The deadline was pushed back tonight, but the NFL seems on the brink of its first full-on labor calamity in nearly 20 years. And I, for one, love it.
Player movement is exciting. And unnatural player movement caused by anomalous labor-related events is doubly so. Last year's post-lockout NHL free-agent frenzy was only the latest example, with the period in '95 after the baseball strike and '99 after the NBA lockout being other such occasions. And don't forget- the 1991 collusion settlement that declared 12 players "new look" free agents just days before spring training that year got Jack Morris and Chili Davis to the Twins- and, you could say, won them the World Series nine months later.
How thrilling would it be to have a third of the players in the NFL become free agents? I know I'd be checking ESPN.com every 15 minutes to see the latest signings. And my favorite part is the idea I read, I believe in Len Pasquerelli's column, that due to accumulated signing bonuses it is mathematically impossible for the Redskins to get under the salary cap. Well, at least they'll finally be able to get rid of Patrick Ramsey.
All in all, I just hope this doesn't all end in a work stoppage- much less another bad Keanu Reeves movie.
Posted by Stephen Silver at March 3, 2006 12:41 AMI think the NFL will get this right in the end and avoid any future lockouts. I agree that I do not want to see Keanu Reeves in a movie about this NFL labor dispute, let alone any football movie for that matter. Nice post!
Posted by: DR U at March 4, 2006 12:48 PMWill Mark Brunell agree to re-structure his contract?
Posted by: DR U at March 4, 2006 12:55 PM