3 Perspectives on the CBA Negotiations

Sorry for the long length of time between posts. I took a little vacation and it turned into a big one.

Well here we are in the middle of an extension concerning the CBA talks, and I am starting to get nervous. The Seahawks had an incredible end to an exciting season that proved to be more than a rebuilding year. Fans can’t wait for free agency, the draft, training camp, and the regular season to start again… but I am not so sure the players or the owners are. Here is a brief perspective on the owners, the players, and the fans.

The owners’ perspective: Each paid hundreds of millions of dollars in order to aquire their team, so why wouldn’t they deserve to be first in line when the pie is being sliced? The NFL’s popularity is due to far more than just the talent of the best players. Effective advertising and marketing have had a huge impact on the success of the NFL since the last work stoppage in 1987. And remember that players come and go with each passing year, but owners carry the responsibility of maintaining the league. Also the NFL seems to have a more dedicated owner in general compared to other pro sports. Take the NBA for example. The LA Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, has been widely criticized for being somewhat of a lame duck. He doesn’t need to win because it’s enough just owning the team. Baseball is even worse. The worst teams in MLB have turned into farm teams for the best ones. The real spending doesn’t begin until after you buy the team. Imagine if Jerry Jones could do whatever he wanted. The reality is that baseball was last seen before the strike when it drowned in a big pile of money. R. I. P. My point is that the NFL seems to have the parody and committed ownership that other leagues lack.