The event most of us have been dreading finally happened on Friday when the NFL Players’ Association filed papers to de-certify as a union.
What a shame that my first article for the site (aside from my introduction)couldn’t be about something a little more joyous.
A last minute offer by the owners (Which sounds like it was a pretty good deal. Maybe not perfect, but pretty good) was rejected by the players and the players moved forward with their plan to de-certify. The move will allow players to sue the NFL under anti-trust laws if the owners lock the players out, and ends any negotiations.
At issue, it seems, is the owner’s unwillingness to open the financial books to scrutiny by the players, but based on what I have read, finanacial disclosure was part of the deal offered at the 11th hour. That deal was rejected by the NFLPA.
I find it hard to believe that some sort of agreement couldn’t be reached whereby the players would get the financial information they want without the owners having to explain every last cent of their operations.
The issue raises a couple of fundamental questions about employer and employee rights. Does an employee have the right to view the financial records of their employer down to the last penny? Does the employer not have the right to maintain their own records without someone over their shoulder, watching what they are doing?
It also raises questions about whether or not the NFLPA was ever really interested in negotiating a fair deal. The same accusation has been made about the NFL by the players.
Nobody gets exactly what they want in negotiations, but now the question has to be: What do these players want?
We can only hope to get an answer to that question soon.
Apparently, when the numbers have nine zeros, the answers to those questions have to be determined in a court instead of over a negotiating table.
This week has been marked by various “sniping” attacks and bitterness by both sides. This childish “name calling” is reminiscent of two siblings arguing over a favorite toy. It does not seem like grown men are trying to complete a deal for billions of dollars.
So, today marks the beginning of what might be a very dark period for NFL.
Everyone wear black tomorrow, because the NFL and the NFLPA have put a stranglehold on the Golden Goose. She may have laid her last golden egg for a very long time.
Naturally, the people who will suffer the most, the fans of the NFL, have no say in the process.
We just get to attend the funeral.