Thread: Sense of hope evident at NFL owners meetings

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Love Thurs night games; only b/c you don't get to see every game as it is, you get three on sunday, one on monday and now another on Thurs. This is just one more good game on I might not have got to watch otherwise. And it's still not like it's baseball or basketball and you don't know who when or where the game is going to be on.

except ALOT of places do not carry the NFL network.. and because of restrictions or trees for bad sightlines, you can't get direct tv you can't see these games anyway..so for many these thurs games not being seen, wheres the sunday and monday games are see everywhere

Originally Posted by dabears54

except ALOT of places do not carry the NFL network.. and because of restrictions or trees for bad sightlines, you can't get direct tv you can't see these games anyway..so for many these thurs games not being seen, wheres the sunday and monday games are see everywhere

Don't know that they will keep them on NFL network if this happens, but if they do, sucks for those people....guess they can do what I do when I don't get the game, goto a place that has it and eat out that one night. I still like it....and again most people aren't getting more then 4 games on sun/mon as it is, I'll gladdy take one more.

Originally Posted by BossK

Thats kinda funny. I pay the extra for directv, get the sunday ticket and never miss a bears game. However, this comes at a steep price in that directv does not have a contract for my local channels, so abc, nbc, fox etc. I have to tune in on frickin bunny ears. I don't really care one way or another if the bears are on nfl network or fox, I will get them in HD, however, the playoffs and super bowl I have to tune in on bunny ears in crappy definition. Usually just go to my buddy's place.

Bossk.. you can get free HD( and looks real good) with the below.. I have it for 36 LCD in car for tailgates and works great, and when the Cable goes down, use it in house and its fine, its small and get an occassional "pixilation",but its rare

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_209HDTV...i.html?tp=3261

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Don't know that they will keep them on NFL network if this happens, but if they do, sucks for those people....guess they can do what I do when I don't get the game, goto a place that has it and eat out that one night. I still like it....and again most people aren't getting more then 4 games on sun/mon as it is, I'll gladdy take one more.

I'd hope they would change, but just think NFL.COM trying to hard to "brand itself"- think this is how they figure will do it..and force time warner and the other cble providers to add them to their channels( sucks they are still fighting over this 4 years later). And agree can go to a bar to see, just giving a devils' advocate on why some do not like it : )

Sorting it out

Each team was asked to send two representatives, one principal owner and one top executive. The Bears were represented by Chairman George McCaskey and President Ted Phillips. McCaskey left in mid-afternoon when attendance was pared from two representatives per team to one. Phillips, a seasoned negotiator and the de facto chief financial officer for the organization, remained for the final sessions.

Owners rarely are in complete agreement on many issues but no evidence leaked out pointing toward any significant fissures in the ranks of owners.

“I think that would be a little bit deceiving to say we have a consensus because we don’t have an agreement,” Goodell said. “We have a very strong view of the priorities, what we need to accomplish in the negotiations and a determination to get there.

“I think the ownership is unified on that basis.”

The various proposals create a blizzard of details. But the key, overriding issue according to multiple sources and reports is how the revenue pie will be split in addition to how big that pie will ultimately be. On the table is an “enhanced season” of 18 games, which will net a significant increase in regular-season television revenues over those generated by a four-game preseason.

The devil in the details

Along with that come discussions of adjustments to roster sizes, practice squads, injured reserve, limits to off-season activities and more. The players are believed to be agreeable to a smaller percentage of a larger revenue stream, which results in a net gain in monies to the player side.

Of particular interest to players, and fans, is the expected resumption of free agency in its prior form, whereby players are eligible to become restricted free agents after three years and unrestricted after four.

“I’m not going to get into specifics of our negotiating session,” Goodell said. “But we want to do everything with our clubs. Training camp, off-season issues, they’re all important issues to both players and the clubs. Player health and safety remains a No. 1 priority with us. Those things have been discussed and will continue to be discussed.”

John "Moon" Mullin is CSNChicago.com's Bears Insider, and appears regularly on Bears Postgame Live and Chicago Tribune Live. Follow Moon on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bears information.