Do We Get An NFL Deal Soon...???

((HT: ESPN.com/Mortensen))

Maybe in a few weeks, but at the 30-day mark, things are looking up...

Here's Mike Hill in discussions from Bristol...


Digging Irsay's hair, by the way...

More when we know more...

Ray Lewis Thinks Crime Goes Up If Strike Goes Down

((HT: ESPN))

Or "lockout," whichever you prefer...

Ray had an interview with Sal Pal about anything that Paolantonio threw scross Lewis' bow, and Ray didn't back down...

The Money Quote:
"Do this research if we don't have a season -- watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crime picks up, if you take away our game."

We're resisting any comment...
Here's the edited-down version...

Your NFL Strike Update: So it doesn't work? (Rich vs. Rich--Day 17)

Stephen Ross/Courtesy: forbes.com

Really? The model doesn't work? At least Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says that it doesn't. And after all, if he says something, we know it must be true.

Ross, on a stage with NFL and Dolphins legend Dan Marino at a Sports business convention told an audience that "The model doesn't work""There probably won't be football until it does work".

Hmmmm.

Read the story and judge for your selves. From the Miami Herald RIGHT HERE

Ross did later add that he believes there will be a settlement. But let's get back to the original comment. What doesn't work? Is $50-$100 million in profit per season not enough? Is the perpetual increase in value of the franchises not enough? What constitutes a "Model" that does work?

If you want to know the reason nobody, with the exception of a few, empathize with the business moguls who run Pro Football teams, here's your reason. Really, I'm not sure what else can be said.

We also might add on the Owners/League website yesterday, they did pat themselves on the back for paying $245 million in player benefits.

You can read more about that RIGHT HERE

By contrast, to further emphasize the stupidity of this argument, the NFLPA (Not a union) posted a list of the Net Worth of the NFL Owners. Oddly enough, Mr. Ross, would be #2 at $3.3 billion.

Hmmmm...

It's been a relatively quiet day for the players. Although Aqib Talib turned himself in to Garland,Texas police yesterday to face his assault charges.

We like the fact that the players are not mouthing off...at least today. We've maintained from the get-go, just keep your mouths shut and don't say stupid stuff and maybe things can get done. We still argue that the whole premise of this "Lockout" is stupid. It's not about money, although they say it is. It's not about care, although it factors in. No, it's plain and simple about ego. You can deny it, but you know it's true. If both groups really wanted to do what is in the best interest of the game and fans, we wouldn't be having this daily rant. Think about it.

For some reason, this just jumps out at us today. Maybe we should put De Smith and the Jolly Roger on the Minnow....Enjoy Bowling for Soup doing Gilligan's Island:

Your NFL Strike Update: Isn't the NFLPA kind? (Rich vs. Rich--Day 16)

DeMaurice Smith/Courtesy: File

They are so sweet. They just want to do what is best for you, the NFL Draft fan. You can just see it in the flutter of their collective eyes.

Today's update in the legal action none of us can relate to, the NFLPA (not a union--a trade group!), out of the kindness in their hearts, have decided to not hold an event simultaneously with the NFL draft. They've decided to hold their usual spate of draft weekend events in New York City, but have scheduled them so they don't conflict with the draft itself.

You can read about their greatness from their own website RIGHT HERE

Oh, and for what it is worth, they've filed their final legal brief in preparation for the April 6th lawsuit hearing with a Minneapolis judge. In it, they harp on the fact that in a previous settlement, the league and its owners agreed the NFLPA could decertify when they needed to. They argue that the owners are not complying with that agreement, saying the NFLPA's actions are a "Sham" and that is the reason for the "Lockout" (Technically its not a strike)

You can read that legal discourse from the NFLockout website RIGHT HERE

Fred Taylor, a long time NFL Running Back had his own take on what is going to happen. Taylor in fact thinks the "Lockout" will be over in about a month. He offered his own take on negotiations in an interview with the Florida Times-Union and writer Tania Ganguli including the notion that the owners deal, was the worst in labor history according to NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith

You can read excerpts from Jacksonville.com RIGHT HERE

Meanwhile, back at stately Wayne manor, the Owners fired back on their own website. In a post by the author "Staff", the league is arguing why they consider the NFLPA's action illegal. And though we ourselves are not legal experts by any means, we kind of wonder about this ourselves. Especially since the only thing that seems to have changed with the NFLPA is that they don't call themselves a union anymore.

