May 25, 2013

Lockout Event List

Impose lockout clauses in coaches’ and executives’ contracts that give clubs the right to reduce compensation in the event of a lockout. Make sure to include language that will reduce, terminate, or suspend the contract on 20 days’ notice, reduce salary by 50 percent if a lockout continues for more than 90 days, terminate the employee without pay on 60 days’ notice, and extend the contract another year at the same terms as 2011 if at least eight NFL games are canceled due to a lockout.

Retain Bob Batterman, veteran labor-relations attorney and orchestrator of the 2004-2005 NHL lockout, as outside counsel.

Vote unanimously to opt out of the 2006 CBA extension thereby terminating the agreement in March of 2011—two years early.

Begin a strategic and premeditated course of action designed to reduce expenses by laying off 15% of our staff.

Support American Needle’s request to review American Needle, Inc. v. National Football League, et al., by the United States Supreme Court to obtain a broader ruling that would find the clubs and the league to constitute a single entity for antitrust purposes.

Have Roger Goodell take a 25% pay cut at least through the 2008 season and institute a salary freeze for all league employees at least through the 2009 season.

Pass a resolution allowing all NFL teams to opt out of a defined benefit pension plan for NFL coaches and executives.

Get Direct TV to renew its deal to serve as the NFL’s exclusive satellite carrier through the 2014 season. Deal should be worth at least $1 billion annually and right’s fees need to be paid to the league notwithstanding a lockout in 2011.

Get Fox and CBS to renew their broadcasting rights deals with the NFL. The deals, which should be worth more than $712 million a year from Fox and $622 million a year from CBS, need to guarantee payment even if there is a lockout.

Solidify war chest in the event of a lockout by securing $4.5 billion from TV networks even if games aren’t played.

Hire former NFLPA President George Martin as President of the NFL Alumni Association—a newly created position.

Hire former NFLPA President Troy Vincent as VP/Player Development for Active Players.

Reject the NFLPA’s proposal to continue the current capped system for an additional year despite the fact it could allow both parties ample time to complete work on a long-term CBA.

Reject the player’s union’s proposal to keep playing under an extension of the existing CBA. Five Times.

Propose an 18 percent giveback of net revenue by the players to offset team costs.

End obligation to fund players’ health care in the event of a lockout.

Negotiate contracts of the 2010 first-round draft picks to reflect the belief there will be a lockout in 2011 by changing the payment date of option bonuses from the first two weeks of the league year, which begins in March, to around the time the first regular-season game is played in 2011, whenever that may be.

Reject the NFLPA’s proposal for a Proven Performance Plan (rookie wage scale).

Five months prior to the implementation of a lockout, inform employees of three-phase plan that will require many employees to take unpaid leaves of absences as well as pay cuts.

Require banks lending to teams to extend the traditional six-month grace period for declaring a default to instead stretch through to the end of the 2011 season in preparation for a lockout.

Propose an 18-game regular season schedule in order to generate more revenue for NFL owners.

Give at least $600,000 in campaign cash to lawmakers that could pay off during a looming dispute with the players union.

Announce that we will stop providing health care for players and their families in March when the current CBA expires.

Solidify war chest in the event of a lockout by building a $900 million pool of money from savings from not paying player benefits.

Announce plans to offer ticket refunds for all general admission seats to preseason and regular season games canceled by a lockout. Policy will not, however, include refunds for Personal Seat Licenses (PSL’s) or more expensive club seats and luxury suites.

Offer an even worse deal to the players union as the deadline approaches.

Source and Author: NFL Player Association Update Last on 11/22/2010

Goodell: You’re Breaking My Football Heart

Goodell you disappoint me, you disappoint footballs most loyal fans, you’ve

dishearten our children and you failed footballs past!

I grew up on a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood full of all boys, and even though I was picked last they always let me play. I was that little blonde tomboy running with “the boys”, on that make shift field outlined by scattered clothes. Shirts marked the sidelines, shoes bordered the end zones, and hole ridden socks distinguished the hash marks on our heavily trafficked dead grass lawns. That gridiron was the place where everyone in our neighborhood pretended to be footballs greatest icons: Walter Payton, Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Joe Montana, Dan Marino or my then favorite Brian Cox. It never mattered if it was rain or shine, that field was our game time and our second home.

I know my generation didn’t have the same players as my uncles, my father and even grandfather, however we all dreamed the same dreams and loved the same game. Now you, Roger Goodell, NFL board members, and franchise owners are sucking the sole of tradition away.

Football has held a place in my life, inside my heart and I thought it could never disappoint me. This game has been there for me, it’s the place I go on Sunday’s, and the teams are the friends I meet. So to witness the threat to my ritual and weekly happiness is downright shameful and had become a personal fight to me.

There have been changes to the game and we fans have all seen the game evolve. Except with these changes it is not still our game Mr. Roger Goodell it has become yours.

Goodell, you know more than many what it’s like to work inside those historic walls, and for someone who has witness 2 strikes and now a possible lockout you will be responsible for tearing them down.

The NFL is a nonprofit organization, and I do believe our congress approved this application with the promise “to better our community”. The community you are threatening is not just the NFPLA, it’s the entire United States and the global community. The world enjoys football, and I am sure you’re well aware of your stage. So I am forewarning you this charade of greed will be detrimental in too many ways.

Today, it’s my turn to call my son home at sundown and pull him of that field. However, what I find so heart breaking is trying to explain to him how the tradition of American football is slowly slipping away.

*So answer me this you vultures, you greedy slimy snakes:

What would footballs past say to all of this?

What has become of America’s finest tradition?

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