The NFL Lockout

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Business deals happen every day; Contracts expire, renew, and are negotiated without the public knowing for many large corporations and even sporting leagues. However, some contract changes cannot escape the media’s attention. The National Football League (NFL) is facing an expiration of its Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) (NFL Lockout Now One Month Old). Currently, the agreement has expired and NFL team owners have selfishly chosen to “lock” the players out. The term lockout means that the players are essentially not allowed to participate in any team activities or duties until the owner’s rescind this lockout. While many believe this is simply a battle between team owners and a player union, it can only appear to most as a selfish act of the NFL owners trying to rich, greedy men in expensive suits, and the only people they are hurting, are the fans of football.

Firstly, one cannot place blame solely on side of the negations as the player’s union has declined potential offers themselves. However, the owners are the ones whom opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement near its expiration. This is different from when the players and their union decide to strike. This would have indicated the players have stopped trying. Yet, this is clearly not the case in the NFL. At one point before the owners opted out of the CBA, the player’s union had asked to see the owner’s financial books as money was among the greatest topic of these negotiations. The owners refused to do so and were adamant that their team finances where not valuable to the fair negotiation of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. These owners clearly want a “fight” and are too stubborn to back down from their “wall” of money that protects them. While on th...

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...he most powerful of men, corporations, or societies. When it is one’s ignorance and negligence to not know when they have enough and crave for more than they will ever need, will they hurt the people that have gotten them where they are and will take them where they need to go? Do the owner’s not know that they cannot survive without players and more importantly, the fans they are hurting in this process? I think it is time they step up to the plate and seriously try to meet the player’s negations points to end this lockout and let the players play and the fans watch football.

Works Cited

AP. Mediation resumes in NFL labor dispute. 14 April 2011. .

NFL Lockout Now One Month Old. 12 April 2011. .

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