It's mostly legalese, but the league gives a lengthy but compelling reason as to why the NFLPA's actions were very premeditated and not entirely legal.

You can read it HERE

Okay, again with the rhetoric. What does all of this verbiage mean?

Well, I'm glad you asked. Really, it means next to nothing. It means nothing will happen at least before April 6th. It means that the Draft will happen regardless of where the two sides stand. It means that we'll hear a lot more posturing and a ton of pandering in the next couple of weeks.

It also means this is far from over. We are guessing that neither side will be totally victorious in the April 6th litigation. We suspect they will be coerced back to the bargaining table, but nothing of consequence will happen right now.

Essentially right now, it means that both groups are playing chicken. They are waiting to see who blinks first. The owners are betting on the players breaking ranks, individually at first, in larger groups as we get closer to a season. As for the players, the path they've chosen is essentially go for broke. That's the main reason they don't want to continue negotiating, despite saying they'll talk. If they really wanted to talk and work something out, they would have. The two sides aren't that far apart.

So? What are you saying? Well, I'm saying you are going to continue to get updates Monday thru Friday for awhile because we don't expect much, other than more rhetoric to happen for the next week or so. So enjoy!

In preparation for the possibility of replacements, we give you the movie, the Replacements. More specifically, deep thoughts by Shane Falcon (as played by Keanu Reeves)--dig the subtitles:

Your NFL Strike Update: TV Makes Plans (Rich vs. Rich--Day 15)

Arthur Blank, Roger Goodell and others/Courtesy: d.orlando ledbetter-ajc.com

It's Monday, so it's time for our weekly series known as the Battle of the really, really rich or what they prefer to call it: The NFL Lockout.

In today's episode, we hear from the TV Networks who are trying to cover their collective hiney's in case they don't have NFL Football as a programming option this fall. Oh, advertisers are making plans as well.

CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN are all sweating a bit heavily these days for fear their "Golden Goose" will not be laying any eggs.

Some cable networks are already contemplating alternate programming. Fox, at least has baseball until November, but none have any programming to fill gaps after that.

Read more from the Wall Street Journal RIGHT HERE

One other tidbit. The owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank decided to chime in yesterday. Why? We don't know.

Blank, who is a genuinely good person who means well, sometimes wades into or does things he probably shouldn't. And in this case, he shouldn't have. He again states the leagues case that "The NFLPA walked away from a deal that was more than fair." 


We give you a link to that letter courtesy of the Falcons website RIGHT HERE

While we have the utmost respect for Mr. Blank, having dealt with him for years, in this case--just stop. Please don't pander to the fans.

Our friends at ProFootballTalk provide a good summary of where we are and where we are going RIGHT HERE

Among the interesting points brought out here, the April 6th "Class Action" lawsuit is probably the next time anything significant happens here.

The other notable development is a "Grass Roots" push to have the players and owners meet, sans attorney's.

As for the players, they really don't have much to add either. Again, there has been more rhetoric, talking about the league not being willing to talk. Quite honestly, nothing new with these guys.

--Sigh-- We pretty much are resigned to the fact this is going to get resolved in a courtroom. We still think this is quite possibly the stupidest argument in the history of Sports. As much as we'd like to think one side is right and honorable and doing the right thing, we fully realize---they aren't.

It's going to be incredibly tough for 2 egotistical, narcissistic groups to sit in the same room and agree on anything. We realize that. We just hope that both sides stop trying to convince the fans that they are on the fans side. They aren't.

In the meantime, because we laugh at the thought of a strike with Replacement players, we give you the real Replacements:

Your NFL Strike Update: A Fan Lawsuit (Rich vs. Rich--Day 14)

Ken Lanci/Courtesy: cleveland.com

We've now hit the 2-week mark in the NFL Strike/Lockout and low and behold, our 1st lawsuit by someone other than the NFL or NFLPA. Now granted, it may get tossed out of court, but it raises many of the same questions that we have.

