Talks between National Football League owners and players were set to resume yesterday, ahead of a deadline that could see the US’ most popular sport shut down for the first time since 1987.
US Federal mediator George Cohen met with both sides on Thursday in hopes of brokering a deal after owners and players extended the deadline twice last week, once for 24 hours and then for a week, until 5pm EST yesterday.
National Football League Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith told Sports Illustrated the union would not agree to increase the number of games for each club from 16 to 18 a season.
“The league has never presented a formal proposal for 18 games, but more importantly, it’s something that our players don’t want — 18 games is not in the best interest of our players’ safety, so we’re not doing it,” Smith told the magazine in a Web site report.
Owners had pushed for an 18-game season in order to increase television revenues and give both sides a financial boost as billionaire owners and millionaire athletes squabble about how to divide US$9.1 billion in annual income.
NFL owners, who already take US$1 billion off the top for operating expenses, are pushing for another US$800 million. The players, who make 60 percent of revenues after that first US$1 billion, see that as a salary slashing move.
A wage scale for rookies and greater benefits for retired players are other stumbling-block issues, while the union wants NFL clubs to open their business ledgers to prove their need for extra money they claim is vital to paying for huge new stadiums.
So far, they have received some financial disclosures from the NFL, but have not gotten the information they seek.
The union has also asked US District Court Judge David Doty to release information the NFL wants kept confidential regarding television contracts.
Doty last week ruled the NFL was not entitled to US$4 billion in payments for future games from broadcast partners, money the union successfully said was a war chest to fund a lockout.
If no new deal was worked out by yesterday afternoon, the sides could push back the deadline again or shut down talks.
Once the deadline passes without a deal, owners could lock out players rather than abide by terms of the deal they voted to opt out of in 2008.
However, the union could decertify as the bargaining unit for the players, setting the stage for what would likely be a protracted anti-trust court fight between players and the league.
The NFL has estimated that US$350 million in revenue would be lost if no deal is completed by August, when pre-season games are typically played, but that jumps to US$1 billion if no new deal is set by September, when the season usually begins, with each lost week of games thereafter cut revenue by US$400 million.
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