NFL owners are one shrewd group.
By approving the collective bargaining agreement 31-0 with one abstention Thursday, the owners made it seem like football was finally back. The lockout would be lifted, and teams would begin signing rookies Saturday. Training camps and veteran free agency would begin Wednesday.
A nation cheered.
Just one problem — the players hadn’t approved the deal. If the players don’t immediately rubber-stamp the deal, if football is further delayed, then they’re the bad guys.
And that’s simply wrong.
The players deserve more than a quick huddle. Ultimately, this deal probably will get approved by the players after further negotiation, but no one should blame them for being angry over strong-arm tactics.
This is no longer about billionaires vs. millionaires. The money was already decided. Instead, it’s about legal issues and even the recertification process, which will impact 2021 when the next deal is negotiated. Players claim the owners’ deal even includes points not discussed. Translation: The owners tried to slip one by the players like politicians tack riders on the end of legislation.
The owners believe the players will cave to public pressure to complete the deal. That’s not a sure bet. At least, not right away. The players might take even longer because trust with the owners may be even further strained by the headline-grabbing act. The players are under no timetable. Indeed, every extra day is one less they spend sweating out training camp practices.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith need to sell this deal to the players like a used car dealer peddling a lemon five minutes before closing time.
Goodell and Smith seemed to overcome earlier acrimony and even talked shortly before the owners’ vote. They had to be in some sort of agreement, or Goodell shouldn’t have let the owners vote. Nobody benefits by a failed deal. It’s just varying measures of who looks worse.
Now Goodell and Smith have to convince the players. Parts of the contract will change. If some issues need tabling with mutual consent, so be it. However, that the owners demanded a three-day window for changes or the dispute ends in their favor is wrong. That’s not negotiating. That’s stalling until winning the point.
Once emotions calm down, the two sides can still make a deal and save the preseason, though frankly who cares about an exhibition game or two vs. 10 years of labor peace. Any players in the first game will be mostly rookies who are later cut.
A labor agreement is closer than it seems. But it’s still not done. Probably not much more than a week ago. The owners just decided to celebrate first and watch the players do the final work.
It wasn’t a fair move by the owners necessarily, but it may be a winning one. We’ll soon know.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
