BY PERRY LEFKO
sportsnet.ca
The Canadian Football League and the Players' Association are headed for a showdown that could lead to a work stoppage and delay the start of the 2010 season.
One source speculated that the players may face a lockout.
The two sides have been working on a new collective bargaining agreement, but sportsnet.ca has learned talks have broken off in their efforts to get a new agreement and are not likely to resume until training camp begins in June, when the current deal expires.
You know, I haven't watch next to anything of NHL since that one blew up. Judging from TV ratings, I'm not the only one. I guess no one learned anything from the NHL.
Well let's talk about the CAW who basically talked themselves out of a job. Your right I will not watch the NHL because of the idiot Bettman and the outragous money they pay those mornons to play hockey. The average moron can not afford to go watch a game a the Air Canada Centre. I though and I still believe the CFLPA is much smarter than their NHLPA counterparts. Let's hop they can strick a deal and not put a nail in the coffin of the CFL. News flash - CFLPA - the NFL would love to start new teams in Canada. Look at that idiot in Buffalo. I need to say no more.
If there's a work stoppage in the CFL the resulting damage would never be repaired. The CFL just started to gain momentum and this could be the death of it. Please, everyone involved, come to your senses!
Nice analogy!
It’s so true though. If the players get too greedy… good bye CFL. As bad as it sounds… I think Canadian players would have a better appreciation for the history of the league and what it means to Canada. For some Americans it could just be “another football league”. If it folds… they’ll just move on to the Arena League or United League and collect a cheque there. Not all Americans… but I bet there are a lot that just don’t really care that much.
There is nowhere else to go that the NFL would really care about, no arena league or european league. Their bargaining with there futures and don’t seem to know it. Without the CFL there all done forever(football wise).
By breaking off negotiations for three months, the CFL and the CFLPA are sending a negative message to potential season and single game ticket buyers, sponsors and TSN. Also, the CFL could be making a critical error in seeking to use the NHL as a business model for resolving this labour dispute. Both parties should try to resume talks through formal mediation as soon as possible.
Just remember folks...A strike is job action started by organized employees.A lockout is job action started by the employer.
Other than the practice time issue,everything that is being forced down the CFLPA's throat by management is garbage and is being done to drive player salaries down.
Are the owners rolling in profits? Is there a waiting list for expansion teams? Are advertisers locked in a bidding war?
"No" to all of the above.
We'd all like to make more money. Where do the players think it will come from? It must be up to the ticket buyers to dig a little deeper and hand over more of their money to the players.
This assuming Lefko is accurate in his reporting which isn't necessarily the case.
Ya but the league has the cash to go out and retain a lawyer that the leagues with billions of dollars go to? Way to show everyone how dirt poor the league is Cohon, you goof lol.
Sounds ridiculous, the league wants longer hours and less Canadians, fine, but now they want to reduce the players earning potential, utterly insane. If they want less Canadians and longer practice hours they should toss something to the players, maybe throw in something that prevents players from being cut before their bonuses are due, anything.
I often wonder how some of the players survive, I know what I make and the pressures I'm under, a lot of the players have families to support and survive themselves, not many of these guys are getting rich.I wish both sides luck and hope they arrive at a descent deal for all parties. :thup:
I agree with Rusty. Player salaries do have to be put in check. They have been going up and up for the last decade. Of course they are still well below the NFL salaries but you just can’t expect that here. You don’t get rich over night in the CFL. If you are a star player for years and you handle your money wisely you can retire well off but don’t expect to come up here and make a quick pay day. Some of the American players may be expecting to do just that.
Remember the days of the “marquee player” rule? Only one player made the max of $150 000 and that was usually the starting QB. Now we have O-linemen demanding well over $100 000. This is why GM’s have been promising these guys the moon with bonuses and we’ve seen many players released just before their bonus comes due. It’s not all the players’ faults either but this has got to stop.
I realize that everyone is trying to get the maximum payday they can because you never know how long you’ll be around in pro sports and they all have families to take care of but you don’t kill the league to satisfy players who may be gone in a few years. Get some perspective CFLPA.