_it_up · 01-20-2011, 11:53 PM

I sure hope that something is figured out and figured out fast. I think the people that will be most affected by a lockout would be the fanbase of every NFL team which in turn will have a huge affect on the franchise they support. Any sport that has went through a players strike or lockout has suffered to regain fan support in the few following years after. Jerry Jones is a complete moron if he thinks the NFL won't take hit. It will most definitely. Many fans who live and breathe football season, go to the games, and buy the licensed merchandise will not be as willing to shell out the bucks after they have been deprived of it because of the bickering between players and owners. Don't get me wrong, though. People will still attend games once they commence, but it will be a lot tougher for the NFL to win over the entire increasing amount of fans they've received every year.Like Fujita said, cities like Cleveland, New Orleans, and others will take a massive hit in tourism, service industry, many other city aspects when games are played. I don't care what has to happen, just get this thing done. No football player wants to sit. No owner wants to lose money. And last, but definitely not least, no fan wants to be without their football. I know I sure as hell don't.

niteadept · 01-21-2011, 07:20 AM

I agree with you D. No one wins and especially not us fans. Funny thing is the owners are asking of the players exactly what my job has done to me over the past 3 yrs. Only my employer didn't ask, I was told. Paycut and more hours with less help...

lynwood · 01-21-2011, 07:41 AM

There needs to be issues addressed on both sides. Rookie pay being high on my list for them to settle.

Danno · 01-21-2011, 07:42 AM

Greed versus Greed.

I'm disappointed the players are taking it to the fans.

STOP USING US AS A WEDGE!!!

Even babies raised by wolves know exactly when they've been used-Tragically Hip

lynwood · 01-21-2011, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by Danno

Greed versus Greed.

I'm disappointed the players are taking it to the fans.

STOP USING US AS A WEDGE!!!

Even babies raised by wolves know exactly when they've been used-Tragically Hip

Agreed. Both sides make tons of money. Players need to do what they are paid to do and stop whining and the Owners need to stop crying about salaries cause they are the ones that allowed it to get outta control. A rookie holds out for 25 million...let him watch the games from home.

neugey · 01-21-2011, 09:25 AM

The NFL and owners have taken it too far - not only against the players but against the common joe. Unfortunately it may take a lockout to correct the system.

GeauxForMore · 01-21-2011, 10:55 AM

This is all the owners fault. If you look at other leauges the NFL player get paid less and have shorter careers. I don't blame them. I blame the 32 rich, tight wallet owners that don't want to pay the players who made them the money. They also want them to pay stadium cost too. I'm tired of fans whining to about how much they get paid. It is what it is. Look at CEO's. Come on. If fans had the talent to get paid to play they would. Get over it.

Crusader · 01-21-2011, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by GeauxForMore

This is all the owners fault. If you look at other leauges the NFL player get paid less and have shorter careers. I don't blame them. I blame the 32 rich, tight wallet owners that don't want to pay the players who made them the money. They also want them to pay stadium cost too. I'm tired of fans whining to about how much they get paid. It is what it is. Look at CEO's. Come on. If fans had the talent to get paid to play they would. Get over it.

I think its the player fault. The owners runs a business and every business is expecting a fair return on investment. With so many teams building new stadiums or renovating old ones the money has to come from somewhere. Why do you think the state of Louisiana has to pay Benson? The players are very well compensated, all of them, there are a lot of high risk jobs that pays a lot less.

saintfan · 01-21-2011, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by Crusader

...there are a lot of high risk jobs that pays a lot less.

damn skippy. I commute on a motorcycle, out of necessity for the most part, which is a hell of a lot riskier than playing in the NFL, and I do it EVERY damn day.

I know it's a weak comparison, but y'all get the point. The players are making, what, 60% of 9 billion annually? How much more do they want exactly? It is better for the league as a whole and for each individual player if they cap rookie salaries. Yes, CEO's make a LOT of money in some cases, but usually after they've been in business for a while and not often do they land financial windfalls right out of college.

I find it hard to believe there will be a lockout that costs a season, but I fully expect there to be some drama after the super bowl while these extremely fortunate people haggle over how to split a kings ransom.

