Theoretical Owner Blackball (1 Viewer)

[Fred Lane]

Totally theoretical, as I know the financial ramifications of starting over, but...

What if the owners made an ultimatum to all currently signed NFL players: "Accept the deal or never play in the NFL again." This would me blackballing all existing players and rebuilding teams from scratch based on players that are willing to accept what the owners have to offer.

I could see many short-term issues: Loss of fanbase, loss of ticket/merchandise revenue, legal ramifications/lawsuits, etc. etc....

But, over a period of years, could the NFL rebuild into a strong entity again and set a precedence that the owners will not be held hostage by the players?

I know this is not a reasonable or possible outcome, but just throwing it out there for discussion...

 

[Toads]

Talk about your ugly outcomes!

In '87, I was witness to the "scab labor" crossing the picket lines deal....at the stadium as the "replacement players" tried to immitate the real product on the field.

That was the blackest of days for the NFL and I'm sure that repeating it is not where the sport is headed.

The Owner's are smarter than that....at least I hope so. Without the skilled players, they have arena football without the up close and personal aspect of that sport.....and, that's not much of a product for the $9 Billion pie to be sliced from.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

you mean blackballed like kevin Maewa (sp?)

 

[thriftyrocker]

Trump or McMahon would hire all the players and start a 2nd league. That league would destroy the NFL in viewership and revenue. The NFL would die. Owners would lose all their money.

 

[noneother]

Trump tried. It was the USFL. I wish he'd try again.

 

[Sweet Love]

Trump or McMahon would hire all the players and start a 2nd league. That league would destroy the NFL in viewership and revenue. The NFL would die. Owners would lose all their money.

No it wouldn't...it would be fine. All of the "bankable stars" would be done in roughly 3-5 years (Peyton, Brees, Brady, AJ, Ray Lewis, etc.) and would the others (your Bradfords and Fitzs) rather play for the Raleigh Rage or the Carolina Panthers. The reason that these upstarts NEVER survive is because non one wants to bank their personal career on something that could be gone and never thought of again. It would comepete for a few years like the USFL and the second the NFL brushes the dust off of its chest, the core group of stars would cross over.In fact, I could see a "blackball" situation actually working. The average lifespan of a player is 3 years...by year 4, you have 1/2 of the "refreshed" league (at least) at what the former NFL level was at...a couple of more years, and you are set.

 

[thriftyrocker]

Trump or McMahon would hire all the players and start a 2nd league. That league would destroy the NFL in viewership and revenue. The NFL would die. Owners would lose all their money.

No it wouldn't...it would be fine. All of the "bankable stars" would be done in roughly 3-5 years (Peyton, Brees, Brady, AJ, Ray Lewis, etc.) and would the others (your Bradfords and Fitzs) rather play for the Raleigh Rage or the Carolina Panthers. The reason that these upstarts NEVER survive is because non one wants to bank their personal career on something that could be gone and never thought of again. It would comepete for a few years like the USFL and the second the NFL brushes the dust off of its chest, the core group of stars would cross over.In fact, I could see a "blackball" situation actually working. The average lifespan of a player is 3 years...by year 4, you have 1/2 of the "refreshed" league (at least) at what the former NFL level was at...a couple of more years, and you are set.

If the NFL didn't exist or was using scab players during the USFL tenure, the USFL would be the dominant league today. But the USFL was directly competing. It had to steal talent way, pay them more, offer them huge deals. In this blackball scenario, the NewUSFL could provide a more player-friendly system (higher % of revenue, higher paychecks). They could get players just by giving them what the NFL won't. They would have 4 years to establish themselves while the NFL used UFL players and scabs/scrubs.The USFL proved that players don't care who they play for as long as the paycheck is there. Reggie White to Steve Young started in the USFL. If Young can sign a 10 year contract with the LA Express, why wouldn't Andrew Luck do the same with the Raleigh Rage?

 

[CalBear]

Trump or McMahon would hire all the players and start a 2nd league. That league would destroy the NFL in viewership and revenue. The NFL would die. Owners would lose all their money.

No it wouldn't...it would be fine. All of the "bankable stars" would be done in roughly 3-5 years (Peyton, Brees, Brady, AJ, Ray Lewis, etc.) and would the others (your Bradfords and Fitzs) rather play for the Raleigh Rage or the Carolina Panthers. The reason that these upstarts NEVER survive is because non one wants to bank their personal career on something that could be gone and never thought of again.

Yeah, who'd want to play for the Oakland Raiders or the Houston Oilers?

 

[FTRWRTR]

A few marquee names would bolt for another league but the vast majority would stay. The bottom line is there's no where else that pays nearly as well for playing football as the NFL. And that's why in the end the owners will win.

 

[DropKick]

Trump or McMahon would hire all the players and start a 2nd league. That league would destroy the NFL in viewership and revenue. The NFL would die. Owners would lose all their money.

