Chiefs Players Will Be Well Represented At NFL Lockout Hearing

by Joel Thorman on Jun 2, 2011 5:15 PM CDT

On Friday, officials from the NFL and NFLPA will meet in St. Louis to present arguments to the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals regarding the injunction appeal -- in other words, to figure out what the heck will happen with this lockout.

Obviously the players want the lockout lifted and the owners want the lockout to remain in place because that would give each of them the most amount of leverage to do the best possible deal for their respective sides.

Albert Breer of NFL Network reports that there are expected to be at least a couple dozen players at Friday's court hearing and there will be apparently be a big Kanas City Chiefs turnout. Breer reports Brian Waters, Rudy Niswanger, Jon McGraw and Andy Studebaker all made the trip to St. Louis for the hearing.

You can also add former Chiefs FB Tony Richardson to that group, as he was spotted in St. Louis with the NFLPA's DeMaurice Smith. I also wonder if LB Mike Vrabel will be there, as he was at the meetings with the NFL and Judge Arthur Boylan this week.

So Friday is a big day in the NFL. Unfortunately, we likely won't hear a ruling on the case for a little while -- maybe a couple weeks -- so we're still going to be waiting.

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Comments

Cross your fingers.

There’s no reason they can’t play under the old CBA and negotiate a new one at the same time. Actually, the only reason they cant is if the owners dont let them.

It is what it is and we are who we are.
Sober (again) since January 10th, 2011.
Not all those who wander are lost. /////// I dont mind stealing bread.

by nateforchiefs on Jun 2, 2011 10:01 PM CDT reply actions

Actually there are several reasons they cant

most of which violate anti-trust law. The owners can’t arbitrarily decide to have the players play under the last CBA. The players do not currently have a union. There can be no CBA without a union.

The last 2 years they did play under the old CBA and were supposedly negotiating. A lot of good that did. The owners said we want more off the top. The players said we ain’t given you a damn dime unless you open your books for the past 10 years. Both sides said F#)k you and negotiations went nowhere.

by grid_iron on Jun 2, 2011 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions

FALSE

The players already agreed to give backs without seeing the books, but to agree to the owners givebacks, they need to see PROOF that those givebacks are warranted, a perfectly reasonable position. And they are the ones to determine what they need to see to make that decision.

by dablueguy on Jun 3, 2011 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Really......How much????? Link????

Define give back. Because no player would loose money with the NFL’s proposal. Smith acknowledge in one of his interviews the proposed salary cap was higher than the previous. The 2011 proposed cap was $141M per team. The last cap was $127M.
Smiths Interview

by grid_iron on Jun 3, 2011 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions

Because no player would loose money with the NFL’s proposal

Rookies?

You can't live that American dream on foot, bro. Aint nobody riding horses no more.

by HIV 2 Elway on Jun 3, 2011 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Rookies are currently making $0 - Anything they make is an increase.

Let me define lose in the context I am meaning – To be unsuccessful in retaining possession of ……. If you don’t have it, you can’t lose it.

Okay, I know your referring to the change in rookie salary structure. But you may consider the players want some type of change there as well. They know its f#cked up.

With No CBA currently in place, the players have nothing other than their individual contracts.

by grid_iron on Jun 4, 2011 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions

The players proposal was for a DECREASE in the % of revenues, compared to 2010.

The owners wanted a bigger decrease, PLUS another billions(later lowered to 3-4 hundred million) off the top BEFORE the distribution of revenues.
You’re using semantics, but the fact is the players offered to take less of a %.
Also, the owners proposal was a fixed dollar amount in 2011-2012, not a %, which would not allow the players to reap the benefits of increased revenue streams.
And also, the owners figure included expenses in the total amount, the last cap figure you quoted didn’t.

by dablueguy on Jun 3, 2011 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions

Please show the link to the information you are providing

I have never seen anything where the “players offered to take less of a %”

I am not using semantics. There is a Big difference between reducing percentage and giving money back out of your pocket. There are people on this site that actually think the owners were wanting the players actual “current” paycheck to be cut. That’s why I said define give back. It wasn’t clear to me whether you were talking percentage or hard dollars.

A lot has been made of this…………..

Also, the owners proposal was a fixed dollar amount in 2011-2012, not a %, which would not allow the players to reap the benefits of increased revenue streams.

I think the reason for the fixed amounts in 2011-12 is to ensure the players do not go backwards in salary cap, with the amount that was being requested off the top. I thought that would be a good thing for the players, but they are using it as a club.

I didn’t realize I was comparing apples and oranges. Please share the apples to apples number.

And also, the owners figure included expenses in the total amount, the last cap figure you quoted didn’t.

by grid_iron on Jun 4, 2011 3:07 PM CDT up reply actions

New revolutionary negotiation tactic

to agree to the owners givebacks, they need to see PROOF that those givebacks are warranted, a perfectly reasonable position

I’m not going to tell you what I want until you prove to me where your squeal point is.

Any business that foolish won’t be in business long…………….

by grid_iron on Jun 4, 2011 3:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Add Studebaker and McGraw

To players I want to be replaced.

Pick 21: OLB Justin Houston
Pick 30: C Rodney Hudson
Pick 86: NT Kenrick Ellis. (Ellis in the 3rd = Taylor in the 1st + 1st round pick).
Problems solved. Please forget about Phil Taylor.

by Kblomfiee on Jun 2, 2011 10:08 PM CDT reply actions

Becuase they're shitty players or because they want to hear first hand very important information regarding their profession?

I hate McGraw as much as the next guy but I’m not going to knock him for trying to stay in tune to whats happening in his industry.

You can't live that American dream on foot, bro. Aint nobody riding horses no more.

by HIV 2 Elway on Jun 3, 2011 6:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, I don't get it either...

I’m with you on this one. I think its their right to stay tuned in.

by Chief_Elmo on Jun 3, 2011 7:17 AM CDT up reply actions

They should be applauded for showing up

by dablueguy on Jun 3, 2011 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions

by grid_iron on Jun 4, 2011 3:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Ruling

So Friday is a big day in the NFL. Unfortunately, we likely won’t hear a ruling on the case for a little while — maybe a couple weeks — so we’re still going to be waiting.

I’d like to stress this part. NFL Network was talking about this last night with one of the lawyers involved and his feeling was that a 2-3 weeks was the absolute earliest before we’d see a ruling. Most likely, he said that these rulings and the summary could take up to 5-6 weeks. Has anyone who got the court system involved ever gotten a quick answer?

by Chief_Elmo on Jun 3, 2011 6:50 AM CDT reply actions

Fans should organize and picket the proceedings.

Everyone else is sending a representative to the courthouse, but no one is championing the fan base. Sure, both sides loudly claim they have the interest of football fans at heart, but we all know that is a load of bull. They have seen this coming for years and are still playing around instead of getting a deal done.

I’m tired of hearing about the hardships this may impose on marginal players and team staffers when the real victims are the fans! If the NFL misses games in September, I plan on having a giant garage sale for all of my Chiefs memorabilia.

Get a deal done. Seriously.

by Over9000 on Jun 3, 2011 7:34 AM CDT reply actions