Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones said changes in the salary cap
system could keep his team and several others from supporting the
extension of the current CBA through 2000, according to this
morning's DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Ed Werder reports, "A
continuation of the cap through 1999 could decapitate the
Cowboys." Seven top Cowboys players alone would charge almost
$34M to the Cowboys in '99 if the year goes from uncapped to
capped -- and that does not include Emmitt Smith. Jones: "I
know that it is not a foregone conclusion at all that I would
vote for this. I can tell you first-hand there are parts the
owners may not approve ... And the players have to look at how
this impacts them. If there isn't an uncapped year, that could
restrict signing bonuses." Many of the Cowboys salaries are
structured with low costs upfront through the use of pro-rated
signing bonuses that mushroom in '99. Werder notes, "While Jones
knew the CBA and the salary cap probably would be extended, he
seemed confident teams would still be provided a temporary
reprieve in 1999." Jones said the effect on '99 "will have a big
bearing on how this is voted upon." The paper listed the ages
(in '99) and expected salaries of the Cowboys signed through '99
(DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/21):
PLAYER AGE TOWARD CAP
Troy Aikman 33 $ 8.60M
Deion Sanders 32 $ 8.36M
Tony Tolbert 31 $ 4.28M
Michael Irvin 33 $ 3.85M
Leon Lett 31 $ 3.25M
Kevin Smith 29 $ 2.88M
Erik Williams 31 $ 2.67M
TOTAL $33.89M
PLAYER REAX: Players will be asked to vote on the proposed
CBA extension sometime this weekend, the last game of the season
for most teams. The N.Y. POST reports some Giants players feel
there's "too much deadline pressure to make such an important
decision." Many want more time before voting. Even Giants
Player Rep Mike Horan calls the timing "unfortunate" (Paul
Schwartz, N.Y. POST, 12/21). In exchange for dropping the
uncapped year in '99 and extending the deal, the players get an
additional $20-25M to next year's cap and drop free agent
eligibility for '99 from six years to four. NFLPA Asst Exec Dir
Doug Allen noted, "We could have ended up with an uncapped year
in which we would have resembled baseball rather than football."
NFL chief labor negotiator Harold Henderson: "This demonstrates
the commitment of the NFL and its players to labor stability in
building the game" (AP/HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/21).
BAR TRICKS: The NFL is suing 15 Ontario bars and
restaurants for showing blacked-out Bills games on their TV
screens, according to the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL. Gregory
Piasetzki, the attorney representing the NFL: "The Bills are
down 5,000 to 10,000 people a game. It's their position that
there are people watching the games in bars who might otherwise
come to the stadium." Nineteen U.S. establishments in the
Buffalo and Rochester areas have already settled with the league,
with damages ranging from $2,000 to $9,000 (Peter Moon, GLOBE &
MAIL, 12/21).