No it wouldn't...it would be fine. All of the "bankable stars" would be done in roughly 3-5 years (Peyton, Brees, Brady, AJ, Ray Lewis, etc.) and would the others (your Bradfords and Fitzs) rather play for the Raleigh Rage or the Carolina Panthers. The reason that these upstarts NEVER survive is because non one wants to bank their personal career on something that could be gone and never thought of again. It would comepete for a few years like the USFL and the second the NFL brushes the dust off of its chest, the core group of stars would cross over.In fact, I could see a "blackball" situation actually working. The average lifespan of a player is 3 years...by year 4, you have 1/2 of the "refreshed" league (at least) at what the former NFL level was at...a couple of more years, and you are set.

I wonder if the NFL players grasp the mortality of their careers and are willing to actually give up a season?

 

[Chadstroma]

Obviously it would never happen.

But, if we are playing 'what if' I think what would happen would be instantly putting the NFL behind MLB and NBA in popularity. Heck, maybe even the NHL could pass it. Fans would revolt in mass. Over time, all new football players would rebuild but you would lose a lot of the top athletes as they chose to play in other sports. Over time, fans would forgive and forgive, even more so as the talent came back with the college players coming in.

It would be a horrible strategy for the owners if the players called their bluff. It would basically be largely MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) and would take decades for the sport to recover.

 

[Mister CIA]

Trump or McMahon would hire all the players and start a 2nd league. That league would destroy the NFL in viewership and revenue. The NFL would die. Owners would lose all their money.

No it wouldn't...it would be fine. All of the "bankable stars" would be done in roughly 3-5 years (Peyton, Brees, Brady, AJ, Ray Lewis, etc.) and would the others (your Bradfords and Fitzs) rather play for the Raleigh Rage or the Carolina Panthers. The reason that these upstarts NEVER survive is because non one wants to bank their personal career on something that could be gone and never thought of again. It would comepete for a few years like the USFL and the second the NFL brushes the dust off of its chest, the core group of stars would cross over.In fact, I could see a "blackball" situation actually working. The average lifespan of a player is 3 years...by year 4, you have 1/2 of the "refreshed" league (at least) at what the former NFL level was at...a couple of more years, and you are set.

I wonder if the NFL players grasp the mortality of their careers and are willing to actually give up a season?

What if "inaugural" players negotiated part ownership into their contracts with new league? ... suppose new team owners/sponsors set aside 25% of franchise ownership to players. If a franchise cost $50 mill to get off the ground with upside to increase to $1 billion, there's lots of creative leeway to make things happen.Not likely, I'll admit.

 

[Insomniac]

Obviously it would never happen. But, if we are playing 'what if' I think what would happen would be instantly putting the NFL behind MLB and NBA in popularity. Heck, maybe even the NHL could pass it. Fans would revolt in mass. Over time, all new football players would rebuild but you would lose a lot of the top athletes as they chose to play in other sports. Over time, fans would forgive and forgive, even more so as the talent came back with the college players coming in. It would be a horrible strategy for the owners if the players called their bluff. It would basically be largely MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) and would take decades for the sport to recover.

Are you too young to remember the last player strike? As long as they kept the same team names the fan wouldn't care, 90%+ would come back in a week or 2.OTOH it wouldn't happen because the courts would rule the plan illegal, and perhaps even a criminal conspiracy that usually results in time in "pound you in the ..." prison. It's unlikely it would come to that, an owner who tried to follow through on it would probably be involuntarily committed to a mental hospital.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Obviously it would never happen.

Of course not. As soon as most of the owners agree to blackball Peyton Manning, Jamaal Charles, Andre Johnson, Antonio Gates, Jake Long, Tamba Hali, and Troy Polamalu . . . Al Davis would sign all those guys to the vet minimum in an instant.All it takes is for one owner to get greedy . . . and it's not like several of them aren't pretty well known for greed.

It would be completely unenforceable.

 

[TheDirtyWord]

I would not underestimate the brand value of the NFL. That said, what Jerry Seinfeld said was true to a certain extent. We're just cheering for laundry. I do think that the reason it is illegal is because it WOULD work.

If you are a Steeler fan, the level of commitment you have to that franchise simply goes beyond the product on the field at that time. The legends that have worn that uniform and the tradition that has developed over the last 4 decades means much more to that franchise and it's fan base than how their replacement at RB compares to Rashard Mendenhall. I'll grant you that not all franchises are the Steelers in this capacity...but I think it would be difficult for Raliegh to put a worthwhile fan base together to support a non-NFL league. Jacksonville barely supports an NFL franchise.

Plus, in terms of facilities, aren't a large part of the NFL owners, part/co-owners of their own facilities? So 1) where would these teams play in cities with established NFL teams and 2) can non-NFL cities provide facilities to support an upstart league? I simply don't think a new league would generate enough revenue to adequately compensate the players.

Don't get me wrong, such a strategy would really hurt both sides, but the owners are simply in a better position to withstand such a nuclear type option.