Will The Trade Association Vote Friday...???

((HT: No Bias No Bull Sports))

If you check in with Trade Association head DeMaurice Smith or any of the hard-line player reps, the answer is "probably not..."

If we were to look into the shield's version of a Magic 8 Ball...

Smith wrote in an email to the 32 player representatives shortly after the owners' decision and back-slapping pride in Atlanta: "Issues that need to be collectively bargained remain open; other issues, such as workers' compensation, economic issues and end of deal terms, remain unresolved. There is no agreement between the NFL and the players at this time."


The HQ is fairly cvertain, however, that Jeffrey Lurie gave New Dawg more direct eye contact than he did Albert Breer of the Shield's network...


Chris Mortensen is confident of a Friday vote, but for all 32 player reps and 1,900 players all to get their hands on a copy of this 500-600 page document in time for digestion would be rare...

NFL Owners Think Solution Is Good, Trade Association Disagrees...

((HT: No Bias No Bull Sports))

New Dawg was there for the duration along with Gil Tyree for OSG

So, here's where we are...

The owners got together in one of the many airport hotels in Atlanta and discussed their future. They thought they came up with a great CBA for themselves...

NFL owners voted 31-0 with the Oakland Raiders abstaining from the ratification in favor of a tentative 10-year agreement to end the four-month-old lockout pending player approval.

The vote was here are the greatest hits...

An agreement that covers the 2011 through 2020 seasons, including the 2021 draft.

Reducing the offseason program by five weeks and reducing OTA's from 14 to 10. Full-contact practices in the preseason and regular season and increasing number of days off for players. During two-a-days, contact itself will be limited.

A rookie wage scale gets four-year contracts for all drafted players (option for five years on first-rounders) and three-year contracts for undrafted free agents.

Unrestricted free agency for players after four seasons with RFA status for players with three seasons.

Close to a billion dollars wil go to a "Legacy Fund," which will be devoted to increasing pensions for pre-1993 retirees.

Salary cap plus benefits of $142.4 million per club in 2011 and at least that amount in 2012 and 2013.

Teams have to spend in the neighborhood of 90-percent of the cap or 99-percent of league operating revenues...

Here's Jim Irsay again talking everything from the Krafts to the, ahem, settlement...


But that's where the fun started shortly after 7PM eastern time. The player's trade association said they weren't consulted on some aspects of the new CBA- and they weren't pleased...

The NFL is saying the PA has to recertify by mid-week... general counsel Richard Berthelsen said in an e-mail...

"In addition to depriving the players of the time needed to consider forming a union and making needed changes to the old agreement, this proposed procedure would in my view also violate federal labor laws..."

FOSG Mark Berman caught up with Houston Texans co-player rep Eric Winston
((HT: MyFoxHouston))

NFL Owners Ratify New CBA: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

But Chiefs boss Clark Hunt is happy it's done- even if it's really not...

DEVELOPING: Rich Vs. Rich, Stardate 9731.6- The End Is Near...

((HT: NobiasnobullSports))

Our intrepid reporter, New Dawg, is down at the airport hotel not sponsoring our coverage in Atlanta...

Here's the latest nuggets he's uncovered as we inch closer to the end of approaching Armageddon...

First, CNBC's Darren Rovell...


And Indy Colts owner Jim Irsay- who Newby was walking with...


And The Per-fessor...


Atlanta Falcons color guy and former NFL'er Dave Archer...


And former head coach and now front officer Mike Holmgren of your Cleveland Browns


Is it just the HQ, or when the interviews leave the air conditioning, does New Dawg's lenses get all fogged up...???

Your NFL Lockout Update: Shopping Thursday Pkg. (Rich vs. Rich--Day 6,112)

NFL Commish Roger Goodell

((ht: Sports Business Journal))

If anyone thinks that an agreement in the NFL Lockout isn't near, this should cool their jets. The Sports Business Journal is reporting Monday morning the league has been heavily shopping an early season 8-game Thursday night game package.

And they want it to start soon.

The deal would only run for the 1st half of the season. The NFL Network has a deal in place to do Thursday games for the 2nd half of the year.

The new package could be worth up to $700 million a year...something the "Allegedly" cash strapped owners and league say they desperately need. The SBJ says Turner Sports and Comcast are the leaders in the clubhouse for the deal.

Read the entire story from the Sports Business Journal RIGHT HERE

We knew that this deal was in play during negotiations with the players, so it isn't a shocker. For fans, we suspect, it would be an exciting thought. It would give them another night of football on TV early in the fall. We know the players..and coaches aren't incredibly enamored with Thursday games, though they do like when they are over and it is 10 days before the next game.

Trust us when we say this will happen. And yes, it is a pre-cursor to a labor deal getting done. They wouldn't be talking about this unless both the players and the owners thought that football would be played...and played soon. So make room on your DVR's folks, you may have one more thing you'll have to record.

For those into such things, here's the NFL Networks Thursday Night theme:



Brother Phil