Official CBA Thread

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

I always get burned. You should see my jersey graveyard of skins authentic jerseys. Champ Bailey, Jason Campbell, Lauvernes Coles, Lavar Arrington, Devin Thomas. I'll never learn. Only one still current is Laron Landry.

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Yeah, paying just $38/pop, I'd be willing to buy jerseys like McCluster and Moeaki, players who have thus far been 1-year wonders, if that. With the revolving door at HC for a handful of seasons we don't have a lot of guys that will definetly be around. From Dorsey to Bowe there's always talk of people being cut, traded, etc. Jared Allen was the best bet since Gonzo, and we went and traded him. If I had to buy one now, it'd probably be Hali. Charles will burn out in a couple seasons, Cassel will probably be lucky to last as long.

Anyways, sorry for the derail

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

A number of the talking heads on Twitter have pointed out that while the stay is expected, it's possible it may not be ruled on and the emergency stay will just remain in place until the ruling as a result of the hearing on 6/3.

Either way, nobody's expecting the NFLPA to win this and a stay pending appeal is expected if they do rule on it.

[Hooe]

Re: Official CBA Thread

In the event of a loss in court, the league is pondering exercising a maneuver more colloquially known as "taking my ball and going home", and less colloquially known as a complete shutdown.

I can't imagine that the NFL would actually do this, but now the thought's out there for everyone to rip apart, lol.

[wco81]

Re: Official CBA Thread

In the event of a loss in court, the league is pondering exercising a maneuver more colloquially known as "taking my ball and going home", and less colloquially known as a complete shutdown.

I can't imagine that the NFL would actually do this, but now the thought's out there for everyone to rip apart, lol.

Then they'd get sued by people who own the mortgages on the stadiums, not to mention the TV networks and so on.

You wouldn't get 32 owners to go through with it anyways.

They're counting heavily on the Appeals Court and if necessary, the Supreme Court. But then what do they have, they still have to get players to make concessions when everyone in the world believes NFL is a highly profitable business for every franchise, which can't be said for the NBA or MLB.

Other leagues have struggling franchises and the owners want to mess with a good thing by locking out over a bigger slice of a big pie. NBA would be happy with 1/5 the pie that the NFL has.

[N51_rob]

In the event of a loss in court, the league is pondering exercising a maneuver more colloquially known as "taking my ball and going home", and less colloquially known as a complete shutdown.

I can't imagine that the NFL would actually do this, but now the thought's out there for everyone to rip apart, lol.

I don't want to make some crazy hyperbole statement that I would regret. But I would be beyond pissed at the NFL and the owners. Players to but no where near as much as I would be at the shield. Probably only watch skins on TV and stop paying to go to games for a while.

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[skydog71]

Re: Official CBA Thread

I don't think a complete shutdown would be that big of a deal. The owners could restart the league at any time, so it would really just be a legal move to give the owners leverage against the players.

[SPTO]

Re: Official CBA Thread

If there's a complete shutdown and such I wonder if the owners would contemplate using replacements in 2012 if they're still at an impasse. I see the gulf and mistrust of the owners and players as being far greater than MLB in '94 and the NHL in '04-'05 (in that case the entire season was lost) The NBA is also poised to lose the entire '11-12 season as well.

This could very well be the start of a dark time for pro sports fans.

[SouthernBrick]

Re: Official CBA Thread

I haven't been up to date lately.

I keep seeing teams contacting other teams about players? Are they getting closer or is everything still pretty far from being done?

I'm pretty sure they aren't back at the table talking.

[RGiles36]

Re: Official CBA Thread

I haven't been up to date lately.

I keep seeing teams contacting other teams about players? Are they getting closer or is everything still pretty far from being done?

I'm pretty sure they aren't back at the table talking.

Yeah, not close at all. The whole thing is draining at this point -- almost seems best to stay away from it until August. Keeping up with every nugget just doesn't seem worthwhile, especially with no results.

I think the best thing to look forward to now is May 16, when the sides are scheduled to continue mediating. The court room stuff is for the birds.

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

If you don't care about continual updates, tune out until after mid-June when most of the legal wrangling should be about over and it will probably finally be time to talk settlement of the Brady lawsuit (hopefully).

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

NFL filed their 61 page brief with the 8th circuit today, now the players turn to respond.

Late today the NHL filed their own paperwork in the same court backing the NFL.