Cleveland businessman Ken Lanci would be your plaintiff in the case. He is claiming among other things, that the lockout violates his PSL with the Browns and will possibly not allow him to watch a full season of home football games.

The story, from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer RIGHT HERE

Read Lanci's Lawsuit, which is versus not only the NFL, but the Browns and every team that plays in the NFL. The PDF is RIGHT HERE (thanks cleveland.com)

Here's a quote from Mr. Lanci "What tipped the scale for me is the labor issue between millionaires and billionaires and the fact they can't settle it when the country is in a recession" "Worse yet, they have to rub it in our faces"


Sound familiar? We've said essentially the same thing for 10 of the past 13 days. And we don't even own a PSL (We can't afford it and don't live in the same town as our favorite team).

God, we hope a court will take this suit seriously. The Personal Seat License (PSL) is one of the biggest scams in the history of business. And we can remember when the scam began back in the early '90's.

How can it be legal to have to pay a significant amount of money for the right to purchase a seat? And yet NFL fans have blindly done it...for years.

For someone like Mr. Lanci, who apparently is fairly wealthy himself, it probably isn't that big of a deal. For the fan who makes $30,000 a year and has to support a house and family, it's a really big deal. And yet Mr. $30,000 gladly dishes out the money. And they don't hesitate to do it.

We scoff....no we sneer at both the Owners and the Players when they say they are on the side of the "Fans". No, you aren't. You never have been. You never will.

Unfortunately, they both know that the minute they finally but their gargantuan egos aside and come to an agreement, the fans will flock back. Without thought and without hesitation. We'd love to help be the driver of change, to have the fans walk away...even if its just for a couple of weeks, to send a message. To tell both sides in this incredibly stupid "Lockout" to shut up, split your damn billions of dollars and go back to doing what you do. But don't assume that we support or can relate to any of you, we can't.

If only we could let them know that fan loyalty isn't blind when it comes to stupid "Lockouts", then maybe they might understand. It's not the "Corporate, PSL loving, Luxury Box giving RICH PEOPLE" that made you what you are, its Mr. $30,000 and people just like him who either make you a success at the box office or a complete and abject failure.

Here's some video of the last Monday Night Football game in 1987, before the strike hit that season:

Your NFL Strike Update: Nothing from nothing means nothing (Rich vs. Rich-Day 13)

DeMaurice Smith of NFLPA (not a union)

Well...there really isn't too much to report here. On the good side, nobody from either side said anything stupid. Which is a change from previous days.

Both sides have spent the better part of the past couple of weeks. No, actually the past couple of years saying stupid things to each other and just being entirely unproductive.

According to many, the players primary complaint really is more the "Lack of respect" shown to them by the owners. And while on one hand we understand that, on the other, it's completely and utterly childish.

Read a good story on respect from Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com RIGHT HERE

For their part, the players are sticking to their revenue complaints. They maintain the league is inflating the figures that the players receive from extra revenues.

You can read the story the refer to RIGHT HERE

Okay. We don't dispute the math here, but the whole thing misses on fundamental issue that neither side is willing to address. This is an ASTRONOMICAL amount of money. Why or how can you not work this part out?

We cringe at comments such as the one by NFLPA President (not a union, a trade association) Kevin Mawae. Mawae is concerned that young players don't have insurance and have to get COBRA insurance and that they may not have the ability to pay it long term.

Ok Kevin, we get that COBRA is not cheap. But the league minimum salary is somewhere close to $400,000 a year. We are pretty sure if the money is budgeted well, it can be afforded.

Do we think the owners should do more for players in terms of medical? Absolutely. Players and former players are injured and have health problems that don't go away. Why can't you take some of the $Billions we are talking about and put it in a HSA?

As for the Owners/Greedy bastards. They seem to be coming across as just looking for more bucks. They already, routinely hold city's hostage for new stadiums paid for on the backs of taxpayers in those cities. At last check, there are a ton of cities and states going broke these days.

We suspect that is the crux of most of their issues. None of them want to dish out of their own pockets...to build a stadium themselves. Which it appears is what the owners believe can drive revenues.

