NFL labor news

The NCAA tournament will officially kick off in a few hours with some thoroughly pointless play-in games (why on earth are there 4??) and I must confess that my strategy for picking the winners of the First Four was akin to a monkey throwing darts to choose stocks although I might add that according to a Princeton professor, his picks would outperform those of financial experts.  In fact, I had to clarify what UTSA and UALR stood for which is not a good sign considering I know a reasonable amount about NCAA basketball!

In any event, while I wait for the real first round to start, I wanted to fill you in on an email I received from Roger Goodell, the NFL commish. Okay, so it wasn’t personally addressed to yours truly but it touched me and not in a good way. I won’t include the full text but you can read it here: Roger Goodell’s Letter To Fans: NFL Commissioner Writes To Fans After Labor Talks End Basically, the entire email can be condensed into one sentence: we, meaning the NFL and team owners, tried our best to mediate and now the players can go to hell. The wording wasn’t quite as harsh but the drift was the same because now the players are on the verge of being locked out, pending legal action which I haven’t quite understood (football and legalese don’t go together!). While I don’t particularly sympathize with either side, to paraphrase President Obama the sport generates enough money that a compromise should be reached, the players must realize that they’ve drawn the short end of the stick. The owners have all the power here and despite Drew Brees statement that the NFL offer was a front, I don’t see the balance of power changing anytime soon e.g. expect replacement players if a deal doesn’t get done.  I also don’t like the Players Association’s (although since they were decertified does anything they say carry any weight? I’m confused) decree that college players should skip the draft as a show of support. Excuse me but the last time I checked, a player didn’t become a member of the union until they actually signed a contract. Let them have their moment at the podium for goodness sake!!

Ugh. I’m so tired of hearing about very rich people not being able to decide how to split their wealth. Shut up and get a deal done please. At the very least, let us enjoy March Madness and keep this noise in the background!

Nice letterhead!

Not a great few weeks for the NFL

NFL bigwigs must be wishing for a time machine so that they could return to the post-Super Bowl euphoria of the Packers storybook triumph over the equally storied Steelers. Because the last few weeks haven’t been great, starting with the suicide of former Bears safety Dave Duerson. His death was a tragedy not only for his immediate family but in the broader sense, signaled the beginning of a very disturbing time for current and former players. Most media outlets have reported that he shot himself in the heart rather than the head to preserve his brain tissue for further study. Specifically, he wanted to prove the existence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, a degenerative brain disease potentially linked to suicide which may be caused by the heavy hits taken by NFL players. This is obviously also a problem for the NHL for the same reason and in fact, recently deceased fighter Bob Probert was found to have CTE. I know that both leagues want this issue to go away because part of the appeal of both sports is violent contact. You only need to look at the latest video game releases for evidence of that. But the safety issues must be addressed – maybe resulting in better headgear? – in parallel with Boston University’s research rather than simply waiting for the final outcome which could take years.

 

Duerson at Bears Reunion Party in 2001. Photo courtesy of Chicago Sun-Times

 

The second negative item isn’t as dire obviously but the whole “Cam Newton Experience” at the recent NFL combine was beyond annoying. Newton hasn’t played a single down in pro football but he’s already anointed himself “an entertainer and an icon” in an interview to Peter King of Sports Illustrated. Maybe it’s just me but I’m sensing another Ryan Leaf situation – I don’t mind confidence but this sounds like arrogance especially given his so-so performance during the actual throwing portion of the combine (sound bytes during interviews don’t win games!). The NFL is played at an entirely different level than what the Oregon Ducks, as good as they were, threw at him in the Championship game!

The third and final (so far) piece is the ongoing saga of labor talks which may or may not lead to a lockout. It’s hard for me to muster sympathy for either side honestly but I sincerely hope a deal gets done because the thought of replacement players or worse no season at all is not a pleasant one!

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