Will there be a full 2011 season with "real" players?

[Dave Gray]

I think they'll eventually get this done.  Both sides have something to lose/gain, so there's incentive.  If one side is unnecessarily stubborn, they're going to cost themselves a bunch of money.

[Pappy13]

I think 2011 will be a compressed schedule, not 16 games.  Maybe 12 or so in 12 weeks, with no byes or something along those lines.  The players won't get serious in negotiating until they start missing paychecks, but as soon as they do, things will progress in a hurry.

[fyo]

If one side is unnecessarily stubborn, they're going to cost themselves a bunch of money.

I voted "yes", but the players said no to an offer that included a bunch of stuff they wanted + a reduction of the "we need $1 billion" to around $350 million. The stuff they wanted included better health care, league money for struggling vets (close to $100 million over 2 years), allocation of ALL "savings" on rookies to veteran players, significant reduction in pre-season activities involving contact, guarantee to stay at 16 games for 2 years and full "veto" right on any increase in games.

I found that surprising and have to admit that I don't understand what it is players are trying to get here... almost seems like they want a deal that is actually BETTER than the old one.

[Phishfan]

No way we see a full season next year.

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

We just got our renewal information for the Cardinals tickets in the mail. They are currently locked out, not sure if there is going to be a season or not but they want my season ticket money anyways. Kind of pisses me off because if I don't pay I can lose my seats and my 11 year seniority as a ticket holder but why the fuck am I going to pay and give them any money if there won't be a season......that's fuckery in my book. 

[MikeO]

The one thing I have learned through many years of labor negotions......it will get done last minute. Because thats when it needs to get done. Nothnig ever gets done in advance or early.

[Pappy13]

The one thing I have learned through many years of labor negotions......it will get done last minute. Because thats when it needs to get done. Nothnig ever gets done in advance or early.

Last minute usually means just before the current agreement ends.  Well in this case the current agreement has ended.  The only difference here is that players don't get paid in the off season and owners don't have a lot of expenses in the off season, so in effect they have a bit of wiggle room before they need to reach a new agreement, but not much.

If you really have gone through many labor agreements, you know that there is often a period of work stoppage before a new agreement is reached. We are now entering that period. So yes, there will eventually be a new agreement reached, it's just a matter of how long the work stoppage lasts and it could result in missed games. That's a very real possibility that is quickly approaching.

[Phishfan]

The one thing I have learned through many years of labor negotions......it will get done last minute. Because thats when it needs to get done. Nothnig ever gets done in advance or early.

But quite often it gets done late, which is what I expect.

[MikeO]

Last minute usually means just before the current agreement ends.  Well in this case the current agreement has ended.  The only difference here is that players don't get paid in the off season and owners don't have a lot of expenses in the off season, so in effect they have a bit of wiggle room before they need to reach a new agreement, but not much.

If you really have gone through many labor agreements, you know that there is often a period of work stoppage before a new agreement is reached. We are now entering that period. So yes, there will eventually be a new agreement reached, it's just a matter of how long the work stoppage lasts and it could result in missed games. That's a very real possibility that is quickly approaching.

June 15th or so is the date or time period (around that week) where if nothing is completed the NFL will start announcing the canceling of games for September. That is what the owners are saying. So middle of June (around the 15th) is the next big date to watch.

[Kid Dynamite]

I vote NO.

I think the players will cave in once it starts hitting their wallets.

Most of the owners are very educated and wealthy people who are not rich because of football. Football is either a hobbie or just another money making business. During the lockout they will have no overhead. They can sit on their asses and wait for the players to starve.

The majority of players on the other hand file bankruptcy shortly after they retire from football. Many of these guys live paycheck to paycheck and even live off credit to support their lavish lifestyle.

I will never forget Patrik Ewings comment during the NBA lockout where he said that of course the lockout affected him as had a garage full of cars to make payments on.

[Dolphin-UK]

I vote NO,

As alluded to in the other thread, I believe that the Owners hold all the power and that if the players remain stubborn and refuse to sign we will end up with the players "union" dividing as soon as the bigger roster bonuses and salaries don't appear in accounts.

There are a plethora of other people who will sign up to play for less money at the drop of the hat, and whilst the quality will be lower that won't matter to the fan once their team is back on the field and competing to get to the superbowl.

I think we will have a shortened season with some pro's and retirees and college guys.

[Pats2006]

I think so, everyone loses here... NFL loses more, I think that they will fold