03-06-2006, 07:26 PM
Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported moments ago on Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio that the NFL and the NFLPA have reached an agreement in principle on a new CBA, and that the deal is subject to approval of the owners on Tuesday.
Under the deal, the NFL will devote 59.5 percent of total football revenues to player salaries. On one hand, the league moved a lot farther than the union as to the reported gap of 56.2 percent and 60 percent that existed before the weekend. On the other hand, the deal undermines the credibility of NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw, who insisted that the first number would have to be a "6".
Mort also says that it's no guarantee that the owners will approve the deal. Pats owner Bob Kraft, Mort says, is strongly opposed to the package, which addresses revenue sharing via the so-called "cash over cap" issue.
"Cash over cap" is the amount of total money paid to players in a given year. Because high-revenue teams have the ability to dump more money into players' pockets, the unlimited ability to pour future cap dollars into current cap years could, in theory, disrupt competitive balance because the low-revenue teams simply won't have the cash on hand to match a string of deals that rob Peter to pay for a Lombardi. The proposal apparently limits the extent to which a team can spend money in a given year over the salary cap.
Mortensen says that Tuesday's meeting could get ugly, and that it could extend into a second day.
Our suggestion to the Commish -- if you didn't break out the Louisville Slugger when the fellas got together last week in New York, make sure you take it with you to Texas. Your legacy is on the line, and it's time to stand up and build a consensus.
If you can't, then walk away. If nothing else, it'll get the attention of the guys who are no longer listening to you because you're a short-timer.
Under the deal, the NFL will devote 59.5 percent of total football revenues to player salaries. On one hand, the league moved a lot farther than the union as to the reported gap of 56.2 percent and 60 percent that existed before the weekend. On the other hand, the deal undermines the credibility of NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw, who insisted that the first number would have to be a "6".
Mort also says that it's no guarantee that the owners will approve the deal. Pats owner Bob Kraft, Mort says, is strongly opposed to the package, which addresses revenue sharing via the so-called "cash over cap" issue.
"Cash over cap" is the amount of total money paid to players in a given year. Because high-revenue teams have the ability to dump more money into players' pockets, the unlimited ability to pour future cap dollars into current cap years could, in theory, disrupt competitive balance because the low-revenue teams simply won't have the cash on hand to match a string of deals that rob Peter to pay for a Lombardi. The proposal apparently limits the extent to which a team can spend money in a given year over the salary cap.
Mortensen says that Tuesday's meeting could get ugly, and that it could extend into a second day.
Our suggestion to the Commish -- if you didn't break out the Louisville Slugger when the fellas got together last week in New York, make sure you take it with you to Texas. Your legacy is on the line, and it's time to stand up and build a consensus.
If you can't, then walk away. If nothing else, it'll get the attention of the guys who are no longer listening to you because you're a short-timer.