Anyway, we've rambled on and on about this, we could talk for hours. We still maintain this is all about greed...on both sides of the issue. We suspect nothing is going to happen before the "Class-action" case goes in front of a Minneapolis Federal Judge on April 6th. Legitimately, there isn't a reason this can't be resolved before the season starts. It's more a battle of egos than issues, but we suspect it is going to drag on for awhile. So we better do our homework, because it's going to be tough to come up with material every day.

In the meantime, here is your title music, which really...kind of sums everything up:

Your NFL Strike Update: No plans for Replacements (Rich vs. Rich--Day 12)

Replacment player-circa 1987/Courtesy: uniwatchblog.com

Well, that's good to know. The NFL, or at least the commissioner, heretofore known as "The Jolly Roger" told the assembled masses at the NFL owners meetings, which ended Tuesday...that the league "Doesn't--plan--to use Replacement players".

See the National Football Post RIGHT HERE

We think, the comment is pretty humorous. But nowhere near as funny as his comment that "The most important issue is our fans". That---is out and out hilarious.

You can read more from the Boston Globe RIGHT HERE

The Jolly one also added nuggets such as "The Offer may get worse as the lockout goes on". Way to negotiate there dude.

You can read about that in USA Today, RIGHT HERE

Meanwhile, back at stately Wayne Manor (a Batman reference). The NFLPA, who now prefers to call themselves a--"Trade Association" as opposed to a union, continues the war of rhetoric.

Among the features on their website, a story called the "Lockout Checklist". Which simply put, is their conspiracy theory that the owners had strike on there minds for years.

You can read that document, RIGHT HERE

We don't dispute this, but the obvious question would be...why? It's certainly not in anyone's best interest to have a strike....is it? Who would benefit from such a thing? Is there an assumption by the owners that we can do this and fans will accept it? Or did they know the players were set on it because no matter what they wanted more?

Either way, this may go down as the stupidest strike in the history of all strikes. There is no documentable evidence to prove that either side was being oppressed or harmed by the other. The only solution, at least the most obvious one is that it is about greed and ego. Both sides want to be the Alpha. Both sides are making money whether they "Change" their agreement or not, it just appears that both sides are being "GREEDY" and want more.

The NFL may not want to give you Replacements, but we will. This is one of their most popular/known songs--Alex Chilton:

Your Strike Update: (Rich vs. Rich, Day 11) More legal posturing...

The Jolly Rogers/Courtesy: File

And lord knows when lawyers are involved there are tons of big words thrown around, sometimes in Latin, that again make all participants look silly.

In today's update, we mention that the NFL has asked a federal judge to allow them to keep their lockout in place because there's no reason not to allow it since the players are "manipulating the law". They are saying wait until the NLRB rules on their "Unfair Labor Practice" charge is dealt with.

That hasn't happened yet.

If you want to read the long, wordy version of it, check out this story from ESPN RIGHT HERE

Meanwhile back at stately Wayne Manor, the players attack today focuses on the NFL making their broadcast partners essentially being forced to fund the strike. They claim the league wanted their TV agreements to have "Lockout Protection" in them, forcing the networks to pay whether or not there were games played.

Just as an aside, the documents they are using are part of the discovery process in legal proceedings. They need to be really careful here.

You can see more from the players association website (even though they no longer are a "Union), which appears to have daily updates. Follow the link RIGHT HERE

If we had a chance for either side to listen to us, we'd reiterate what we said yesterday, only less angrily. Just shut up and do something.

We still argue that both the players and the owners are dealing with egos rather than what's in their best interest. Essentially, we'd argue they are both trying to prove a point. And while that's great if you are into that kind of thing, its really hard to get anybody to like either side when you do it.

The players are coming off as a bunch of WHINY BITCHES, as we said Monday and the owners, they are just coming off as a bunch of merciless, GREEDY BASTARDS.

We don't dispute either sides right to make as much money as they can. But we get really pissed off when both sides start pleading POVERTY. No, sorry, ain't going to buy that. ALL OF YOU MAKE MORE MONEY THAN GOD. If you don't have any left, that's on you. It's not our fault. We blindly spend $100 for your game tickets and $10 for your beers and $8 for your Hot Dogs.

