NFL’s sacrifice for Lent

The NFL and its club owners decided to give up professional football for Lent.  The NFL and the NFLPA did not reach an agreement and stopped negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).  That means that right now football is dead. 

I am not fretting about it yet because we still have five months before the start of the pre-season.  However, if the players and owners do not resolve their issues soon and have a new contract, the season will not be the same.  Since the NFLPA has decertified and the NFL locked out the players, the teams and players cannot communicate.

Everything is on hold.  No free agency.  No conditioning.  No Organized Team Activities (OTA).  The only scheduled professional football event that will take place this spring if the lockout continues is the NFL Draft. 

If the labor negotiations are prolonged, the training and preparation that teams and players usually do during the off-season will not happen.  This will have a huge impact on teams, especially for clubs that have young players in skilled positions.   Teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams will not be able to work with their young quarterbacks.

Cleveland’s Colt McCoy and St. Louis’ Sam Bradford need to work with their coaches to be effective in their starting roles.  In Denver, Tim Tebow, will need more than informal workouts on his own to develop into being a starter.  Detroit’s Matthew Stafford has two years of experience leading the Lions, but he recently had shoulder surgery.  Rehabilitating privately is not the same as doing it with the team’s staff and equipment.  This will certainly have an effect on the team’s offensive plans.

Let’s hope that the sacrifice ends at Holy Saturday and the resurrection of professional football happens before the 2011 NFL Draft.  On second thought, it can happen sooner.  I don’t think that the “football gods” will be upset with the NFL for breaking Lent.  I think that they will be pleased to see the owners’ selfless act of forgoing an EXTRA $1 billion dollars to give the fans what they want.  After all, they are the people who made them billionaires.

Ciao!

 Heels & Helmets®

Free me from CBA talk, PLEASE!

For the last few weeks, professional football fans have been held hostage digitally by the news on the progress of the mediation between the NFL and NFLPA.

Free me!

Nothing has changed.  The owners still want more money and regular season games.  The players still want to see the books.   Well, I guess I should not say “nothing” because the sides are talking now (A LOT) and they did not for months.  This still is not enough to warrant the hostage.

Free me!

The hostage wouldn’t be so bad if both parties were not sworn to secrecy.  At least we would have some insight on the progress, the tension in the room, and the perspective from each side.  I am not asking for cameras, but a fiery remark from Jerry Jones would be satisfying.  Instead we have mundane “updates” telling us the same thing.  I can’t take it anymore.

I’M BREAKING OUT!!!

Now that the CBA analysis is behind me, I will get to where our focus should be in March.  College “Pro Days.”  These are workouts at colleges that NFL personnel attend to continue their evaluation of players to prepare for the upcoming draft.  It is similar to the Combine, but not as vigorous.  Plus, players who were not invited to the Combine have a chance to make an impression on NFL Scouts.

Tomorrow, a couple of top quarterbacks will participate in their schools’ Pro Day.  Cam NewtonRyan Mallett (Arkansas) both will display their talent at their university.  Ryan did well at the Combine and demonstrated that he has a strong arm and is accurate.  This is an opportunity for him to build on that performance and show he can throw at the professional level.  Cam on the other hand was disappointing at the Combine.  Auburn’s Pro Day gives him chance to improve on passing drills and exhibit that he can handle the NFL. (Auburn) and

Check out when your school is having its Pro Day.

It feels sooo good to be liberated! 

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

Combine is here, but no one knows if the NFL season will happen this fall

The NFL combine is starting this week.  College players lucky enough to receive an invitation will be in Indianapolis for a four-day intense interview starting on Wednesday.  Usually, at this time, all of the talk is about how the players will perform at the Combine.   This year things are a little different because the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NFL and NFLPA (NFL Players Association) is expiring next week at the end of the day on March 3.  As a result, the negotiation on a new deal is overshadowing the Combine and leaving a lot of fans wondering if the NFL season will actually happen this fall.

