Friday, September 10, 2010

NFL Lockout in 2011? It could happen.

The NFL is the most watched sport in America. Thousands of Americans wake up on Sundays about 11, 11:30 AM just to prepare watching their favorite team do battle on the field. Although many of the superstars of the league make upwards of $10 million a season, would you believe it if I told you that the NFL is broke? You read it corrrectly, it's not a mistake or a typo. The NFL is broke. As of March 14, 2011, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in the NFL will expire, meaning a new agreement has to be reached by the owners and the NFLPA. The issue with whether or not the NFL is broke is that the players need factual proof that the league is financially strapped. The players believe that the system isn't broken because the 32 teams aren't losing money---19 of the teams are worth at least $1 billion. However, the owners claim that there isn't enough money being made to continue payements to players. Despite the legality of the matter, from a fan's standpoint, we could care less about whether or not the NFL is broke. All we care about is watching football on Sundays. We enjoy indulging in conversation on who is the best team and who isn't, having the choice to be a couch potato when we feel like it and stuff our faces with hot dogs and beer. I disagree. We should watch closely how the league addresses its labor issues because if we were to lose football to a lockout, we would be disappointed but we would survive due to college football and the return of the NBA season. The last time there was an NFL lockout was in 1987 so hopefully there is football in 2011.