Owners Agree To New Cba

[Nw220]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6791408/lockout-sides-eye-deal-immediately-lift-nfl-lockout-sources-say

 

Looks like the Owners are trying to put the Pressure on the Players.Watching Sportscenter right now and apperantly Demacrus Smith isnt very happy with the situation even though all the People talking about it are,(Chris Mortonsen,Adam Schetner etc.) They say the players are suppossed to vote tommorow but they brought on several player reps. And they say there will be absoultey no deal tommorow and they will not vote on the Owners timeline..

 

In fact they say they are disgusted that the owners have decided upon the CBAs New deal without even speaking to players first on the details.And now expect them to Vote..

 

Well there it is its still one big ass mess as well as the Hall Of Fame Game has been canceled..

[Nw220]

Roger Goodell speaks about it

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6791729&categoryid=2378529

 

Also you'll have to spend 99% of your salary cap by next year,with this suppossed CBA.

[Harry Buffalo]

From what I heard people saying is that the Owners added in a bunch of small stuff that they didn't talk about with the players.

[Canton Mike]

I must think too simplistically. IMHO, it doesn't matter WHICH side is pulling what, the whole damn bunch of 'em seem to forget that if they alienate Fans, they ALL lose money. In this economy, with too many of their Fans jobless and/or struggling, they should hang their heads in shame.

I love Brown's football but at this point, my attitude is "when it's back, it's back".

Mike

[Harry Buffalo]

The players will vote to accept this regardless of what little tid bits the owners snuck into the final CBA they voted on. The fact of the matter is that the majority of players just don't want to be locked out regardless of what the CBA looks like and you would have seen a majority of the players voting yes for a CBa that involved the owners getting 2 billion off the top like they originally wanted. This is basically a done deal. You might see some of the top teir players bitch and vote no but don't forget that the majority of the league is made up of basement bargain players who don't get paid much more than minimum and don't really care about the specifics of the CBA because if there is no football then they don't get piad and they don't have the money to not work.

[The Gipper]

From what I heard people saying is that the Owners added in a bunch of small stuff that they didn't talk about with the players.

 

Not true at all.

 

What I gathered from watching all this is that the problem was DeMorris Smith and his failure to communicate what has been going on in these negotiations with his own constituency.

Everything I have heard evidences the fact that Smith was dysfunctional when it came to actually talking to the people that hired him.

One player rep said: "we are being asked to read and learn about this deal in 8 hours when it took 5 months to negotiate it." My response was: What the F***? Where the F*** have you been all these months and why haven't you been kept up to date on what is going on? You are one of 32 player reps. Goodell had to be responsive to 32 owners. How can he have had his owners so up to date on what is going on when Smith could not have his 32 player reps up to date on what is going on?

It sounds to me like somebody dropped the ball, and that person was Smith.

[Canton Mike]

Not true at all.

 

What I gathered from watching all this is that the problem was DeMorris Smith and his failure to communicate what has been going on in these negotiations with his own constituency.

Everything I have heard evidences the fact that Smith was dysfunctional when it came to actually talking to the people that hired him.

One player rep said: "we are being asked to read and learn about this deal in 8 hours when it took 5 months to negotiate it." My response was: What the F***? Where the F*** have you been all these months and why haven't you been kept up to date on what is going on? You are one of 32 player reps. Goodell had to be responsive to 32 owners. How can he have had his owners so up to date on what is going on when Smith could not have his 32 player reps up to date on what is going on?

It sounds to me like somebody dropped the ball, and that person was Smith.

 

Agreed. Smith has been the "fly in the ointment" all along & seems to serve no one but himself.

Mike

[Harry Buffalo]

Not true at all.

 

What I gathered from watching all this is that the problem was DeMorris Smith and his failure to communicate what has been going on in these negotiations with his own constituency.

Everything I have heard evidences the fact that Smith was dysfunctional when it came to actually talking to the people that hired him.

One player rep said: "we are being asked to read and learn about this deal in 8 hours when it took 5 months to negotiate it." My response was: What the F***? Where the F*** have you been all these months and why haven't you been kept up to date on what is going on? You are one of 32 player reps. Goodell had to be responsive to 32 owners. How can he have had his owners so up to date on what is going on when Smith could not have his 32 player reps up to date on what is going on?

It sounds to me like somebody dropped the ball, and that person was Smith.

 

I don't think so, especially when about 90%+ of the CBA got done here in the past two weeks. From what I can gather from Smith's statements and statements of other players is that the owners got a final written copy of the deal, went through it, and voted on it (which the players did not have a final written deal to vote on Wednesday which is why they didn't vote to except it) and the players did not get the final deal to them until late last night until after they had their conference call with all 32 player reps. Remember the plays just want the final written deal in front of them to look over before they vote and the owners didn't give it to them in time to do anything yesterday. You can't expect players to vote on a deal that will affect them for the next 10 years and to not read it over.