The NFL led by its Commissioner, Roger Goodell and the NFLPA headed by Executive Director, DeMaurice Smith spent the entire weekend in federally mediated negotiations.  Since Friday, representatives from both sides were in a room for at least six hours negotiating in front of George Cohen, Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Washington, DC.  Surprisingly, everyone has adhered to Cohen’s request that no one comment publicly on the negotiations.  So, we do not have any information on the outcome of the negotiations. 

Here are some important points on the negotiation as I see it.

1. Perception that players get a bigger piece of the profit than owners is inaccurate.  60% of revenue is after owners get their money for operating expenses ($1B); so players are not getting more money than the owners now.  Both sides get about 50%.

2. Owners want to increase their expense credit to $2B and give the players less money.
3. NFL and its owners claim a decrease in profits, but won't share evidence to support this.  However, we know sponsorship is up and they were able to secure higher media deals.  With higher prices, Super Bowls ads for this year's game were completely sold out last October.  That’s three months prior to the game!  Plus, there is more ad time.  Ads during the Super Bowl have increased from 40 minutes to over 48 minutes.  The NFL is making money.
4. Players contracts are not guaranteed.  They make money only when they play.  Amount of pay during an injury depends on several factors including how many games were played prior to the injury.

5. Owners want to add two more games to the regular season while the players take a decrease in pay and increase their chances of injury.

The element that confuses me the most is that the NFL will not show financial information to validate their claim that profits are down.  In a special letter to ESPN.com, Greg Aiello, the NFL's Senior Vice President of Public Relations, wrote: “NFL players have an extremely favorable revenue-sharing deal and full access to all information on revenue and a great deal of information on costs, including the largest cost, which is for players.”

A “great deal”?  I think that this is very telling.  Why not share the entire story?

Let me explain it this way.  If I told my mortgage company that I needed to modify my loan because of financial hardship, they would require ALL of my financial information and expenses to make a decision.  A “great deal” would not be enough to even get my request considered.

This leads me to a deeper issue that I don’t think a lot of people observe and discuss.  The NFL and its club owners do not regard the players as equal business partners.  Their actions toward them illustrate a superior attitude.  They feel as if they don’t have to prove anything.  Players should just believe what they say simply because they said it.  In any other business negotiation, the partner would show the evidence of their claims and move forward with the negotiations.  No one makes a good business decision without ALL of the facts. 

Smith is law man, not a football man like his predecessor Gene Upshaw.  He does not know football, but he does know the law and how to negotiate.  With a background in litigation, he wants the best for his members and that is not just money.  With less than two years on the job, he is still new to sports; but he is not going to be bullied.  It’s a good thing for players that he isn’t afraid to stand up to “the shield” and demand facts to make a sound decision.

In short, it appears to me that the NFL is asking the players to work more for less money.  So, I propose this question that I feel is at the crux of this negotiation: 

Would you be willing to work more hours for less money while your partner reports record sales?

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

OTAs: Voluntary Training or Mandatory Practice?

Organized Team Activities (OTA) are in full swing and players are getting familiar with their roles.  These are de facto practices before training camp in which players participate in limited drills without any contact or pads.  They are supposedly voluntary, but a player will certainly be on the chopping block or bashed to the media if he does not attend.  Each year there are headlines about owners and coaches expressing their disappointment about players not attending OTAs.  The most recent headline is Redskin, Albert Haynesworth.  The defensive tackle has not shown up at Redskin Park for OTAs and owner, Dan Snyder is not happy about it.

I believe in the saying “prior, preparation, prevents, piss, poor, performance.”  I think that any professional (in any industry) should take advantage of opportunities to improve and develop their craft.  And yes, I know that Vince Lombardi would laugh at the use of the term “voluntary practice” and without practicing a team is definitely not going to hoist up the trophy named in his honor.  However, I don’t think that the coaching legend would sugar coat what the practices are.  He would be straightforward, his players would be there and he would accept the NFL’s discipline for violating any rules.  

A lot of people would say that Albert Haynesworth has 41 million reasons to attend OTAs, referring to the amount of guaranteed money in his contract of which he has already received $32 million.  Others would say that the Redskins gave the Pro Bowler, 41 million reasons not to attend when they wrote him one of the largest checks in NFL history.  I say if clubs want players to attend voluntary workouts they should set clear expectations and mandate the practices.  Otherwise, they should stop criticizing a player for missing voluntary OTAs as if he is not performing and falling short of the requirements of his job. 

