League accepts Vrabel’s offer, but not unconditionally

Posted by Mike Florio on March 19, 2011, 12:15 AM EDT
In an interview aired Friday on ESPN, Chiefs linebacker and NFLPA* Executive Committee member Mike Vrabel said that the players want to negotiate, but not with men like outside counsel Bob Batterman, in-house counsel Jeff Pash, or Commissioner Roger Goodell. Instead, Vrabel said the players want to talk directly to Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.
The league accepts, sort of.
“The NFL’s negotiating team — accompanied by the three owners Mike mentioned, Jerry Jones, Jerry Richardson and Robert Kraft — is prepared to meet immediately. Just tell us when and where,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
In other words, Batterman, Pash, and Goodell will be there, too.
But we think this is a point on which the owners would be wise to yield. Bring Batterman, Pash, and Goodell to the meetings, but let the players meet with the owners. If that’s what it will take to kick-start stalled talks, so be it.
Besides, the league had a chance to get this done with Pash and Batterman and Goodell running the show, and it didn’t work. If they are interested in working out a fair deal and getting the players back to work, they should be happy to stand down and let the guys who sign the checks determine how big those checks will be.

Try anything. The players will still probably balk at anything less than equal share of revenue, but we'll see.

Bob Sacamano said:

Try anything. The players will still probably balk at anything less than equal share of revenue, but we'll see.

Keep reading...

The players are playing hardball right now, but just wait until it gets closer to getting their game checks.

The league shouldn't try anything. Just sit back with the same offer you already made. Actually, reduce that offer by the month.

Just be patient. The other side will fold in short order. Guaranteed. You just have to be willing to miss a football season or two.

Who the F are the players anyway to ask to negotiate this deal without the league commissioner?

F them.

sbk92 said:

Who the F are the players anyway to ask to negotiate this deal without the league commissioner?

F them.

Keep reading...

Maybe its in effort to cut out the middle man... I like it but I like anything to end this lockout.

I just want to get back to our regular offseason schedule so we can start seeing or predicting what our team will be like this coming season.

Screw the NFL, I'm gonna start watching local semi-pro football.

Cythim, participate in the mock draft.

Always suprises me how people can actually root for the owners in this.. unreal.

RoyTheHammer said:

Always suprises me how people can actually root for the owners in this.. unreal.

Keep reading...

So tell us then, why would we support the players who want up to 50% of all revenue?

These players deserved to get paid, but they don't deserve what they're asking for. It's ridiculous.

Cr122 said:

So tell us then, why would we support the players who want up to 50% of all revenue?

These players deserved to get paid, but they don't deserve what they're asking for. It's ridiculous.

Keep reading...

Exactly right.

The players are way out of hand. They feel entitled to things they have no business asking for. I say F them. Lets break the union, blow up the league and start over with a new group of players with a little bit more sanity on the spending. Funnel that money back to the fans. Quit raping them.

So the owners, who do nothing but own a team and largely meddle with things they know nothing about, deserve to get rich off the backs of these players? I hate billionaires more than I hate millionaires so the owners can go f uck themselves.

These players don't have to play in the NFL. They can play in the AFL if they want to.

If you don't want to work at a shitty job without benefits and terrible pay, find some place else to work at. Simple.

The players arn't the ones who opted out of the deal they agreed to.

sbk92 said:

Exactly right.

The players are way out of hand. They feel entitled to things they have no business asking for. I say F them. Lets break the union, blow up the league and start over with a new group of players with a little bit more sanity on the spending. Funnel that money back to the fans. Quit raping them.

Keep reading...

BTW.. the NFL and the Owners are the ones responsible for us fans getting raped with all the ridiculous prices that continue to go up. Kind of hypocritical that you are on their side now lol.

RoyTheHammer said:

BTW.. the NFL and the Owners are the ones responsible for us fans getting raped with all the ridiculous prices that continue to go up. Kind of hypocritical that you are on their side now lol.

Keep reading...

I'm on the fans side.

If you had half a brain, melvin....you'd know those greedy owners you're talking about are much more likely to increase prices even more if they lose out on these negotiations. As their costs go up, ours go up.

F the players. They are irrelevant to the success of the league.

Cythim said:

So the owners, who do nothing but own a team and largely meddle with things they know nothing about, deserve to get rich off the backs of these players? I hate billionaires more than I hate millionaires so the owners can go themselves.

Keep reading...

It's called reality.

The CEO of Cherolet makes significantly more than the factory line worker.

Can the CEO work on the line? No.

Could 95% of NFL players successfully operate a business, let alone run an NFL franchise? No.

The good Lord blessed these players with a depreciating assett... the ability to run fast, hit hard, or throw the ball far. If the NFL players don't like their wages... if the measeley veteran minumum of what, $435k is too low for them, then they can seek gainful employment in another industry.

Hell, join the military. Experience significantly more risk at a 10th of the pay.

The NFL owners will be fine either way.

If the CEO of Cheverolet backed out of a contract he agreed to with his employees and then told them he wanted to pay them less and take more for himself, would you feel the same way about those "players" feeling slighted?

Just because the business of the NFL and the salaries are much higher doesn't mean its not still a business. The players or employees are the ones doing all the work to make the business what it is, the fat cats at the top don't deserve more money to satisfy their already exploding wallets.

RoyTheHammer said:

If the CEO of Cheverolet backed out of a contract he agreed to with his employees and then told them he wanted to pay them less and take more for himself, would you feel the same way about those "players" feeling slighted?

Just because the business of the NFL and the salaries are much higher doesn't mean its not still a business. The players or employees are the ones doing all the work to make the business what it is, the fat cats at the top don't deserve more money to satisfy their already exploding wallets.

Keep reading...

The problem is you're not being realistic. Supporting the players is supporting yourself paying more for the product. If the league's costs go up, yours will too.

I'm sure they'll go up either way, but moreso if the owners take a bath in these negotiations.

I have no respect for the players. Less than none. I root for laundry. Who fills it means nothing to me. When you start talking about having contract talks without the league commissioner and demanding to see all financial records, I'd say you've stepped out of bounds as an NFL player. See ya. Don't need ya. We'll find somebody else to play this game.

Cr122 said:

So tell us then, why would we support the players who want up to 50% of all revenue?

These players deserved to get paid, but they don't deserve what they're asking for. It's ridiculous.

Keep reading...

You know what.. they were receiving 60 percent of revenue through the terms of the last CBA THAT THE OWNERS AGREED TO. Now the owners back of of their own deal they agreed to and say they want an extra billion dollars off the top and don't even want to pay the players 50 percent of the total revenue, which IS LESS THAN THEY ALREADY AGREED TO.

I have no sympathy for old fat cats who do next to nothing but sign pay checks, as opposed to players who put their entire quality of life on the line every week, and who backed out of their original agreement who now want more and more money, but don't want to show proof to back up their statements and who want fans to feel sorry for them because they only made 60 million dollars last year instead of 100 million.