Labor Deal Getting Close?

[Joemailman]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Report-Deal-could-be-in-place-in-two-weeks.html

Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal reporting that a framework deal could be done in a couple weeks.

Kaplan tweeted this:

http://twitter.com/#!/dkaplanSBJ/status/79553843330953216

"Told optimism is so high in NFL, players talks over labor deal that expectation is for a framework agreement in about two weeks."
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Don't know if this is overly optimistic or not, but is has been noticeable that the 2 sides haven't been criticizing each other through the media.

[red]

i don't get why it has to be in 2 weeks? if these guys were serious about getting the thing done they could have it hammered out by monday. then free agency can begin, and we can sign rookies and trade guys, and training camp can begin when its suppose to. and the season doesn't get fucked up.

if they say the framework might be ready in two weeks. then its actually gonna take 3 or 4, and then thats just the framework, you still have to figure out all the little shit. then training camp is getting pushed back, and you start to fuck with my football season. and that upsets me

[MJZiggy]

http://normantranscript.com/sports/x9783130/League-players-could-have-new-CBA-by-July-4th

Could they really get this done by July 4?

[Joemailman]

Pretty good chance this gets done pretty soon. Owners have a meeting Tuesday, and talks expected to resume after that. I hate to think how bad it will get if things fall apart again like they did a couple of months ago. They need to get it done this time.

[woodbuck27]

I hope this ends soon.

[mraynrand]

I hope this ends soon.

Careful what you wish for...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fV5Tmw4iQLM/TG32vgofpbI/AAAAAAAAAbk/eawY0w0BUDM/s1600/2012.jpg

[Fritz]

If I were the veteran players, I'd let it drag out in order to miss the first two weeks of training camp. It's better than retiring and unretiring over and over.

[Joemailman]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Traces-of-a-deal.html

While the Players have maintained their position for a 50/50 split of all NFL revenues – simplifying the math and setting aside discussions of credits, set-offs, expenses, etc. – the Owners’ offer has steadily climbed from a percentage in the low forties to a present offer of approximately 48%. These two percentage points may end up being the crux of this two-year negotiation, an amount worth $200 million this year and perhaps as much as $400 million by the end of the deal.

If this is accurate, they're getting to the point where the difference between the two isn't really enough to justify letting this thing drag on into the season. I'm more confident than ever that this will get done in the next few weeks.

[MJZiggy]

Article in today's Washington Post said quoted Irsay as saying they're stupid if they let this drag out until September when they could have gotten it done in July.

[SkinBasket]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Traces-of-a-deal.html

While the Players have maintained their position for a 50/50 split of all NFL revenues – simplifying the math and setting aside discussions of credits, set-offs, expenses, etc. – the Owners’ offer has steadily climbed from a percentage in the low forties to a present offer of approximately 48%. These two percentage points may end up being the crux of this two-year negotiation, an amount worth $200 million this year and perhaps as much as $400 million by the end of the deal.

If this is accurate, they're getting to the point where the difference between the two isn't really enough to justify letting this thing drag on into the season. I'm more confident than ever that this will get done in the next few weeks.

But once again, it's the owners negotiating against themselves with the players sitting there crying like babies, refusing concession. At this point, I hope they tell the players to move those final 2% or go fuck themselves. Give them 2 weeks to do it or cancel the season.

[Zool]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6696089

Players are already asking for less than they have gotten since the cap was implemented. But apparently they are still the evil empire trying to steal all the owners monies.

[Joemailman]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82092fd4/article/sides-make-progress-on-revenue-split-with-ny-talks-on-tap?module=HP_headlines

The owners and players still have much work to do, but major progress was made to fix the revenue split, the overriding issue in the labor battle, on Thursday night and Friday morning. One source said that if smaller pieces connected to it don't shift the numbers too much, it "might not even be a stumbling block going forward."

In addition, the parties took strides to work out disagreements over how to define "all revenue" in the model they plan to use, and they also discarded some terms in the deal the other side found unacceptable.
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Decent chance training camp starts on time, although free agency period may overlap with start of training camp.

[MJZiggy]

Dammit, I was promised a deal by 4th of July! They better be working this weekend!

[Joemailman]

Dammit, I was promised a deal by 4th of July! They better be working this weekend!

Nope. Lawyers meet on Tuesday and players and owners on Thursday.

[RashanGary]

Nope. Lawyers meet on Tuesday and players and owners on Thursday.

This is looking good. Can't wait for TC.

[Fritz]

Wonder how they'll work out the free agency part - how this will affect Jones, Crosby, et al.

[Joemailman]

Sounds like they didn't get much accomplished this week. Need to get something agreed to next week, or lost revenue from preseason games could become part of the equation.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Looks like they can't agree on the figures of the rookie wage scale. I hope this doesn't drag out of a couple more weeks now.

[Harlan Huckleby]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/07/10/sports/football/AP-FBN-NFL-Labor.html

I haven't been following the negotiations, didn't realize that the 18-game season has been shelved. Good riddance to that idea.

The differences look trivial. Both parties have about the same interest in a rookie wage. I think they'll settle this week.