As negotiations continue for the next CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), I am curious to see if OTA will become Official Team Activities with the underlying tone of “be On Time or be out on your A…”  I’ll just say hiney.  On second thought, that sentiment is not new.

Check out your team’s Minicamp and OTA Schedule.  (Minicamps include rookies and veterans unless noted.)

AFC

Baltimore Ravens

Minicamp: May 7-9
OTAs: May 17-20, May 24-27, June 7-10, June 15-16

Buffalo Bills

Minicamps: May 7-9 (rookies; voluntary for veterans), June 4-6 (voluntary), June 23-25
OTAs: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 8-10, June 15-17, June 21-22

Cincinnati Bengals

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 15-17
OTAs: May 11, May 13, May 18-20, May 25, May 27, June 1-3, June 8, June 10, June 14

Cleveland Browns

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 10-12
OTAs: May 17-19, May 24-25, May 27, June 1-3, June 7-8

Denver Broncos

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 17-19, May 24-27, June 2-4, June 7-9

Houston Texans

Minicamp: June 14-16
OTAs: May 17-20, May 24-27, June 1-3, June 8-10

Indianapolis Colts

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 4-6
OTAs: May 18, May 20, May 25, May 27, June 1-2, June 8, June 10-11

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minicamp: May 1-3
OTAs: May 17-18, May 20, May 24-25, May 27, June 7-8, June 10, June 14-15, June 17, June 21-22

Kansas City Chiefs

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 17-19, May 24-25, May 27, June 1-3, June 7-9, June 14-15

Miami Dolphins

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), May 28-30
OTAs: May 18-19, May 24, May 26, June 1, June 3, June 7, June 9-10, June 14, June 16

New England Patriots

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 15-17
OTAs: May 24-27, June 1-4, June 7-8, June 10-11

New York Jets

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 14-16
OTAs: May 17-18, May 20, May 24-25, May 27, June 2-3, June 8, June 10

Oakland Raiders

Minicamp: April 30-May 2
OTAs: May 18-20, May 25-27, June 8-10, June 15-17

Pittsburgh Steelers

Minicamp: April 30-May 2
OTAs: April 19-20, May 18-20, May 25-27, June 1-3, June 8-10

San Diego Chargers

Minicamps: May 7-8 (rookies), May 26-28
OTAs: May 18-21, June 8-11, June 14-17

Tennessee Titans

Minicamp: April 30-May 1 (rookies)
OTAs: April 27, April 29, May 11, May 13, May 18-19, May 25, May 27, June 14-15, June 17, June 22, June 24-25

NFC

Arizona Cardinals

Minicamp: April 30-May 2

OTAs: May 18-20, May 25-27, June 1-4, June 7-10

Atlanta Falcons

Minicamp: May 7-9
OTAs: May 25-27, June 1, June 3-4, June 8-11, June 15-18

Carolina Panthers

Minicamp: April 30-May 2
OTAs: May 24-27, June 2-4, June 7-10, June 14-16

Chicago Bears

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), May 21-23

OTAs: June 2-3, June 7-10, June 14-17, June 21-24

Dallas Cowboys

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 11-13

OTAs: May 17-19, May 24-26, June 1-3, June 8-10

Detroit Lions

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 23-25
OTAs: April 20, May 4, May 6, May 11, May 13, May 18, May 20, May 24-25, May 27, June 1, June 3, June 21-22

Green Bay Packers

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 21-23
OTAs: May 17-20, June 1-3, June 8-10, June 15-17

Minnesota Vikings

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 18-21, May 24-27, June 1-4, June 7-8

New Orleans Saints

Minicamps: May 7-9 (rookies), June 4-6
OTAs: May 25-28, June 7-10, 24-26, June 14-17

New York Giants

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 15-17
OTAs: May 18, May 20-21, May 24-25, May 27, June 2, June 4, June 7-8, June 10-11

