Thread: Sense of hope evident at NFL owners meetings

Sources: 48 percent share for players

By Chris Mortensen
ESPN


Among the details NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is revealing to owners Tuesday at the owners' meeting in Rosemont, Ill., is that in the next proposed agreement players will receive a 48 percent share of "all revenue," without the $1-billion-plus credit off the top that had been a point of contention in earlier negotiations, according to sources familiar with the presentation.

Under the new formula being negotiated, players will receive 48 percent of all revenue and will never dip below a 46.5 percent take of the money, sources said.


In the previous collective bargaining agreement, players received approximately 60 percent of "total revenue" but that did not include $1 billion that was designated as an expense credit off the top of the $9 billion revenue model. Owners initially were seeking another $1 billion in credit only to reduce that amount substantially before exercising the lockout on March 13.


Ultimately, the two sides have decided to simplify the formula, which will eliminate some tedious accounting audits of the credit the players have allowed in the previous deal. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has stated that players were actually receiving around 53 percent of all revenues instead of the much advertised 60 percent.


Owners still will get some expense credits that will allow funding for new stadium construction, sources said.


A rookie wage scale will be part of the new deal but is still being "tweaked," and the much-discussed 18-game regular season will be designated only as a negotiable item with the players and at no point is mandated in a potential agreement. A new 16-game Thursday night TV package beginning in 2012 will be the source of new revenue.


As revenues are projected to possibly double by 2016 to $18 billion annually, retired players will benefit from improved health and pension funding that is expected to increase significantly.


Players believe they can justify a 48 percent take because of the projected revenue growth, as well as built-in mechanism that require teams to spend a minimum of 90-93 percent of the salary cap, sources said. The mandatory minimum spending increase is an element that concerns lower-revenue clubs, sources say.


The negotiating teams for the owners and players, led by Goodell and Smith, are expected to return to the table either Wednesday and Thursday, hoping to build off the momentum of three strong weeks of talks under the supervision of a court-appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan.


Cautious expectations on the two sides reaching an agreement in principle are varied, ranging from one-to-three weeks with the hopes of beginning a new league year (free agency, etc) by mid-July.

Any breakdown in talks could result in the loss of preseason games and threaten the opening of the regular season.

really think this "solves" the 2 biggest problems... which was union worrying about "sharing" in the future new big tv deals( at 48% share in ALL growth).. and allows a profit for the small revenue teams to still make it( 52%).. and if its only a small amount, well "shame on them" fr not growing their business better, which is what IMo the majority of Owners will say to the dissenters

Originally Posted by soulman

Exactamente and that's what they been fighting for all along whereas the hardliners among the owners wanted to substitute percentage of revenue for fixed dollar amounts. Now that they've altered their stance progress looms on the horizon. Yipee!

not that black and white- the union wanted 55% to they also moved down to 48%, and hopefully not crying about the less percentage

NFL proposal reportedly features 16-game Thursday night schedule

By Dan Pompei Tribune reporter 2:22 p.m. CDT, June 21, 2011


A 16-game Thursday night TV packaging beginning in 2012 reportedly is among the parameters of a new collective bargaining agreement being discussed by NFL owners during their meeting Tuesday in Rosemont.

Team representatives took a lunch break and returned to the meeting, some with suitcases in hand, a sign the meeting may not last much longer.

Chris Mortensen reports that a key element of the proposed agreement is the understanding that players will accept approximately 48 percent of all revenue, minus a $1 billion credit off the top. In the previous CBA, players received 60 percent of revenue, but the figure did not include the $1 billion credit.

The figure apparently is acceptable to the players because projections say NFL revenue should double to $18 billion a year by 2016. Teams also may be required to spend more than they have in the past.

Also expected to be part of the new deal are a rookie wage scale, free agency after four years and better health care and pension benefits for retirees.

The proposed 18-game regular-season schedule reportedly would be designated as negotiatible, but wouldn't be mandated.

Negotiations between the league and the players are expected to resume Wednesday

So.... A Thursday game almost every week?

Dislike.

NFL Football wad meant for SUNDAYS and Monday nights.

Thursday is skay for thanksgiving, but otherwise keep it on Sundays.

Yes, I dislike Saturday NFL as well.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

So.... A Thursday game almost every week?

Dislike.

NFL Football wad meant for SUNDAYS and Monday nights.

Thursday is skay for thanksgiving, but otherwise keep it on Sundays.

Yes, I dislike Saturday NFL as well.

agreed! HATE the thursday games, and the quicker week for teams makes it hard to prepare...but on chasing the almightly $$$$ to fund the higher salaries players want- another prime time game with high ratings= $100's of millions more a year.. so makes sense from the "business side", just sucks from the football side and many fans sides

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.