[The Gipper]

I don't think so, especially when about 90%+ of the CBA got done here in the past two weeks. From what I can gather from Smith's statements and statements of other players is that the owners got a final written copy of the deal, went through it, and voted on it (which the players did not have a final written deal to vote on Wednesday which is why they didn't vote to except it) and the players did not get the final deal to them until late last night until after they had their conference call with all 32 player reps. Remember the plays just want the final written deal in front of them to look over before they vote and the owners didn't give it to them in time to do anything yesterday. You can't expect players to vote on a deal that will affect them for the next 10 years and to not read it over.

 

Whoa, Bullshit. This wasn't a unilateral document. If the owners had copies of the final written deal, then the NFLPA would have had access to the same document at the same time. If the player reps didn't have a final written copy of it at the same time as the owners then it is because Smith dithered around and didn't get them one.

Can we assume that Ditherer Smith didn't have to chisel out the agreement on stone tablets? That he had access to laser copiers just like the owners?

We all knew for several weeks that the owners had this meeting set up in Atlanta and that the main item on the meeting was the vote on the proposed CBA. How did all these player reps miss that fact? Why were they and Smith dawdling around and pretending like this all came as a surprise to them?

Why were they out there last night blathering and twittering and generally making asses of themselves before the public instead of sitting down together reading the thing over? Again, if they didn't have it to read, if they had no clue what was in this lengthy document...then that is Smith's fault for not require all 32 reps to be their in person.

All the owners were in Atlanta in person. But the player reps were out in all parts of the country.

What did they have to do that was more important? Go fishing? Those 32 player reps should have had their own sit down meeting, just as the owners did...because they knew this deal was to be dealt with in this time frame.

[Harry Buffalo]

Whoa, Bullshit. This wasn't a unilateral document. If the owners had copies of the final written deal, then the NFLPA would have had access to the same document at the same time. If the player reps didn't have a final written copy of it at the same time as the owners then it is because Smith dithered around and didn't get them one.

Can we assume that Ditherer Smith didn't have to chisel out the agreement on stone tablets? That he had access to laser copiers just like the owners?

We all knew for several weeks that the owners had this meeting set up in Atlanta and that the main item on the meeting was the vote on the proposed CBA. How did all these player reps miss that fact? Why were they and Smith dawdling around and pretending like this all came as a surprise to them?

Why were they out there last night blathering and twittering and generally making asses of themselves before the public instead of sitting down together reading the thing over? Again, if they didn't have it to read, if they had no clue what was in this lengthy document...then that is Smith's fault for not require all 32 reps to be their in person.

All the owners were in Atlanta in person. But the player reps were out in all parts of the country.

What did they have to do that was more important? Go fishing? Those 32 player reps should have had their own sit down meeting, just as the owners did...because they knew this deal was to be dealt with in this time frame.

 

The reason that all the player reps were not there in person last night was because they were all in DC on Wednesday night, which was supposed to be the night for them to vote on it but the final written deal was not done yet. The fact of that matter and every analyst, player, and even Smith are saying that they were not handed a final deal to look over and vote on until late last night and that deal included pieces that had not been previously discussed (small things mind you but still things that had not been talked about). I even heard Adem Sheftner say this morning on ESPN while I was eating breakfast that he didn't know why, whether someone at the NFL screwed up or that the owners held onto the deal on purpose, but that the final written deal was not in front of the players until very late last night even though the owners had voted on it earlier in the day. Say bullshit all you want but these are the facts. It's ok for the owner to meet for hours yesterday to discuss the deal before going to a vote but the players are expected to just get handed a piece of paper and to sign it.

[kvozel]

Whoa, Bullshit. This wasn't a unilateral document. If the owners had copies of the final written deal, then the NFLPA would have had access to the same document at the same time. If the player reps didn't have a final written copy of it at the same time as the owners then it is because Smith dithered around and didn't get them one.

Can we assume that Ditherer Smith didn't have to chisel out the agreement on stone tablets? That he had access to laser copiers just like the owners?

We all knew for several weeks that the owners had this meeting set up in Atlanta and that the main item on the meeting was the vote on the proposed CBA. How did all these player reps miss that fact? Why were they and Smith dawdling around and pretending like this all came as a surprise to them?

Why were they out there last night blathering and twittering and generally making asses of themselves before the public instead of sitting down together reading the thing over? Again, if they didn't have it to read, if they had no clue what was in this lengthy document...then that is Smith's fault for not require all 32 reps to be their in person.

All the owners were in Atlanta in person. But the player reps were out in all parts of the country.

What did they have to do that was more important? Go fishing? Those 32 player reps should have had their own sit down meeting, just as the owners did...because they knew this deal was to be dealt with in this time frame.

 

 

Well said Gipper.

[choco]

So its the owners fault goodell did his job and d. Smith failed to do his?