The National Hockey League has filed an “amicus curiae” brief, Latin for “friend of the court.” It’s a common device used when a party has no stake in a given situation, but when the party feels compelled to chime in due to the possibility that the party’s interests could be affected adversely by the eventual ruling.

And the NHL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball could all be affected adversely if the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit endorses the legal strategy that the NFL players have unleashed.

Explains the NHL at the outset of its submission: “The National Hockey League (‘NHL’) has a direct interest in ensuring that the determination of terms and conditions of employment for NHL players is the product of a bona fide labor process rather than the ‘lever’ of potential antitrust liability. This is especially true in the context of the stable and mature collective bargaining relationship that the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (‘NHLPA’) have had for nearly 45 years. Yet, under the district court’s decision and rationale, a group of employees can, at any time and for any reason, insinuate the antitrust laws into the dynamics pursuant to which new terms and conditions of employment are negotiated and determined. All a union has to do is have its members ‘disclaim’ union representation, simultaneously reconstitute itself as an employee ‘association,’ and then ask the court to immediately enjoin any joint labor activity of the employers (e.g., including the implementation of a lawful lockout) by filing a treble damages antitrust complaint and a motion for preliminary injunction. The NHL respectfully submits that this cannot be the state of the law.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/09/nhl-urges-appeals-court-to-side-with-nfl/

[N51_rob]

Re: Official CBA Thread

Clark Judge wrote an pretty good piece for CBS Sports.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15057594/experts-say-players-case-is-stronger-but-nfl-could-win-appeal

This is just a piece of the article, so give it a read.

Question: The NFL has centered some of its case on the NFLPA's decertification, saying it is "a sham" and nothing more than a tactic. I have friends in the legal profession who tell me that argument won't sell with judges. What is your opinion: Is decertification and the question of its validity a big deal or not?

Gould: Thus far, the judges who have looked at this and the regional directors of the NLRB who have looked at this have not found merit in the NFL's position. This is a game that is being played by both sides. The union says it is not a tactic; the owners say it is. But the last time the union did this, the owners said, "We'll only settle the anti-trust dispute if you will agree to come back as a union." That is the reality; that is the sine qua non for any settlement of this dispute. Both sides are being disingenuous, and the case law thus far is on the union's side.

By the way, this is something that hasn't surfaced thus far -- and we'll see when the plaintiffs file their briefs next week, and Judge Nelson paid no attention to this -- but the collective bargaining agreement precludes the NFL's assertion that it is "a sham." Are you aware of that? It's a complicated argument unto itself, but that's the bargain they made. In 1993 when the consent decree was fashioned, the NFL said, "We're not going to agree to enter into a consent decree and settle this anti-trust case unless you agree to come back into existence." And the union said, "We're not going to come back into existence unless you agree not to assert the next time that we do it that it's not a sham."

Rapp: I don't think it's a big deal. I think the NFL, while being creative, ultimately was wrong on the issue, and the judge recognized that. You could have a situation where the decertification was "a sham," but what that would require the NFL to show is that the players' union is still acting as a union -- [that] it is still acting as the exclusive bargaining representative of the employees. To me, everything I've seen, that clearly is not the case. This was a legitimate decertification, a high-risk move for the players, but they did it. The fact that it's a tactic doesn't mean it's invalid. All sorts of things in labor management relations and in litigation are tactical in nature, but as long as they are executed properly and no fraud is being perpetrated on the court, they are legally valid maneuvers, and decertification here seems to me to be a legally valid maneuver.

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

8th circuit grants NFL's motion for stay on appeal.

From Schefter: Owners now have the leverage. This is a complete win for the owners. Players are in trouble, based on judge's words in this ruling.

[Beantown]

Re: Official CBA Thread

Owners have agreed to make a new proposal to the players, as both sides are making progress and the talks have been extended for a few hours tonight.

Sal Palantonio reporting that it might be a good "first step."

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

Owners have agreed to make a new proposal to the players, as both sides are making progress and the talks have been extended for a few hours tonight.

Sal Palantonio reporting that it might be a good "first step."

Yeah, I'm hoping the language of the decision (2-1 in the NFL's favor) has scared the players into taking a deal to start to end all of this. If this same 3-judge panel resides over all appeals from this process pending a larger 8th circuit session then language indicating they may not approve of the decertification could indicate things could only get worse for the players from here.

News of a deal being proposed by the NFL is coming so quick after the 8th circuit news that they're unlikely to be related though. Hopefully it helps grease the skids a bit.