01-20-2011, 11:21 PM	#1
QBREES9 Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Haven Ct Posts: 23,989	Fujita gives player's side of potential NFL lockout We're approaching the end of the current league year in the NFL, and if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement isn't reached by midnight March 4, the players could be locked out. Translation: We can't even show up for work. The players have suggested having a "lock-in," where we would basically hunker down in a hotel somewhere for as long as needed and hammer out a new CBA before the clock strikes midnight. We have received no response from the league about this. What all this means is that our families will lose their health coverage, injured players will no longer get treated by our doctors and trainers, and games could be cancelled. Do I expect anyone to feel sorry for us? Absolutely not. The real issue is what's at stake for everyone involved in the business of football and the undeniable impact that a lack of football will reap. Each NFL city is expected to lose about $150,000,000. Trust me, the city of Cleveland can't afford that. And as for the city of New Orleans, whose economy is so dependent on the service industry and visitors staying in their hotels and eating in their restaurants, it's just not fair to them. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently claimed a lockout wouldn't be all that devastating. For someone with his level of influence, that's one of the most irresponsible things I've heard yet. This is much bigger than some gripe the owners have with the players. So what's the gripe? In a nutshell, the owners are demanding that the players play two more games each year AND take an 18% pay-cut. And when we ask why, they tell us it's none of our business. The players are willing to be reasonable about this, and if we knew the NFL had fallen on hard times and that sacrifices were a must, then that's a different story. But as we all know, the league is doing just fine. Revenues are as high as they've ever been and the fan-base is growing every year. This season, TV ratings for regular season NFL games blew the World Series out of the water. The NFL has negotiated TV deals that will pay them $4.5 billion in 2011...even if NO games are played. So when we ask them to explain how the "current economic model is broken," I think that's a pretty justifiable question. Fujita gives player's side of potential NFL lockout \| wwltv.com \| WWL Sports Attached Thumbnails
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01-20-2011, 11:53 PM	#2
D_it_up Faqda Falcons Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ruston, Louisiana Posts: 3,465 Blog Entries: 3	I sure hope that something is figured out and figured out fast. I think the people that will be most affected by a lockout would be the fanbase of every NFL team which in turn will have a huge affect on the franchise they support. Any sport that has went through a players strike or lockout has suffered to regain fan support in the few following years after. Jerry Jones is a complete moron if he thinks the NFL won't take hit. It will most definitely. Many fans who live and breathe football season, go to the games, and buy the licensed merchandise will not be as willing to shell out the bucks after they have been deprived of it because of the bickering between players and owners. Don't get me wrong, though. People will still attend games once they commence, but it will be a lot tougher for the NFL to win over the entire increasing amount of fans they've received every year.Like Fujita said, cities like Cleveland, New Orleans, and others will take a massive hit in tourism, service industry, many other city aspects when games are played. I don't care what has to happen, just get this thing done. No football player wants to sit. No owner wants to lose money. And last, but definitely not least, no fan wants to be without their football. I know I sure as hell don't.
	Last edited by D_it_up; 01-20-2011 at 11:56 PM..

01-21-2011, 07:54 AM	#6
lynwood 1000 Posts + Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Hockley, Tx Posts: 1,515	Originally Posted by Danno Greed versus Greed. I'm disappointed the players are taking it to the fans. STOP USING US AS A WEDGE!!! Even babies raised by wolves know exactly when they've been used-Tragically Hip Agreed. Both sides make tons of money. Players need to do what they are paid to do and stop whining and the Owners need to stop crying about salaries cause they are the ones that allowed it to get outta control. A rookie holds out for 25 million...let him watch the games from home.

01-21-2011, 11:31 AM	#9
Crusader Resident Swede Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Märsta, Sweden Posts: 8,030	Originally Posted by GeauxForMore This is all the owners fault. If you look at other leauges the NFL player get paid less and have shorter careers. I don't blame them. I blame the 32 rich, tight wallet owners that don't want to pay the players who made them the money. They also want them to pay stadium cost too. I'm tired of fans whining to about how much they get paid. It is what it is. Look at CEO's. Come on. If fans had the talent to get paid to play they would. Get over it. I think its the player fault. The owners runs a business and every business is expecting a fair return on investment. With so many teams building new stadiums or renovating old ones the money has to come from somewhere. Why do you think the state of Louisiana has to pay Benson? The players are very well compensated, all of them, there are a lot of high risk jobs that pays a lot less.

01-21-2011, 04:09 PM	#10
saintfan Donated Plasma Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 18,556 Blog Entries: 5	Originally Posted by Crusader ...there are a lot of high risk jobs that pays a *lot* less. damn skippy. I commute on a motorcycle, out of necessity for the most part, which is a hell of a lot riskier than playing in the NFL, and I do it EVERY damn day. I know it's a weak comparison, but y'all get the point. The players are making, what, 60% of 9 billion annually? How much more do they want exactly? It is better for the league as a whole and for each individual player if they cap rookie salaries. Yes, CEO's make a LOT of money in some cases, but usually after they've been in business for a while and not often do they land financial windfalls right out of college. I find it hard to believe there will be a lockout that costs a season, but I fully expect there to be some drama after the super bowl while these extremely fortunate people haggle over how to split a kings ransom.
	C'mon Man...

01-21-2011, 07:20 AM	#3
niteadept Site Donor Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 520 Blog Entries: 1	I agree with you D. No one wins and especially not us fans. Funny thing is the owners are asking of the players exactly what my job has done to me over the past 3 yrs. Only my employer didn't ask, I was told. Paycut and more hours with less help...

01-21-2011, 07:41 AM	#4
lynwood 1000 Posts + Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Hockley, Tx Posts: 1,515	There needs to be issues addressed on both sides. Rookie pay being high on my list for them to settle.

01-21-2011, 07:42 AM	#5
Danno Truth Addict Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Spanish Fort, AL (via NO and B/R) Posts: 24,747	Greed versus Greed. I'm disappointed the players are taking it to the fans. STOP USING US AS A WEDGE!!! Even babies raised by wolves know exactly when they've been used-Tragically Hip

01-21-2011, 09:25 AM	#7
neugey Hu Dat! Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 6,820 Blog Entries: 13	The NFL and owners have taken it too far - not only against the players but against the common joe. Unfortunately it may take a lockout to correct the system.

01-21-2011, 10:55 AM	#8
GeauxForMore 500th Post Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Panama City, FL Posts: 590	This is all the owners fault. If you look at other leauges the NFL player get paid less and have shorter careers. I don't blame them. I blame the 32 rich, tight wallet owners that don't want to pay the players who made them the money. They also want them to pay stadium cost too. I'm tired of fans whining to about how much they get paid. It is what it is. Look at CEO's. Come on. If fans had the talent to get paid to play they would. Get over it.