Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was one of a handful of owners NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell selected to participate in the negotiations with the players to end the NFL lockout. The owners approved their own proposal on Thursday night so we now wait for the players' vote, which could come as soon as Friday.
Hunt talked with Kevin Kietzmann of 810 WHB on Thursday evening and said the owners' proposal is one that will allow the Chiefs, a smaller-market team, to compete.
"I've already mentioned that I think this is a very balanced deal between the players and the owners as a whole," Hunt said, "and importantly for the Kansas City Chiefs, and the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, it is a deal that will allow us to compete. Whether you're in a big market, small market or medium-sized market, it does not matter. This deal will allow everyone to compete. It's great for the National Football League, it's great for the fans and most importantly it's great for the Kansas City Chiefs."
No surprise that Hunt thinks the Chiefs can compete in the new deal. If he didn't, he wouldn't have been one of the 31 owners to approve the deal. (And the Oakland Raiders abstaining from the vote did draw a slight chuckle from Hunt as he was talking to Kietzmann noting that it wasn't the first time that's happened).
Hunt and the league's other owners have been talking in a way as if the proposal means this thing is a done deal but that is not what it means. It's not over -- yet. Some players were reportedly concerned that the owners added extra terms to the agreement but Hunt says the terms were negotiated with the players.
Around and around we go as we continue with this never-ending story.