Don't play to our sympathies, because when it come to the battle of RICH VERSUS RICH, we can't relate. And we shouldn't have to!

Here's your NFL Strike theme song. This version courtesy of the cheesy '80's Hair Metal Band Krokus:

Your NFL Strike Update: Stupid Rhetoric- (Rich vs. Rich)-day 10

Roger Goodell/File

Sorry we couldn't update our mocking of the NFL strike over the weekend. That whole job thing gets in the way from time-to-time.

Here's the latest salvo in the battle that is--The NFL Strike:

When we left you on Friday, the NFLPA...ok, the players received a letter/e-mail from the Jolly Roger (Roger Goodell), outlining why their last offer was a good one.

It didn't go over so well.

The players association, though not union, issued a brief rebuttal--essentially saying that Goodell and the owners are liars.

Now, we move forward to Monday, the owners are meeting in New Orleans and the rhetorical fighting continues with Players Association head DeMaurice Smith again saying "It's the worst deal in the history of Sports". He may come to regret that.

The players continue, they now have a website that will tell YOU, what you are missing. If you want to check it out, follow the link HERE

For their part, the league and its owners say the last offer was "Still negotiable". They say the players had no interest.

Here's what we say: SHUT THE HELL UP!!!! BOTH SIDES!!!! YOU ARE INSULTING OUR INTELLIGENCE!!!!

We still maintain what we've said all along. The owners are a bunch of greedy bastards. Why hold back your financials? According to the players, that would be all it takes to resolve this. Are you (Owners) hiding something? It sure seems that way...

And players---STOP SAYING STUPID SHIT!!! Just keep your mouths shut. You'll win. Why is your front man saying the owners offer is the "Worst deal ever". IT ISN'T!!!!

Do you not get that no person who attends your games on a regular basis can't relate to the money you are talking about? Do you not get that we don't have ANY sympathy for either side here? You all--and the owners are coming off sounding like WHINY BITCHES!!!

Just stop! You're making me angry as I write this. If you want to disagree its your right. We don't begrudge that. Just negotiate a deal....privately. We don't want to hear that the players are "Treated Like Slaves". That may be the single most ludicrous statement of all-time. We've been to an NFL Training facility. 99-percent of all living human beings would kill for facilities like that. You travel on charter jets from city to city and stay at the nicest hotels in every town you go to. You don't pay for it. SHUT UP!!!!!

We're going to stop now because we are getting more angry the more we think about this. I still don't know why we should care. There are other things in life to do rather than watch NFL Football. I know a lot of people in a lot of places don't believe that, but its true. You should try it. You might find you have a whole heck of a lot more money in your pocket.

Until then...we give you "The Crying Game"...because that's these people seem to do...

NFLPA Goes Off On Goodell Letter- Day 7 ((Or Is It 8?))

By delivering one of their own- all four pages of one...

The highlights... it's the equivalent of "you're wrong..."

"You had ample time over the last two years to make a proposal that would be fair to both sides, but you failed to do so. During the last week of the mediation, we waited the entire week for the NFL to make a new economic proposal," the players wrote to Goodell. "That proposal did not come until 12:30 [p.m.] on Friday, and, when we examined it, we found it was worse than the proposal the NFL had made the prior week when we agreed to extend the mediation."

And the players ended their response by telling Goodell to call their lawyers if he wants to get back to talking...

Chief Shield Labor Negotiator Jeff Pash responded to their response by responding:

"Debating the merits of the offer in this fashion is what collective bargaining is all about. ... This letter again proves that the most sensible step for everyone is to get back to bargaining."

The HQ still thinks we're heading hyah...


Thanks to Peter Jennings and ABC News...

Your Strike (Rich vs. Rich) Update: Day 7: And now we're in Florida

Roger Goodell/Courtesy: inflexwetrust.com

In today's adventure, we catch up with the members of the NFL Players Association, but not union, who are meeting in that noted "Hub of Business", Marco Island in Florida.

While searching for the latest and greatest in this dispute between the Billionaires and the Millionaires, we came across an interesting read, and one that asks a very legitimate question.

The story comes from the Boston Globe and it has to do with the players feeling insulted that the Owners feel that they wouldn't understand the "Financial" reports if they were given out. And while there may be some that don't (See Adrian Peterson), we suspect that most are smart enough to figure it out and explain it to the others.

