“We’re deadlocked. There’s nowhere to go”

[TEXANS84]

NEW YORK - NFL labor talks broke off Tuesday three days before the start of free agency, leaving teams and players in a quandary about negotiating new contracts.

Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, spent the last three days meeting in New York and Washington with commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

“We’re deadlocked. There’s nowhere to go,” Upshaw said. “There’s no reason to continue meeting.”

Although the contract does not expire until after the 2007 season, this is a critical period in the negotiations to extend the 12-year-old contract. Talks have been going on for more than a year.

Free agency is scheduled to start Friday. If the deal is not extended, this would be the last year with a salary cap, so agents and team officials want to know how to structure contracts.

For example, if there is no extension, the salary cap is expected to be about $95 million this season and annual raises after 2006 in a long-term deal would be limited to 30 percent. If the deal is extended the cap could be $10 million or more higher.

The sides have agreed on a number of issues. The biggest one is changing the formula for the amount of money to go to the players from “designated gross revenues” — primarily television and ticket sales — to “total gross revenues,” which include almost every bit a money a a team generates.

However, they differ on the percentage of revenues to be allocated to the players — the union is asking for 60 percent and the league’s current offer is 56.2 percent.

However, there are also disputes among groups of owners on that issue, too. Tagliabue has called a league meeting in New York for Thursday to try to resolve them.

Full article here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11586331/

[texan279]

Someone on ESPN the other day said if this thing doesn't get done, that this Thursday could be the bloodiest Thursday in NFL history...

[OzzO]

Fine, so let's move it to 58.1% and move on.

[gtexan02]

Can someone spell out to me what this means?

[Double Barrel]

Everyone, from the NFL and owners to the players association and players themselves, needs to pull their heads out of their collective rears. They are going to ruin a good thing if they don't resolve this issue immediately. The longer it goes unresolved, the more likely that this could blow up into something ugly. We don't need another strike!

[MojoX]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

Everyone, from the NFL and owners to the players association and players themselves, needs to pull their heads out of their collective rears. They are going to ruin a good thing if they don't resolve this issue immediately. The longer it goes unresolved, the more likely that this could blow up into something ugly. We don't need another strike!

You mean lockout, right?

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by MojoX

You mean lockout, right?

Either/or really. Wasn't it a strike by the players in the '80's? Or was that a lockout? Can't really remember, but either way, it won't be good for the NFL or us fans that have to work for a living.

[cap1]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

Can someone spell out to me what this means?

By Bloodiest he means that every team will cut many players to make sure they are under the cap. Some teams are still over 10 million over the cap. They have to be at the cap number by March 3rd (Friday).

[Marcus]

If this thing isn't done by Friday, then 2007 will be an uncapped year.

I don't know how many of you understand the gravity of that, but that basically means that the genie is out of the bottle. If 2007 goes without a salary cap, then the players (Gene Upshaw) will never ever allow another salary cap.

And if that happens . . . say good-bye to competitive balance in the NFL. It will be a league of 'haves' and 'have nots', just like major league baseball. If the owner of your team is like a 'Dan Snyder' who will gladly buy a Super Bowl if given the chance, you got it made in the shade. You'll be in the playoffs every year. Your team will never have to rebuild, it will just reload.

But if the owner of your team just wants to run the team like a business . . . well . . you figure it out.

So, if you're a fan, just pray something gets done.

[cap1]

Originally Posted by Marcus

If this thing isn't done by Friday, then 2007 will be an uncapped year.

I don't know how many of you understand the gravity of that, but that basically means that the genie is out of the bottle. If 2007 goes without a salary cap, then the players (Gene Upshaw) will never ever allow another salary cap.

And if that happens . . . say good-bye to competitive balance in the NFL. It will be a league of 'haves' and 'have nots', just like major league baseball. If the owner of your team is like a 'Dan Snyder' who will gladly buy a Super Bowl if given the chance, you got it made in the shade. You'll be in the playoffs every year. Your team will never have to rebuild, it will just reload.

But if the owner of your team just wants to run the team like a business . . . well . . you figure it out.

