Smith expects stadium credits to emerge as one of the more prominent issues in upcoming talksGETTY IMAGES
NFLPA officials on Thursday left little doubt they expected to be locked out by owners in two years when the current CBA ends. Speaking at the union's annual Super Bowl press conference, NFLPA President Eric Winston said, “Every player is going to believe us when we tell them you are going to get locked out.” NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith pointed to new language in coaches’ contracts that accounts for a work stoppage in two seasons when asked why he believes a lockout is coming. Significant talks have not yet begun between the two sides. One issue Smith expects to emerge are stadium credits. These are offsets to the salary cap that allows teams to invest in stadiums, but which have run out under the current CBA. The league likely wants more credits in the next deal. The NFLPA also rejected criticism that lack of practice time mandated in the CBA hurt the quality of the game. “Some coaches have used it as a crutch,” Winston said. Smith was asked whether the union would reprise its lawsuit against the NFL for diverting broadcast money to a labor stoppage fund. A federal judge in '11 ruled for the union that the arrangement was illegal, but the case got settled as part of the new CBA. The league has confirmed it is again diverting these funds. Smith declined to answer what the union planned to do but called it a good question (Daniel Kaplan, THE DAILY).
RAINY DAY FUND: In DC, Mark Maske reports the NFLPA has "assembled a sizable 'war chest' of money to help players deal with expenses if they are locked out." Winston said that players have "put aside hundreds of millions of dollars from royalties and unused union dues in anticipation of a potential labor confrontation." He said, "They have to know what they're up against. They have to know what's coming. They have to understand, just like in a game, the tactics that are going to be used against them and have to fight against it." Winston noted that the union's operations are "funded by revenue from Players Inc., the union's merchandising and licensing arm," which allows union dues to be "added to the war chest." Players also have decided to "put four years' worth of royalties from the Madden video game series into the war chest" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/1). Winston explained how the "Madden checks" over the next three years "could equate to $60,000 per player." ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure noted that amount would "offer some fallback in case of work stoppage." Winston: "We're going to hold them for three years. And we're going to make sure that they have one small part of a bigger piece." Winston said that he referred to the funds as "Madden checks" because EA Sports is "one of the most significant contributors." McClure noted Fanatics and Panini America are also contributors (ESPN.com, 1/31).
LOOKING AT THE BIG ISSUES: In N.Y., Carron Phillips notes revenue splits and guaranteed contracts "could be the biggest issues on the negotiating table." NFLPA Treasurer Mark Herzlich said, "Would we love guaranteed contracts? Absolutely. Is that something that we will ask for? Sure. Is that something that is going to be the sole thing that we talk about when we're doing the collective bargaining agreement negotiations? No. There are plenty of other issues that we see and know about going forward" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/1). Smith said that the union would "push for more generous benefits for all retired players in the coming negotiations." In N.Y., Belson & Draper note the NFLPA has been "criticized for not doing enough to improve the pensions and health insurance for older retired players." Pro Football HOFer Eric Dickerson led a group of former players that sent a letter to Smith, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Pro Football HOF President David Baker, in which they said they "would not attend the annual induction ceremony until all members of the Hall of Fame receive health insurance and a salary." Another group of former players in September "formed a nonprofit group called Fairness for Athletes in Retirement, or FAIR, that has a single goal: to gain pensions equivalent to those of players who retired" after '93. Before that year, pension contributions were "far less than for players who retired after" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/1).