Read the interesting story from Boston.com RIGHT HERE

The other news of interest is that the Jolly Roger (Roger Goodell) sent the players a letter, outlining the league's last proposal the the (then) union.

Among the items in that proposal: (Per Associated Press)

- Salary and benefits (Salary Cap) would be $141 per team this year and rise to $164 million by 2014
- Free Agency in fours years, less offseason mandatory work, fewer padded practices.
- Keeping 16 game season and not moving to 18 without Union approval
- Guaranteeing up to $1 million of a second yr. player's contract if he's injured and can't play
- New rookie compensation system
- Jointly approved arbitrator for all drug and steroid appeals

While this, on the surface seems relatively benign and not outrageous, it doesn't appear to touch on issues the union want touched on. And again, we don't disagree with that.

The players want more help with insurance and medical costs after they are done playing. There's no reason they shouldn't get it. None. The players want to see how much money the teams really are making. We don't have a problem with that either. If you are going to run a business that everyone has a share or stake in, you should be able to have access to that. Whether or not you choose to read it should be your decision.

As for the owners. They shouldn't have to give the players a larger cut of what they are already getting from profit sharing. The players get paid a lot of money. A lot of money to play. It shouldn't be on the owners to make sure the players don't waste all of that money and need help to live out their golden years. Medically yes, lifestyle...no.

Bottom line--this isn't going to be resolved soon. Even though there isn't a huge gulf between what either side wants. This is a battle of ego and will. And its being played on a level that is hard for those of us who don't nor will ever make the kind of money both sides make (The Fans). We wish that both sides would just shut up until they start negotiating again because both sides are starting to say stupid things, but we don't think that will happen.

In the end, you (the fan), will get your football. You'll be paying more for it because the owners have to pass their costs on to somebody. We don't for a minute think there is ANY owner in the NFL losing money. They may not be making the profits they'd like or were, but believe this....they are making money.

To keep you inspired. We give you words of wisdom from the indomitable Shane Falco:

Your NFL Strike Update: Rich vs. Rich Day 6 and there was nothing

The legend of Shane Falco!

And on the 6th day, there was nothing. Though we do feel a bit of a sense of guilt for not mentioning yesterday, the stupid and inane comment by Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson two days ago that the owners "Treat the players like slaves".

Really.

We resist the temptation to go off on this comment, because there are certain parts of it that quite honestly we can't relate to.

But. Last we checked "Mr. AP", you were getting paid several million a year to play football. And while yeah, there are certain things the owners could do for the players that they don't, the analogy is just plain stupid.

In the meantime, we are monitoring several people representing both sides of this issue on Twitter. And right now, they are mostly exchanging rhetoric.

We really wish somebody would just "Man Up!" and put their ego aside and just deal with the issues at hand. You aren't that far apart. You are arguing about trivial matters when you are talking about the kind of money you are talking about. But quite honestly, there is a part of us that thinks it would be fun to see the withdrawal symptoms that the writers, players, owners and fans would go through if they didn't play in 2011.

We'd really like to see what "Joe Six-Pack" who paints his face team colors, tailgates at 5:30am for a 1pm kickoff and drinks 12 beers before walking into the stadium is going to do. He's the guy making $25,000 a year, but yet dishes out $1000 a year for a P.S.L and another $850 for season tickets (8-games) and 5-days a week feeds he and his family Raman noodles. And will happily pay another $15 per ticket per game when the owners jack-up tickets prices after they eventually lose this dispute.

What's he going to do? Hopefully he's going to spend that money on acting like a grownup. But I could be wrong.

Anyway, enough soapbox. Take a look at a TV station sports guys spoof from 1987:

NFL Strike Update: (Rich vs. Rich) Day 5...All about the posturing

Really there isn't much to report today, day 5 of "Football Held Hostage". It's now become mostly pontification by the various parties.

We told you yesterday about the NFLPA and player agents suggesting college players boycott the upcoming NFL Draft (late April). Well, they are still talking about it, but, well, it didn't exactly endear the players or the NFLPA to the general public.

