NFL Players To Vote On New Labor Deal
Added on Jul 20, 2011 by Jack Thurman in
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The stars are lining up for an end to the NFL labor dispute. It’s reached the point where the NFL Players Association is set to vote on a new collective bargaining agreement later today. The players association is briefing player representatives from every team in Atlanta where the NFL is holding their league meetings. Assuming that the players sign off on the deal (and the expectation is that they will) things will start to move quickly toward a resumption of normal activities including training camp.
While this is going on with the players, the NFL and their team owners are also meeting to discuss the implementation of the new agreement along with such logistical matters as starting training camp and the schedule for preseason games. The thinking among NFL observers is that both sides are working toward a final settlement tomorrow, but NFLPA President Kevin Mawae says the important thing is getting a good deal:
“We’re not tied to a timeline of July 21. Our timeline is to get a deal that’s best for the players — today, tomorrow or whatever it might be.”
The NFL got a break when the Players Association agreed not to require special compensation for the 10 players who filed the so called Brady Antitrust Suit against the league. Earlier this week it was speculated that some of the players involved might hold up the process with special demands but Mawae said the important thing is taking care of all NFL players:
“The deal we’re working on is the one that’s best for all the players in the NFL and not just four guys.”
A majority of NFL players must vote to approve the collective bargaining agreement at which point the team owners would have to ratify it. 24 of the 32 NFL owners must approve it for the deal to be finalized. Barring any last minute snafus, every expectation is that ratification will come within the next couple of days. As the players association and team owners did their thing, the players involved in the Brady lawsuit were working to do some ‘spin control’ concerning the suggestion that they were making special demands that could potentially delay a lockout. New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees blamed the media:
“I hesitate to even dignify the false media reports with a response, but obviously they are leading people astray. I want no special perks. My job is to get a fair deal for all players, and I am proud to represent them all – past, present and future. All media claims about me wanting a personal reward for this deal are false. I hope you all know me better than that.”
Despite the suggestion by Brees and other players named in the lawsuit that media reports were erroneous, there’s much to suggest that the individual demands were quickly shelved after receiving a chilly response from union representatives and other current players.