So, if you're a fan, just pray something gets done.

Good Point and good post.

People if there is no CBA then:

No June 1st Cuts
No Cap next year
Problably a lockout in 2008 or a Strike
Maybe never another salary Cap

Ponder that info.

[HOOK'EM]

heck with the salary cap, its sucks anyway!

[HJam72]

Originally Posted by Marcus

If this thing isn't done by Friday, then 2007 will be an uncapped year.

I don't know how many of you understand the gravity of that, but that basically means that the genie is out of the bottle. If 2007 goes without a salary cap, then the players (Gene Upshaw) will never ever allow another salary cap.

And if that happens . . . say good-bye to competitive balance in the NFL. It will be a league of 'haves' and 'have nots', just like major league baseball. If the owner of your team is like a 'Dan Snyder' who will gladly buy a Super Bowl if given the chance, you got it made in the shade. You'll be in the playoffs every year. Your team will never have to rebuild, it will just reload.

But if the owner of your team just wants to run the team like a business . . . well . . you figure it out.

So, if you're a fan, just pray something gets done.

The one good thing about that is that the Texans would be one of the "haves".

[Panther5407]

Just look at the upside, there could be a The Replacements 2

[Carr Bombed]

Originally Posted by HJam72

The one good thing about that is that the Texans would be one of the "haves".

and just about every other team in our division would be the have nots, but for the strength of the league overall I'd like to see the cap stay. Jacksonville would likely lose their team if they lose the cap. They would never be able to compete and would lose their fan base.

[edo783]

Originally Posted by Carr Bomb

Jacksonville would likely lose their team if they lose the cap. They would never be able to compete and would lose their fan base.

And this would be bad how??????? J/K. The cap is the only way to keep the league as interesting as it currently is.

[Maddict5]

if the cap goes, it'll be horrible for the nfl- i dont care if the texans are well off- i dont want to see a monopoly- i get plenty of that watching soccer and believe me, you get sick of it after a while. there may still be some hope however

FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer reports that there has been an emergency owners meeting called for 8:30 a.m. Thursday in New York. And if there are any signs of progress in the talks, there remains a possibility that the league will hold off Friday's scheduled start of free agency for a few days or a week.

But if talks do break down, Friday could see a flurry of high-profile veteran players cut as teams comply with the cap.

[Corrosion]

Both sides need to get their heads out of their collective ***es before they screw up what has become the most profitable sport on the planet. Owners and players alike are making millions .....and they are complaining over a measly 4% . Makes ya wonder how intelligent some of these people really are.

[aj.]

I know what you mean but that measley 4% is about $350 - $400 million per year under the new tv deal. If I read it all right, players currently get 64% and now under the new tv revenue deal, the league is offering 56% while the players want 60%. Greed on both sides and they are about to ruin a good thing.

Someone said if this thing isn't done by Friday, then 2007 will be an uncapped year. That's not the case.

Friday is another big step toward the uncapped year but it's not the absolute kill shot. They can still get it done after Friday but it's becoming become tougher and tougher.

Tagliabue had set a self imposed deadline of today so that teams could begin the business year on Friday with a new extension to give clubs more wiggle room beneath the salary cap this year.

Without the extension, several teams will have to release players tomorrow to get under the cap which is projected to be about $96 million.

With the extension, the cap could have been as high as $108 million so the agreement, or lack of, by Friday dramatically affects what clubs can or can't do starting tomorrow, i.e., 4 year prorations of signing bonuses vs. 7, no cap benefits for players released after June 1, not likely to be earned incentives all counting in '06, 30% rule ...... all that stuff.

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by aj.

Someone said if this thing isn't done by Friday, then 2007 will be an uncapped year. That's not the case.

Friday is another big step toward the uncapped year but it's not the absolute kill shot. They can still get it done after Friday but it's becoming become tougher and tougher.

Do you share my view that if 2007 goes uncapped, there will never ever be another salary cap?

[DNCC]

If the cap goes... the players union would fight to the death to make sure it never comes back.