I Could Have Saved the NFL Millions!

On March 10, I posted my NFL Lockout rant, NFL Labor Dispute is a Joke! You can click the link for the full post. In this article, I summarized the major issues between the NFL and the NFLPA and detailed the simple, common sense compromises that were needed to get a deal done. Here's a quick recap from that post:

1) Get rid of any money off the top
As revenue grows (as it did since the last CBA), anything off the top becomes less valuable.

2) Split the difference in the two "on record" proposals:

• Owner share of revenue is 51.8% (an increase of $432 million or $13.5 million per team)
• Player share of revenue is 48.2 % (a decrease of the same amount)

3) Implement a simple rookie wage scale
This helps owners and veteran players. If less of the players' 48.2% is tied up for unproven rookie contracts, veterans get paid more! Owners will have more flexibility in the draft and holdouts will be over.

4) Implement a fund for player pension and healthcare
It is the right thing to do. These players get brutalized, and last on average 3 years in the league. The owners still make money when they are walking corpses (see Al Davis).

5) If that isn't enough, go ahead and add 2 more games
More money, but reduce the preseason and limit off-season OTA's. Nobody really thinks the NFL needs 2 more games, but fine.

Now that the CBA is finalized and the lockout is officially over, let's take a closer look at the major issues and see how I did:

1) Get rid of any money off the top CHECK
All revenue system adopted, eliminating the owners' take and the need for opening the books.

2) Split the difference in the two "on record" proposals CHECK
Hard cap and minimum set total player share of revenue at 47% - 48.5%

3) Implement a simple rookie wage scale HALF CHECK
Contract limits and rookie compensation limits implemented. Not a true wage scale.

4) Implement a fund for player pension and healthcare CHECK
$620M paid to legacy players by NFL and NFLPA in the next 10 years

5) If that isn't enough, go ahead and add 2 more games TBD
16 game season for now, players can vote on it in 2013.

Yeah, millions upon millions of legal fees by both sides. In the end, the compromise was crystal clear to a non-lawyer fan on March 10. What a waste.