Aside from that, the Jolly Roger and NFL general counsel Jeff Pash made the interview rounds yesterday, espousing the leagues line that they want to get a deal done.

And maybe they do. But for some reason, we don't believe the owners constituency does. Maybe we are wrong. But we don't think so.

We did find this letter that the (since we can't name them), the team that allegedly plays football in Washington D.C sent to the beloved Washington Post, basically throwing the players under the bus.

You can read excerpts from ProFootballTalk.com RIGHT HERE

You can see PFT Editor Mike Florio doing an interview with the dreaded Drew Rosenhaus about the players boycotting the draft here:

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

We still say to the owners and players. Deal with this bitches. Just remember this and the name. Falco. Shane Falco!

Your NFL Strike (Rich vs. Rich) Day 4 Update: Boycott the Draft

DeMaurice Smith/File

Really. Boycott the draft. Are we playing "Grown Up" labor dispute or the "Kiddie" version.

On Day 4 there was a call for a boycott. The NFLPA in their infinite wisdom has suggested that college players, on the day where they would turn professional, instead boycott the event by not showing up.

Now, we fully realize that only 10 to 20 guys ever actually show up for the event, but still.

It appears that player agents are a motivating force in this, telling ESPN and CBS Sports that they have clients that won't show if asked to attend.

Read more from the excellent Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com RIGHT HERE

We fully understand the "Solidarity" thing and the whole theory of "Sending a message" but come on. If you guys want to fight things out in court and negotiations, than go for it. But don't start taking your fight to other venues.

Really, we wish that some players and owners would actually read stuff like our story and others who are speaking from a fans perspective. Yeah, sure, the owners put out their "Apologetic" statements and so have the players. But do they understand that we (fans) hate both groups? Do they understand that we can't relate to this "Absurdly Stupid" argument that they are having. Do they get that we think both sides are a bunch of "Egotistical Morons" who if they were willing to put their egos aside...for just a few minutes could have hammered out a deal months ago.

No. We see that both sides have been angling for this...for years. They wanted this to happen. Do they not understand the theory of crapping on the "Golden Goose"? Sure, we'll tolerate this for a couple of months since there are no games anyway. But the longer it drags out the worse its going to be...for both sides.

We'd like to say that the draft boycott and loss of games would instantly mean loss of fans, but we aren't naive enough to believe that. There are way too many sheep (Fans) out there who will immediately go out and drop their $100 for upper deck seating, $8 hot dogs and $10 beers.

If they wanted to do something productive during this strike. Come up with a way to make an NFL game affordable for the common folk. Come up with a way to keep people who are paying so much money to come to your game from getting puked on or verbally or physically assaulted by the moron fan who started drinking at 6 a.m before the game and is just looking to be a douchebag. That might be a more productive use of your time.

Thanks for reading me on the Soapbox again.

And just remember, if they don't start the season, you may be subjected to this:

For those who care: Your NFL Strike update (Rich People vs. Rich People--Day 3)

NFLPA prez DeMaurice Smith/Courtesy: blogs.bettor.com

We'll explain the headline in a minute. Because we want to try to bring the latest and most important...and sometimes odd things going on in sports, we'll provide you daily updates to the "Crisis in Sport".

In today's news, there is now a date for the lawsuit filed by the leagues players against the owners, April 6th. So it is safe to say, there won't be an agreement before then.

The suit, which includes a slew of "High Profile" NFL Players such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Payton Manning and quite a few others, is to receive a temporary injunction forcing the league to open its doors to the players and work something out while continuing business.

A good background explainer from the Washington Post is RIGHT HERE

Sure, we understand that the legal maneuvering is so one side can get the "Advantage" in bargainning. We get that. You want to win if you are in a battle. That is understandable.

And we get why the league is trying to protect their investment. But...when push comes to shove, is this note "Rich People fighting with Rich People"? While we quite honestly don't side with either group in this, we don't understand why they can't come to an agreement. It's not like either group isn't making more money than god!

We agree with the players that the league should do a better job helping them after their careers end with medical insurance and things like that. And we get that the players jobs are not (for the most part) guaranteed. But what we struggle with is the amount of money they are paid. Could you not use some of that for better health insurance? While most of us might not be able to afford it...the players can.

