Will a week make a difference in finalizing NFL labor talks? It can’t hurt.
“Talking is better than litigating,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
Before Thursday, there seemed to be no chance of avoiding a lockout. The players union seemed eager for one. So did the owners.
Labor negotiations rarely gain momentum before the final hours. In a perfect world, both sides would be reasonable and sign a deal without drama. But in the real world, nobody signs until the sides have exhausted their leverage and time is ticking.
The owners made the first move. It was not enough for the players to sign the deal quickly and start free agency, but it was obviously a gesture that showed there was a chance to bridge the differences.
If a deal isn’t struck by Friday, at least the week’s talks will reduce the next round, which probably won’t start until September. At that point, every day will be precious to avoid scuttling the season, so at least some of the legwork will be done.
But there’s a real chance of a deal this week. A court decision that emptied the owners’ war chest of TV money may prove the motivating factor. It evened the leverage on both sides, maybe even tilted it toward the players. If the owners think they can bleed players into submission with a few missed paychecks, there are now some owners who are equally vulnerable when they aren’t getting TV money to pay their stadium debt.
Jerry Jones may have to sell more fictitious seats to avoid foreclosure on the world’s biggest TV. Dan Snyder might turn FedEx Field into college central every Saturday, even if it means Maryland vs. Towson on Oct. 1.
The real issue is money. The 18-game schedule and post-career health benefits are secondary issues. Even the rookie wage scale isn’t a drop-dead issue.
How do the two sides bridge a $1 billion difference? By players swapping two preseason games for regular-season ones.
Last season, the Redskins’ offense played 1,002 snaps and the defense 1,054. That’s 62 to 66 a game. Two more games means nearly 130 snaps overall. Many players don’t play every snap because of various packages, so let’s say they’re in for three-fourths of the plays. That’s 97 more snaps over two extra regular-season games. Starters probably play 40 snaps over two preseason games, meaning only 57 more snaps overall for the year.
We’re talking less than a 7 percent difference in snaps over 20 games. Two more game checks would be a 12 percent boost, 19 compared with 17. Even if the two preseason checks (about $1,000 each) are deducted, the players still would be well-compensated for the extra snaps should the NFL adopt that pay system.
The only agreement will involve more games, but at least the players can trade it for more money and better health care benefits. It’s a fair deal. The players worry about shortened careers as a result of the extra games, but it’s a risky environment from day one.
Hopefully, both sides quit fighting and start resolving. They’re on the clock.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
