Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6756301]NFL lockout: League, players moving toward deal, sources say - ESPN[/url]

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

Let it be so..........

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

The rookie wage scale issue and right-of-first-refusal issue both could be settled via compromise without too much difficulty.

C'mon fellers, git er done.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=Lotus;810174]The rookie wage scale issue and right-of-first-refusal issue both could be settled via compromise without too much difficulty.

C'mon fellers, git er done.[/quote]


Amen!!!

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

Does someone have a link to a summary of the other major issues (beyond rookie wage scale and right of first refusal) and their "agreed" resolution? Ex. season length, roster size, health benefits, etc.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

It was funny, but I was talking to a bunch of friends about Entourage and Game of Thrones. And then the topic graduated to Hard Knocks. As soon as it did, we let out a collective f*%$.

Will their be a season of Hard Knocks if everything is resolved by the 21st?

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

Lets get this shit done!

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=hooskins;810177]It was funny, but I was talking to a bunch of friends about Entourage and Game of Thrones. And then the topic graduated to Hard Knocks. As soon as it did, we let out a collective f*%$.

Will their be a season of Hard Knocks if everything is resolved by the 21st?[/quote]

Nobody seems to know at this point

[url=http://awfulannouncing.com/2011-articles/july/nfl-football-probable-but-is-hard-knocks-doubtful-at-this-point.html]NFL Football Probable But Is Hard Knocks Doubtful At This Point? | July[/url]

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

With the proposed date of free agency coinciding with the proposed starting date of our training camp (July 28) I wonder if Shanny & Co. will push it back to August 3rd to let the focus the first few days be on acquiring players.

I'm assuming also the league will turn a blind eye to the rampant tampering that is inevitable during the week between signing the CBA and the start of the league year.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

Thanks Matty. To be honest, an NFL season without Hard Knocks would just not feel right.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=hooskins;810186]Thanks Matty. To be honest, an NFL season without Hard Knocks would just not feel right.[/quote]

Yeah I'd be bummed too, it's such a good show. Who knows maybe they have something up their sleeve but they need to wait until the CBA is hashed out.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=Mattyk;810187]Yeah I'd be bummed too, it's such a good show. Who knows maybe they have something up their sleeve but they need to wait until the CBA is hashed out.[/quote]

It's some of the best television of the year for sure. It would be so cool to see it this year because training camps/preseason are going to be pretty different given the shortened offseason and the possibility of shortened camps. A behind the scenes look at how teams are dealing with it would be awesome to see.

But I think the things that would make Hard Knocks so unique this year are the same things that will keep it off the air. Teams are going to be so pressed for time to get ready, who has time to deal with Hard Knocks poking around?

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

I guess my prediction of the lockout ending between now and the 13th should be thrown out?

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

I hope this isn't another tease.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

We've been hearing they're close for a while now. Old news.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

Well they've gotten past the revenue split. Apparently the final issue is the rookie wage scale.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=GMScud;810267]Well they've gotten past the revenue split. Apparently the final issue is the rookie wage scale.[/quote]

That seems like a non-issue. It seems in the unions and owners best interest to keep that relatively low. With the raised salary floor the money will go to the proven veterans, which is what everybody wants (except a few of the upcoming rookies looking to make top dollar.) I expect this to be more of a collaboration than a competition.

If the rookie wage scale is all thats left, I don't see any reason why it will take untill June 21st to bang out. Two days to negotiate, three more days for the lawyers to write up/review the papers, and one day to check it over and sign. July 21st seems to be stretching what should be happening sooner.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=skinster;810271]That seems like a non-issue. It seems in the unions and owners best interest to keep that relatively low. With the raised salary floor the money will go to the proven veterans, which is what everybody wants (except a few of the upcoming rookies looking to make top dollar.) I expect this to be more of a collaboration than a competition.

If the rookie wage scale is all thats left, I don't see any reason why it will take untill June 21st to bang out. Two days to negotiate, three more days for the lawyers to write up/review the papers, and one day to check it over and sign. July 21st seems to be stretching what should be happening sooner.[/quote]

I've heard rumors (nothing confirmed) that the extra money from a rookie wage scale would go to retired players as part of the new retirement package. If that's true I think that would be a good idea that could still be improved on. I've read articles that seem to suggest both the owners and the players are trying to push the retired players' needs aside so a deal can get done sooner, and I hope that's not the case.

I don't think that's the case either but if it is that's a damn shame, because retired players who have devoted their lives to the game and now have serious medical bills as a result of it need more assistance than they've been getting.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=skinster;810271]That seems like a non-issue. It seems in the unions and owners best interest to keep that relatively low. With the raised salary floor the money will go to the proven veterans, which is what everybody wants (except a few of the upcoming rookies looking to make top dollar.) I expect this to be more of a collaboration than a competition.

If the rookie wage scale is all thats left, I don't see any reason why it will take untill June 21st to bang out. Two days to negotiate, three more days for the lawyers to write up/review the papers, and one day to check it over and sign. July 21st seems to be stretching what should be happening sooner.[/quote]

The article posted above claims that the rookie scale issue is not so much about money as it is about whether rookie contracts will be for four or five years.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=Lotus;810282]The article posted above claims that the rookie scale issue is not so much about money as it is about whether rookie contracts will be for four or five years.[/quote]

Exactly right. The scale issue isn't directly about $, it's about contract length. The players have already agreed to cut rookie wages significantly, but they won't agree to a deal that doesn't allow young players to hit free agency after their fourth year. I think that's fair. If the average NFL career is only around three years, then why make them wait five?

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

I heard on Football Today that it seems that the owners have dragged this out a little bit. Ross Tucker and Matt Williamson thought that the owners threw the whole first right of refusal out of nowhere. They also talked about the rookie wage scale as being a point of contention as it has been mentioned before.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/11/league-players-dont-seem-to-be-squabbling-over-much/]On rookie wage scale, league, players don’t seem to be squabbling over much | ProFootballTalk[/url]

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

Heres a tidbit.

[url=http://www.theredzone.org/BlogDescription/tabid/61/EntryId/18110/Report--NFL-owners-give-significant-ground-on-rookie-wage/Default.aspx]Report: NFL owners give significant ground on rookie wage[/url]

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=skinster;810271]That seems like a non-issue. It seems in the unions and owners best interest to keep that relatively low. With the raised salary floor the money will go to the proven veterans, which is what everybody wants (except a few of the upcoming rookies looking to make top dollar.) I expect this to be more of a collaboration than a competition.

If the rookie wage scale is all thats left, [B]I don't see any reason why it will take untill June 21st to bang out[/B]. Two days to negotiate, three more days for the lawyers to write up/review the papers, and one day to check it over and sign. July 21st seems to be stretching what should be happening sooner.[/quote]

All 32 owners have to sign of on it and that is when they will all be meeting.

Re: Owners, Players Targeting July 21 Ratification
 

[quote=NYCskinfan82;810846]All 32 owners have to sign of on it and that is when they will all be meeting.[/quote]

Only 24 need to sign