Twitter burns as Owners ratify

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Hog1

What other motives are you talking about G?

Recertification delay is a red herring | ProFootballTalk

Reluctance to reconstitute union is another red herring | ProFootballTalk

Reports: Mankins, Jackson settlement an issue - Extra Points - Boston.com

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Hog1

What other motives are you talking about G?

One man. JEFF KESSLER. He's either an evil genius that the NFLPA will keep around forever or an ego-maniacal obstructionist hell bent on cultivating an image as the next Marvin Miller. So hell-bent he'd kill football in the name of self-aggrandizement. My guess is when all is said and done he and De Smith have a little internal battle with the loser leaving town. Unless of course they've just been playing good cop bad cop.

[GTripp0012]

Also keep in mind that the Raiders abstaining is in no way different than the players abstaining on Thursday night, except in the obvious: that the Raiders have no legal ability to hold up a deal. There would seem to be comparable dissent on the owners side to that of the players side.

But because 1) the NFL lawyers actually did their jobs, and 2) the NFL has proven far better at controlling negative PR leaks, the players side looks like more of an obstacle than the owners proved to be. I really don't think that is actually the case.

[Hog1]

Thanx!

[Ruhskins]

If any average Joe can follow this on the internet, I am sure the majority of players should have been able to. That being said, I think both sides did quite a lot towards the end to keep this going (the owners throwing the right for first refusal and from the players side the whole settlement situation with the Brady case). I think at this point the players rep need to show leadership and just get everyone to vote on this and move on.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

If any average Joe can follow this on the internet, I am sure the majority of players should have been able to. That being said, I think both sides did quite a lot towards the end to keep this going (the owners throwing the right for first refusal and from the players side the whole settlement situation with the Brady case). I think at this point the players rep need to show leadership and just get everyone to vote on this and move on.

I use to think player reps were always the level-headed "smart" guys. This has shown me that isn't always the case. But whatever...it's time for everyone to put on the big-boy pants and finish this thing.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I use to think player reps were always the level-headed "smart" guys. This has shown me that isn't always the case. But whatever...it's time for everyone to put on the big-boy pants and finish this thing.

I get that 1600 players want a chance to see the final product and understand it before agreeing to it, but that's what the players' reps should have been doing all along so that the players can say "okay, how was this issue finally resolved? How was that issue finally resolved?" And get there answers quickly. It's not the players I blame as much as their reps and the NFLPA legal team. It's as if the legal team didn't keep the reps involved and the reps were certainly not communicating with the players. Now, the NFLPA leadership is expecting the players to understand four months of negotiating in one day and to make an informed decision. Bush league.

If I was a player (1) I would probably been more informed on the progress and bugged my rep for substantive information along the way; and (2) I would be deeply pissed at my rep if what he had been telling me up to know didn't match what I was hearing now.

[saden1]

Time to go to work. Let's get it!

[FRPLG]

Here's a little nugget that I think is pertinent. THE PLAYERS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

There are plenty of smart well-intentioned football players but none of them have any real experience in actual labor negotiations or union management. They hired someone to lead their union who was supposed to mitigate this fact. Hell that's the point of hiring professional labor personnel...they know what they're doing. Unfortunately I think De Smith has proven again that he doesn't have the head for this job. The NFPLA* let this get out of control when they didn't properly manage expectations and the situation on their side to make sure everything was in order to move forward with the process in the proper way.

[SmootSmack]

The real culprit here is Twitter. Everyone's getting up in arms, even some players, publicly minute by minute for the world to see for what is just a standard part of the process. We're talking about a 10 year deal with no out clause. Of course, they should take their time to review it. Sorry if everyone wanted the players just to sign off on it right away...but maybe they're not as stupid as so many believe.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

The real culprit here is Twitter. Everyone's getting up in arms, even some players, publicly minute by minute for the world to see for what is just a standard part of the process. We're talking about a 10 year deal with no out clause. Of course, they should take their time to review it. Sorry if everyone wanted the players just to sign off on it right away...but maybe they're not as stupid as so many believe.

If they are reading the document for the first time, well that's ridiculous and on the leadership.

If they are being given guidance and making sure they understand how the main points were finally resolved fine. Even then, the majority of that review should have been prepped by the player reps.

Yes. Take the time to make an informed decision. However, - don't wait until the last minute to become informed about 3 months of negotiations.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

If they are reading the document for the first time, well that's ridiculous and on the leadership.

If they are being given guidance and making sure they understand how the main points were finally resolved fine. Even then, the majority of that review should have been prepped by the player reps.

Yes. Take the time to make an informed decision. However, - don't wait until the last minute to become informed about 3 months of negotiations.

This.

They had/have a responsibility to be prepared to make decisions as effectively and efficiently as possible. It seems neither the players as a whole nor their leadership took the proper steps to allow for that. If this CBA is such a big deal to the players, as it should be and they have said it is, they should have been taking the whole process more seriously and professionally. Honestly I think they have repeatedly been made to look bad throughout this entire ordeal because they allow the NFL to "out-professional" them on a consistent basis.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Yes. Take the time to make an informed decision. However, - don't wait until the last minute to become informed about 3 months of negotiations.

I should point out that it's not clear where the blame for this shortfall lies. NFL litigating team, NFLPA litigating team, and Judge Boylan probably all share in the blame for these last minute tactics.

I do know that the responsibility to ensure that it doesn't happen has to sit mostly with the NFLPA, because that's pretty much their job description.

[Defensewins]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I should point out that it's not clear where the blame for this shortfall lies. NFL litigating team, NFLPA litigating team, and Judge Boylan probably all share in the blame for these last minute tactics.

I do know that the responsibility to ensure that it doesn't happen has to sit mostly with the NFLPA, because that's pretty much their job description.

Who says there is a shortfall? You?
This is a negotiations and there is no time frame. As most everyone recalls we lost a good portion of the regular season the last two times they negotiated a CBA deal. That we are this close in July is great.
That the owners and the media released a schedule saying the NFL would open doors this weekend or Monday with out both sides having signed off on the agreement was irresponsible.
That some of the fans and media are upset that we might not make the pretend Monday opening date is a joke.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Defensewins

Who says there is a shortfall? You?
This is a negotiations and there is no time frame. As most everyone recalls we lost a good portion of the regular season the last two times they negotiated a CBA deal. That we are this close in July is great.
That the owners and the media released a schedule saying the NFL would open doors this weekend or Monday with out both sides having signed off on the agreement was irresponsible.
That some of the fans and media are upset that we might not make the pretend Monday opening date is a joke.

The hall of fame game was scheduled. It is now cancelled. This is a shortfall that is as plain as day.

I think the owners gave the players plenty of time (until Tuesday) to approve this agreement, so it should not come as a surprise to anyone that the players are going to use some of that time to become more informed. Realistically speaking, nothing will be lost between now and Tuesday. Timetables will be pushed back, life will go on unimpeded.

Given how unimportant today is in the grand scheme of things, I'm not sure what added "pressure" the players feel under to get this done now as opposed to Monday. If they're talking about public pressures, I have little sympathy. They could have stayed on top of this and push the pressure back on the owners to meet them half way. If they're talking about legal pressures and what's at stake for them to make a quick, uninformed decision: well, nothing. They can pretty much just waste today doing nothing and they can wake up tomorrow, take recommendations, and make a vote.

I agree with your premise: being at this point in July is well ahead of schedule. Both sides just messed up royally on the procedural issues, and it cost them a nationally televised preseason game.