It's been over six years since the NFL had to deal with a work stoppage of any sort, and unfortunately for the league, that's a streak that could be coming to an end soon, according to DeMaurice Smith.
Smith, who serves as the executive director of the NFLPA, believes there's going to be a work stoppage after the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires following the 2020 season.
"I think the likelihood of either a strike or a lockout in [2021] is almost a virtual certainty," Smith said this week during an interview with MMQB.com.
The last time the NFL had to cancel games due to a work stoppage came in 1987. This time around, Smith isn't quite sure yet if a work stoppage would lead to any canceled games, but he didn't sound optimistic.
"I don't know. Let's look at our history," Smith said.
The problem with negotiating a new CBA is that it sounds like the players don't really trust the owners right now.
"The owners do a deal in 2006 and opt out in 2008. We do a deal in 2011 with no opt outs because we like the benefits under the current deal and we didn't want to give the owners an opportunity to opt out and take back the games that we currently have," Smith said. "If there was no renegotiating of the collective bargaining agreement and we reach 2021, there is no uncapped year. The last time we went through it, we found out that the owners lied and cheated about the uncapped year, so why would I do that again?"
The seeds for the 2011 lockout were planted in 2008 when the NFL's 32 owners voted to opt out of a CBA that was supposed to run through 2012. When the league opted out, that meant an early end to the 2006 CBA agreement and left the league with an uncapped salary year in 2010.
According to Smith, the owners "colluded with each other" so that the players wouldn't be able to take advantage of the uncapped year.
"All the mutual benefits that were supposed to happened as result of the opt out didn't happen last time," Smith said. "Owners colluded with each other and we found out that they colluded with each other. All of the bad things that went to the players happened and none of the bad things that went to the owners happened. So we have a new deal that if it doesn't get fixed, you go into a certain Armageddon."
What this all means is that Smith is ready to take the NFLPA to battle with the NFL over the new CBA. The NFLPA is taking the possibility of a work stoppage so seriously that it warned players in May to start saving money.
If a work stoppage does happen, it wouldn't start for at least four more seasons. The current CBA runs through the 2020 season, which means any potential work stoppage wouldn't take place until the 2021 season. [Reply]
The NFL will use it as an opportunity to continue maximizing the broad appeal of the sport. The NFL players will strike, and they'll be replaced by oiled-up bikini models riding neon-dyed ostriches and Gatorade-themed dune buggies, and every play will result in a touchdown that's worth eight points. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Hydrae:
Not like there is 4 years before then where things could change. Lots of time for negotiations. Stating this so early is a bad look for the union, imo.
They're just laying the groundwork for negotiations, I'm sure. They were run over by the owners last time. Billions of dollars in new TV deals, and they still let the owners lock them out under the idea that the owners weren't making enough money. They are probably going to talk tough all the way to 2021. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Coach:
Even that, I still wouldn't want to play 18 games at all. It's a long season and adding two more games will more likely increase the odds of injuries, especially if the owners still keep it as the 53 man roster and still trotting out 4 pre-season games.
Plus, I want the NFL to get rid of the Thursday games. The quality of the game on Thursdays is very bad, considering a team just played on Sunday and have a 3 day turn-around. (This is unlikely to happen because they make money off of it anyways, but still...)
There's plenty more that I would go on, but these two would be a start.
No international teams
No 18 games
No Thursday night football
Same number of playoff teams
Tighten up press rules and get rid of illegal screens
Create a standard off the field conduct penalty system
Let people celebrate for crying out loud
Get rid of arbitrary rules (like taunting) that have no business impacting games
Our only hope is that by 2021 there's still an NFL worth saving since the owners are intent on running it into the ground and cashing in the winnings [Reply]
Originally Posted by Rain Man:
Mahomes will enter his prime in ... (counting years on fingers) ... yep.
:-) I was just thinking the same thing. The Chiefs will go far in the playoffs in 2020 and Mahomes will show significant progress, just in time for him to take a year off and regress.
Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501:
No international teams
No 18 games
No Thursday night football
Same number of playoff teams
Tighten up press rules and get rid of illegal screens
Create a standard off the field conduct penalty system
Let people celebrate for crying out loud
Get rid of arbitrary rules (like taunting) that have no business impacting games
Our only hope is that by 2021 there's still an NFL worth saving since the owners are intent on running it into the ground and cashing in the winnings
Competition committee rules are not part of the CBA [Reply]
NFL owners have been summoned to New York for a meeting later this week regarding the status of labor negotiations with the NFLPA. Significant progress has been made toward a new CBA, but the two sides remain far apart on some outstanding issues...
If all goes well, a new deal--predicated on a 17-game regular season that would launch sometime between 2021 and 2023--could be ratified before March 18... and go into effect in time for the new league year.
Originally Posted by MTG#10:
If they do it'll probably be our best team/shot at a superbowl in decades. Then the following year we'll be rebuilding. Just how it is.
Rebuild mode for us will be a divisional/conference championship game exit.
NFL owners have been summoned to New York for a meeting later this week regarding the status of labor negotiations with the NFLPA. Significant progress has been made toward a new CBA, but the two sides remain far apart on some outstanding issues...
If all goes well, a new deal--predicated on a 17-game regular season that would launch sometime between 2021 and 2023--could be ratified before March 18... and go into effect in time for the new league year.
I have to believe that the main issues for the NFLPA are increasing the percentage allotted for player salaries, and removing any testing for marijuana. With a 17 game schedule, the players will definitely need more than the 47% they are getting now, and will definitely want to be able to medicate without fear of suspension.
