Thread: Sense of hope evident at NFL owners meetings

Originally Posted by dabears54

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.

Good news on all fronts. The players get what they want, a percentage of an increasing revenue stream and faster FA. The owners get a rookie wage scale, a larger share of the revenue pile, and the possibility of an 18 game season. If they do extend the season I hope they'll adjust roster sizes upward and expand and loosen practice squad rules.

Originally Posted by dabears54

You would think soul, but can already see 'if" can't do it every week, the teams that don't have the bye( and bye's do not start until about week 4-5 IIRC) complaining about teh "unfair" short week other teams do not have.. whether it makes a difference or not, tere will be complaining and controversy about it, no matter how they do it. or even if the opponent is a tough team vs an easy team you don't ahve to preapre as much can see alot of back/forth about the thuesday games

Well it ain't here yet so no need to borrow trouble on their part. If they leave it open ended and subject to further negotiations about all pertinent factors it won't block up what's happening now anyway. They seem close on everything else so this can be tabled for now. Personally I'm with you. They should leave the Thursday night games for later in the season when byes normally occur and do their best to match two teams coming out of bye weeks. Having a Thursday night game each week is overkill.

Originally Posted by dabears54

NFL live reporting good meetings today in boston, and in another sign a deal is comign soon, the owners/players broke into "committee's" to further discuss issues like the rookie cap and vet benefits, meaning the "broadstrokes" agreed in general and now working on the details, which is when IMO, you know a deal is soon, when talking the smaller points in committee's

please get it done by next week!

The wick is burning down on this old candle but it looks like they've got the major stumbling block at least partly in hand. Let's hope they get it done now.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Just a question.

Why the hell are they jumping from city to city for these talks? The other day it was in Chicago, now it is in Boston...

Building up frequent flyer miles? Travelocity is a major sponsor? It's more secret if we don't know where they'll meet next? Free luggage at each stop? Steaks were better in Chicago but the Lobsters better in Boston? Who knows but I don't think the cost of travel concerns them as much as how to keep as much of their booty as they can.