Philadelphia Eagles

Minicamp: April 30-May 2
OTAs: May 19-20, May 24-27, June 1-4, June 7-10

St. Louis Rams

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 10-12

OTAs: May 18, May 20, May 24-25, May 27, June 1-3, June 7-8, June 14-17

San Francisco 49ers

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 18-20
OTAs: March 29-30, April 30, May 17-20, June 7-8, June 10-11, June 14-16

Seattle Seahawks

Minicamps: April 13-15 (voluntary), April 30-May 2, June 22-24 (voluntary)
OTAs: May 11, May 13, May 18, May 20, May 25, May 27, June 8, June 10, June 15, June 17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minicamps: April 30-May 2 (rookies), June 21-23
OTAs: May 17-19, June 1-3, June 7-10, June 14-17

Washington Redskins

Minicamps: April 16-18 (voluntary), May 7-9 (rookies; voluntary for veterans), June 16-18 OTAs: May 17-19, May 24-26, June 1-3, June 7-8, June 10-11

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets

NFL Does Some Spring-Cleaning

Spring is officially here!  Time to get out the Windex and Swifter for some spring-cleaning.  Even the NFL is getting some things in order.  The NFL’s Annual Owners Meeting started yesterday in Orlando, Florida.  During the next couple of days all of the owners (or designated team representative) of the 32 clubs will meet, discuss and vote to clean up some business issues.  All decisions must receive 24 votes for approval.  Here are a couple of topics that I expect the owners to clean up and discuss this week.

1. CBA – The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is going to expire after this year and this season is uncapped.  I’m sure a huge portion of this year’s meeting will be about labor negotiations.  In short, 60% of revenue goes towards player’s salaries and the owners want this changed.  Naturally, the players feel like this is fair because they go out on the field and damage their bodies playing the game each week.  Without them there is not a game.  However, owners take all of the financial risk and have expressed that their profit margins are shrinking.  They are responsible for managing an entire business, not just a single position.  Without their investment, there is not a club, a stadium or game.  This issue will not be finalized, but the Commissioner, Roger Goodell, will provide an update on how the negotiations are going with the NFL Players Association. 

2. Overtime Rules – The NFL plays sudden death in overtime.  So, the first team that scores in overtime wins the game.  The team that gets the ball first is decided by a coin toss.  Statistics illustrate that almost 60% of the teams that win the coin toss, win the game with a field goal. This has always been a point of contention, but since the New Orleans Saints won the NFC Championship Game in overtime, there has been a substantial amount of discussion concerning a coin toss deciding a playoff game.   The Competition Committee completed their research and will propose a rule change to allow the other team to get the ball if the first team scores a field goal.  However, if the team that gets the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown, the game is over and the other team does not get the ball.  I don’t like Minnesota and Favre fans whining that a coin toss cost them the conference championship.  (I like Favre, but remember that four quarters of football were played before overtime and Favre did throw a crucial interception.)  But, if you are going to give one team another chance on offense, the other team deserves a shot. 

3. Super Bowl XLVIII (2014) – The three finalists to host the Super Bowl in 2014 are Tampa Bay, Miami and New York City (Giants and Jets).   If New York City wins, the Super Bowl will be played in an open stadium in a cold weather location for the first time.  I love New York and I’m looking forward to visiting the new Meadowlands Stadium, but an open stadium in the winter will not be fun.  I remember walking around Detroit for Super Bowl XL and the snow was miserable.  I can’t imagine sitting outside for the game.  I think that Kick Off Week should go to a team in the North and Super Bowl should go to a team in the South. 

Speaking of spring, the University of Michigan’s new Athletic Director, David Brandon is planting new seeds.  Last week he announced that Michigan is going to have a home game during primetime!  The new Michigan Stadium will hold fans for the very first time at night when my Wolverines host Notre Dame on September 10, 2011 at 8 p.m.   This is the first time Michigan will play at night in the Big House, but it will not be its first night game.  They played in the first ever night game against Marquette in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1944.  They have a record of 22 – 11 in primetime games.   

Ciao!

Heels  & Helmets