Maybe if the wouldn't by a 10th car for their multi-million dollar mansions, they could secure their futures. We read and see too many stories of broke players after they retire. How does that happen?

As for the owners, you are all a bunch of greedy bastards. The league too. You have sponged off of cities and tax bases for years to fund your new palatial stadiums that half the populace can't afford to go to. And yet you want more. It's not enough to have a stadium, you have to have one with more luxury suites. And a bigger chunk of the revenue. Why?

And you now claim poverty though you have bloated payrolls and private jets and cars and just generally don't do things or relate to things normal people do. But that isn't good enough.

You've made more money than 2 gods on your investments, your teams have never been worth more. Yet it isn't enough.

We know the two sides will eventually come to an agreement here, and we suspect it will be before the season. So fear not fan who pays $90 dollars for an upper deck seat and $10 for your 12oz beer, you will still get to see the game you love.

If we don't come back and play--there's always this:

NFL Strike Countdown nears critical mass

NFL Football/Courtesy: supernfl.com

This may get political before we are done, if you don't like my politics--sorry...it's my website.

So let's get this straight. The billionaire NFL owners and the mega-millionaire NFL players are about to shut down the league because of a strike. And there is a third player in this, the TV Networks who broadcast their product.

All are crying over revenue splits. Not that they are about to go out of business. Not that any of them are poor. And not that any of them are going to be unemployed. No...they are crying about how to split up the billions of dollars that NFL Football generates.

Can someone explain again to me, why I should be happy with this?

The supposed cornerstone of the "Debate" here is the owners wanting an extra $1 billion of the profits that are currently going to players.

Again, can someone please explain how me...or anyone else making "5-figures" a year is supposed to get emotionally involved with this? How do we relate to these "Gazillionaire's"? Is it an example of why the rich get richer and the rest of us pay for it? It sure seems that way.

We'll blindly and gladly hand over $75 for a seat at an NFL game and pay $10 for a beer that you can get for $2 at the corner bar. We'll suffer through the stupid, falling down, barf on other people fans who curse at each and every play in front of our kids...because that's what we do.

Read a summary of where we are about to tread from the Washington Post RIGHT HERE

Here is a question? Is this getting so much play due to the league's popularity? Or because the networks and media conglomerates stand to lose a whole lot of money if they don't have NFL games on TV? Ok, that's actually 3-questions...sorry. Prepare yourselves. You are about to get "Up-Close and Personal" with a lawyer named DeMaurice Smith. You are also going to hear from a battery of NFL Type lawyers and even more, a battalion of "Legal Experts" trying to explain all this on ESPN.

Sure, the league and its players are "Meeting" today with an arbitrator to try and come to an "Agreement" before the self-imposed deadline of Friday. And that's swell. I'm happy for them. But I have another related question. State's are trying very, very hard to take all the teeth from and restrict any collective bargaining rights that teachers, government employees and other unionized workers have. But nobody is willing to tread into the NFL's battle.

How is it that when the "Million or Billionaire--rich and famous are involved", we are all expected to be sympathetic? It wasn't that way in 1988, the last time the NFL had a strike. It wasn't that way the last couple times Major League Baseball had a strike and it sure wasn't that way the the NHL had their strike.

And yet we are supposed to be crestfallen. We are supposed to be petrified that we may not have NFL Football to watch on Sunday's this fall. We are supposed to cower in fear that there may not be a quick settlement and the disagreement could drag out for more than a year.

No. We shouldn't. But we'll be told that we should. And we'll believe it. Yeah, in some parts of the country it will create withdrawal symptoms. The Northeast lives, eats and breathes their NFL Football. But in most of the rest of the country, you've still got college football. And that ain't so bad.

No, somehow, someway, we'll live without NFL Football. We'll live without seeing Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers. We'll survive without Rex Ryan and Bill Belichick or however you spell his name. Unlike baseball and hockey, which had to deal with the backlash of their strikes, we'll come back to the NFL. We've done it before.

We'll survive and when they come back, the people will come back. En masse. Because that's what we do.

If you want to know what happened the last time we had this discussion...it helped spawn this movie...and the legend that is....SHANE FALCO!!!!!!