[Harry Buffalo]

I'm still failing to see how D. Smith failed to do his job. He was told an agreement would be ready to vote on by Wednesday so he had all 32 reps there to vote. It wasn't done yet and the reps left. He arranged a conference call with all 32 reps the next day to vote once they got the final deal handed to them. They got it much later than the owners did and it included items that hadn't been previously discussed so the reps didn't vote on it. These things are not D. Smith's fault and it just seems like you are all pissed because he didn't urge the players to sign a deal right away without reading through it.

[hoorta]

The players will vote to accept this regardless of what little tid bits the owners snuck into the final CBA they voted on. The fact of the matter is that the majority of players just don't want to be locked out regardless of what the CBA looks like and you would have seen a majority of the players voting yes for a CBa that involved the owners getting 2 billion off the top like they originally wanted. This is basically a done deal. You might see some of the top teir players bitch and vote no but don't forget that the majority of the league is made up of basement bargain players who don't get paid much more than minimum and don't really care about the specifics of the CBA because if there is no football then they don't get piad and they don't have the money to not work.

 

Right. This is a 10 year deal and I'd bet 95% of all players in the NFL don't last that long- for the vast majority of the guys it's what's in it for me short-term.

[hoorta]

I must think too simplistically. IMHO, it doesn't matter WHICH side is pulling what, the whole damn bunch of 'em seem to forget that if they alienate Fans, they ALL lose money. In this economy, with too many of their Fans jobless and/or struggling, they should hang their heads in shame.

I love Brown's football but at this point, my attitude is "when it's back, it's back".

Mike

 

+1, and it will be back real soon- the owners stand to lose about $200 million for every week of preseason games that get canceled.

[Thaak]

Agreed. Smith has been the "fly in the ointment" all along & seems to serve no one but himself.

Mike

 

Not so sure that Smith is the problem as far as self-serving is going. Perhaps he sucks at actually dissemination of information. And perhaps he’s in way over his head and doesn’t actually have the support of his constituency.

 

But the real fly in the ointment as been Kessler who’s been going behind Smith’s back to the players and trying to basically get this thing to be resolved through litigation instead of though negotiation.

[miktoxic]

the real assholes in this whole mess have been the so-called football experts on espn and the like. actually pulling dates out of their ass as to when this will happen and that will happen. i want to see football as bad as anyone and the sooner the deal gets done the better. BUT i have to say it was kinda funny to me to see espn as a whole and all their football gurus eat a big shit sandwich on this one.

 

hey mort, schefter, clayton and all you other dopes. GO F YOURSELVES!! and d. smith F YOU too!

 

 

 

edit: BTW, does the 'hall of fame' itself and the people affected by the cancellation of the 'hall of fame game' have any legal recourse to recoup money that will be lost to it and the community surrounding the event?

[Nw220]

I gotta agree you cant blame D Smith because he simply didnt have the deal to show to the players, and how many of you would sign something that basically would affect you for the rest of your life and not read it over..Seriously its crazy to think that,i want football just as bad as anyone else but i cant blame the players for being pissed and refusing to sign something they have no idea of what they are signing..

 

And if your gonna diss Smith just remember he was doomed from the start the NFLPA are in desperatly need of there checks to maintain there lifes and get by there are no overseas football leagues or anything, as oppossed to NFL Owners who have there hands in many buisnesses and make money elsewhere as well so you tell me who has more to lose.

[miktoxic]

as oppossed to NFL Owners who have there hands in many buisnesses and make money elsewhere as well so you tell me who has more to lose.

correct. the owners are business people. they bought the teams either to make money or to stroke their already rich and powerful egos. isn't it the american way to be successful and make as much money as you can? hey, the players want the same thing. if they feel like they are being shit upon, then they shouldn't sign the deal. of course they have more to lose because most don't have the bank to not play/work for a year and meanwhile the clock keeps ticking on their already short-lived career choice.

 

i love the browns but i'm not feeling sorry for anyone on either side.

[The Gipper]

Lets be clear on this: The owners didn't KEEP anything away from the players. They didn't hide anything from the players. This was an agreement worked out by 2 sides. The NFLPA had the EXACT same documents that the owners had.

They just CHOSE to sit on it. Their leadership clearly CHOSE not to disseminate the documents to their player reps then to their players.

The 32 owners were given the document by their negotiating team, read it, went over it, and voted on it.

The 32 player reps were not given the document by their negotiating team until at least a full day later. They had to mumble and jumble and wait for the Pony Express apparently to deliver it to them. Then when they got they said "Sigh, well, we are just going to have to think about it. We don't want to be rushed. We don't want to have to tax our brains. We need to take the weekend off so that we can meditate over it. We don't want to have to work in the hot sun. Blah, blah, blah.

Actually, what they didn't want is to be "told" how to do anything. "Huffle huffle puffle puffle, the owners can't shove this down our throats. They can't demand that we be a hare instead of the tortoise we want to be". It was just macho freeking bullshit. OK, now they have played their game. Now they can get back to work after the vote today so that half of them can be told that their careers lie in the UFL or the Arena League or in high school coaching or in insurance sales.