Analysis: Uncapped season is no huge deal
Analysis
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.--Roger Goodell told the league-owned NFL Network that "it's looking virtually certain" next season will be played without a salary cap.
It might be newsworthy that the commissioner of the NFL acknowledged that.
But it certainly doesn't come as news to anyone in the sport who's familiar with the state of the labor negotiations between the franchise owners and the players' union.
They've known for months it was a near certainty that next season would be played minus a salary cap, given the lack of progress at the bargaining table.
And it's not just a lack of progress, those people say. It's zero progress.
Should fans care at this point?
The answer is probably yes, a little bit. And by this point next year, they might need to care a lot.
It's now becoming relatively clear where this is headed. Next season will be played minus a salary cap. In terms of the on-field product, little will change. Yes, the salary cap has helped to maintain competitive balance in the league since the early 1990s, and without it, that competitive balance could begin to erode a bit over the long haul. But in the short term, there shouldn't be a signficiant advantage for the league's wealthier teams. The new free agnecy rules that go into effect in an uncapped season--players need six years of NFL service time instead of four to be unrestricted free agents, each team has an additional transition-player tag and the final eight teams face restrictions about signing free agents--will keep things pretty much the way they've been.
After that, the concern becomes whether football will be played in 2011. Kevin Mawae, the president of the NFL Players Association, was on Capitol Hill last month and told a House subcommittee that the players are "fully anticipating" being locked out by the owners in 2011, after the current labor deal expires following the uncapped season in 2010.
Goodell has said the owners are not planning a lockout.
But others within the sport say that the NFL is about as close as it has been to labor strife since the two players' strikes in the 1980s.
What happens over the next 13 months or so will determine if those fears are justified.
By
Mark Maske
|
February 1, 2010; 10:13 AM ET
| Category:
Analysis
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League
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Union
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Posted by: tramellcanady | February 1, 2010 5:32 PM
I guess I don't understand why everyone seems to assume a works stopage is inevitable when there is still over a year to work out a new agreement. But these jerkoffs, both owners and players, will beat their chests and act tough and bingo - no football in 2011. Meanwhile worthless Goddell will do nothing to help resolve the issue (he'll be too busy screening TV ads).
Fans should begin preparing for a work stoppage by organizing their responses to such event. Season ticket owners should vow to not renew, Directv users should vow to cancel their NFL ticket subscription, and regular fans should commit to a viewer stoppage in 2011. Imagine if these types of fan commitments could be organized through some internet/electronic media 2010. Would it have any effect?
Posted by: ARCstats | February 1, 2010 1:27 PM
I totally agree with Leopard09, this is the Skins chance to clean house and start fresh. Say good bye to Portis, ARE, Moss, and the other high dollar, low performance players.
Posted by: timchadwick | February 1, 2010 1:11 PM
Wrong. The uncapped season is a God send for teams like the Redskins that have bad contracts they want to unload.
This is a rare opportunity to wipe the slate clean on a number of deals that otherwise would handicap the team for the next 2-3 seasons.
Shanahan and the front office can use this one year moratorium to correct a lot of the mistakes the Snyder/Cerrato pair made and get this franchise back on sound footing.
Posted by: leopard09 | February 1, 2010 11:47 AM
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I agree. Just because the media cannot quite determine the full impact, give the capologists one year to circumvent the rules. A similar thing happened with the franchise tag where players reveled in the fact that they would be paid top5/top10 salaries at their position without realizing that they will forfeit longterm security with one-year deals. The Skins must seize this opportunity to clear cap space on Portis, ARE, Carter (no fit for 3-4), Griffin, Samuels, Randy Thomas and Betts. Keep high-priced Moss, Haynesworth, Hall and Cooley. They are probably the team's best playmakers at this point.