NFL Owners opt out of CBA-Upshaw Not Fazed
By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Football Reporters Online-Special to SBS
Early this week the NFL owners group opted out of the collective bargaining agreement extension which was signed two years ago. Simply put, we are talking about three more years of labor peace (through 2010) even though both sides claim they "want to get the talks rolling now." NFLPA Head Gene Upshaw wasn't even upset. "We knew this was coming" He said. "We just didn't think it would be so soon". I guess he thought the owners would wait until the November 8th deadline.
Something tells me the owners aren't that interested in talking right this second. They will wait until next year at the earliest to call meetings and discuss getting the players to give back some more money, stating hard financial times. While it's true that the country is headed for a recession, there is no concrete evidence of this in professional sports when contracts are getting higher all the time.Could their possible be a strike after the 2010 season, something that has not taken place since 1987(you remember the 87 strike right? Games were played with replacement players) Sadly i remember the 1987 strike. It stunk of sports politics gone bad. We should pray it just doesn't happen again.