What's makes you most think a lockout will or won't happen? (1 Viewer)

[PR Sparty]

I've always been in the camp of thinking someone is gonna cave and a lockout will be avoided. But after listening to Tom Kowalski yesterday on Detroit radio, I'm scared. Tom's been in the NFL for decades and he's seen this stuff happen in 1982 and 1987. He has three theories...

#1 - The League announced an 18 game schedule knowing the lockout is eminent. The players don't want it and will make it a sticking point of the negotiations. So the NFL will tell the fans "we wanted it, but the players are the one preventing this. Don't blame us, blame them." All a ploy.

#2 - Why we're are the dead duck coaches retained this year? Because of March 1st, coaches CANNOT talk to players. No email, no face to face contact. So why would a owner hire a new coach and try to install a new offense/defense when communication and time to install said system will be extremely limited. Just keep your current guy for another year, run the same sets, then move on.

#3 - The lockout will end when the NFL wives say so. The players have huge mortgages, $2400/month Cobra insurance payments (once April 1 hits), and lavish lifestyles to maintain. There's gonna be a point when the women say "get your ### back to work".

IMO these theories make a lot sense.

 

[omahabrad]

pretty sure there is going to be a lock out. The real question is "how long will it last?". Over the last decade I have been losing interest in the NFL little by little. I thought it was a good sign when Goodell thought they'ld have something in place by the Super Bowl but now with some big names staying in school have to believe that a lockout is coming.

 

[Futz]

$

Too much of it to be had. It won't happen.

 

[Shutout]

$

Too much of it to be had. It won't happen.

thats it in a nut shell. too much on the line for the long-term. too much money to be lost every week a stadium sits empty (TV contract $$ is there but hotdogs and beer aren't cheap). too much hitting on the local economies, especially in the smaller markets.

In the end, I expect something worked out w/out the 2 bye weeks (because of how bad it was the one time they tried it) and with the 18 game schedule.

Re: the lame duck coaches, I think that is a result of some owners cutting costs and bracing for worst case scenario because the coaches will be paid their salaries even if there are no games. So, some owners may be looking at it as an easy way to save $4-$5M (if its a high profile coach) and hoping it can be worked out once things fall in line.

 

[Spike]

The fact that the owners get paid from their tv contracts even if there are no games leads me to feel sure there will be a lockout. The owners will use that leverage to get most of what they want from the NFLPA while throwing them a few bones.

 

[crowe1130]

The fact that the owners get paid from their tv contracts even if there are no games leads me to feel sure there will be a lockout. The owners will use that leverage to get most of what they want from the NFLPA while throwing them a few bones.

The $ at stake will MAKE it happen, not STOP it from happening.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

NFL airplanes have been spotted at Master & Yale headquarters.

 

[FTRWRTR]

The fact that the owners get paid from their tv contracts even if there are no games leads me to feel sure there will be a lockout. The owners will use that leverage to get most of what they want from the NFLPA while throwing them a few bones.

The $ at stake will MAKE it happen, not STOP it from happening.

All that means is the owners will be fine either way, but the player's won't be and they'll cave

 

[heckmanm]

I think it'll happen because I snagged a bunch of good players cheap in my auction keeper.

 

[Bri]

The only money maker the NFL does during the offseason is the NFL draft and that's a show that's been put on at Radio City Music Hall. No one will really care if it's done in May or June or July, just as long as it gets done. It might make people grumpy but I mean in the "grand scheme of things."

The preseason games start in late July or early August and that's when money starts to matter. From the Supe til then, the NFLPA and NFL are going to put on a wonderful charade full of posturing and we're going to have to endure that. However, they won't miss a regular season game.

The veteran players don't seem to care if they play in every preseason game so I guess we could miss one or two of them, but you can't ignore that there is a huge 6+month window where it doesn't really matter what they do.

If they need to sign players quick and have the fastest free agency period ever-I'm pretty sure the agents and players are ready to make millions fast. If they need to have the draft in one day instead of spreading it out-I'm pretty sure the teams are capable and IIRC the draft was like 18 rounds decades ago so this is oh so possible. It doesn't get "pressing" til it hits their pocketbooks so enjoy the show for now.

Oh and the UFL is sure to buy some ads and try and steal some fans. Those might be fun to watch too.

There are spring football games and alumni games (flag) for college football. Some of my friends have suggested ESPN will be all over these to offer a football fix and that the colleges may schedule them different months to appease us (and rake in some $).

Most everyone wondered how Mark Clayton and Sam Bradford had such a quick good repoire.

Most everyone seemed to love to talk about Deion working out with Dez Bryant and about Pacman versus different WRs in workouts.

There's ways to show us some form of a game or contest and not step on any toes.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Mike Brown did something resembling planning ahead by retaining Marvin.

I think this basically guarantees there will be a lockout

-QG

 

[Skeletore Eh]

I don't think it will last into the season.

Too many millionaires losing too much money.