February 23, 2006
Players don't want the March 3 free agency deadline pushed back to April 1 to buy more time for have and have-not owners who've been unable to settle on a way to share the ever-deepening pool of local revenue.
Players association executive director Gene Upshaw said during Super Bowl week that any new collective bargaining agreement must be based on more than 60% of total gross revenue going toward player salaries or else the union is prepared to enter an uncapped year with a possible repeat of a 1987 strike.
Two weeks later, pessimism reigns.
"There's been no progress," says Vincent, president of the NFL Players Association. "If the owners are not making any progress, why postpone the date of free agency? To buy them more time so they're still not going to share and will leave 24 other owners out in the cold? No.
"(There will be) $24 billion from television revenue coming in this season. Now come on. That's not enough food for everyone to share? There's enough for everyone to go back for seconds and thirds."
The players have amassed a $200 million war chest in the event of a strike.
"As owners, their franchises continue to increase in value," Vincent says. "The players union is trying to be proactive now so we don't get back to 1987. With the sport doing this well, why (strike)?"
Exactly. A strike would be the equivalent of shoving the golden goose into the microwave.
"It's inconceivable that they won't get a new deal done," Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick says. "If it takes a few more days (before free agency starts), then that's fine."
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