Sely Gallery: NEGOTIATIONS: WHATEVER! - MARCUS COLEMAN

Thursday, February 17, 2011

NEGOTIATIONS: WHATEVER! - MARCUS COLEMAN - FEBRUARY 17, 2011

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NEGOTIATIONS: WHATEVER!

Written by: Marcus Coleman
Date posted: 2/17/2011

Over the last three to four years, I have become very knowledgeable about the "ins" and "outs" of different businesses and their structures. I am also aware of the political crap and lies that are incorporated into businesses as well.

The NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations to me is a farce on both fronts. Yes, you heard me correctly. I said both sides. Watching the slander that has come from both the NFLPA and owners, publicly, is an embarrassment to the NFL and the great men who helped build this game; Jim Thorpe, Bert Bell, and Vince Lombardi, are in heaven and not very happy right now. The game has turned into a game of greed and without correction, as in all businesses it will fall because of it.

First things first, hearing people say they are tired of billionaires and millionaires fighting over money needs to stop. No one is griping about the battles Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, or some of the other billionaires and millionaires in the world have when they are disagreeing over issues with people.

As with everyone that works or is skilled in a profession, that person wants to be paid their worth or somewhere close to it. Unions of different industries have labor disagreements every year. Hard working Americans all over fight for their health care, benefits, and retirement, which are the same issues happening now with the NFL and NFLPA. The owners of these companies of course try to make as much money as possible with as little payout as possible. Understandable, yet they need not forget that the employees either are the commodity or move the commodities of their respective businesses. Which is the reason why a ruckus always starts anyway.

I’ve always said when listening to things involving the NFL, I listen to about two or three individuals, mainly Robert Kraft and Dan Rooney. If you go back and look at the interviews and conversations these men have had up to now, they are frustrated with the process, frustrated with the individuals, and believe a deal can be done soon and should have been done without all the extra curricular activities.

It’s amusing to me that not all the owners are not on the same page as these two, which is part of the problem to begin with. The owners feel they got a raw deal in 2006; if that’s the case they shouldn’t have signed off on it to begin with. In my opinion, the owners underestimated the potential increase in future revenue, and since the players are receiving a substantial amount of it, now they want it back. Ridiculous!

Another ridiculous issue is Commissioner Roger Goodell wanting the percentage of revenue to decrease from 60% to 41%. So you want to add two regular season games and ask the players to take a 19% decrease? Now, I’m no Georg Simon Ohm (a 19th century German physicist noted for Ohm's Law), but clearly that doesn’t add up.

By the way, Commissioner Goodell, don’t try to play us like "Donkey Kong" saying you will reduce your salary to $1 if there is a lock out. In some capacity unknown to us, you’ll get that nine million in a bonus structure that we don’t understand. Spare us!

DeMaurice Smith (NFL executive director), you claim you won’t go lower than 60% percent of all revenues. As a former player, I realize we are the commodity; fans come to see players play. Fans also come to experience tailgating, see the stadium, its history, and the overall football environment. Unfortunately, without all of the creative ideas owners have to create this environment, it’s just a bunch of grown men playing sandlot at George Bush Park.

To some degree, I am in favor of the owners getting a bit more, simply because they create these avenues and the players are provided with many opportunities on and off the field. The percent of the pie needs to be a fair number for both.

This public outbreak of walking out, “this is war”, please, and Carolina owner, Jerry Richardson, with his cheap self, being critical does nothing for negotiations. Call Dan Rooney, get Kraft, and everyone else go and play on your yachts, and let these men handle the negotiations without adding your two cents. They will keep you informed.

D. Smith, talk with individuals who worked with the late Gene Upshaw. Take them in the room with you and get this deal done. As of now the Commissioner, owners, and NFLPA are doing nothing more but confusing everyone, including themselves. This is a true example of , “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” And, the more I read about it the more I think ”talking loud, saying nothing.”