Forget Wisconsin, unless you’re worrying whether the Green Bay Packers will get a chance to repeat. Now that negotiations between the National Football League’s team owners and players’ union have stalled, the real labor fight is just beginning. After the sides failed to reach an agreement, the players’ union decertified and several players filed an antitrust suit against the league. It’s what one writer calls “football armageddon,” though the Sports Law Professor thinks a lockout makes sense.
Which side is to blame for the impasse? On the one hand, there’s ample evidence the owners have been planning for a lockout for several years, even going so far as to negotiate a deal with the television networks to pay to televise games even if they aren’t played due to a work stoppage. On the other hand, it appears the owners offered the players a substantial number of last-minute concessions that the NFLPA refused. Now the dispute may be resolved in court.
One thing’s for certain, it’s only March, but the 2011-12 season is at risk. Does this mean I’ll have to watch soccer?