Negotiation Skills
The 2011 NFL Lockout: NFL Owners vs. NFL Players
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………. 3
NFL Owners Stance ……………………………………………………………… 4
NFL Players Stance ………………………………………………………………. 5
The Lockout Begins ………………………………………………………………. 6
The Stalled Negotiations ………………………………………………………….. 6
Getting Down to Business ………………………………………………………… 7
The Lockout Ramifications ………………………………………………………. 8
An Agreement is Reached ………………………………………………………… 10
Terms of the new CBA …………………………………………………………….. 11
Summary ……………………………………………………………………………. 14
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………… 14
INTRODUCTION Over the past twenty years, the National Football League (NFL) has seen its product grow and blossom into America’s premier fan viewing sport. The NFL currently has 31 franchises in cities located throughout the United States. Some teams are located in major markets like New York and Chicago, while some teams are have put down their roots in smaller markets like Kansas City and Indianapolis. No matter how big the market or how poor the teams performance is on the field, one thing is constant, the NFL, the NFL owner, and the NFL players are making millions upon millions of dollars playing a game. The NFL is a money making machine. The kind we all wish we could operate or own. Every week the NFL rakes in the profits. Wherever there is money to be made, rest assured there is greed rearing its ugly little head. This project focuses on the 2011 NFL Lockout and the negotiations that eventually led to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that was signed in July of 2011. (ESPN website, n.d.)
On March 11, 2011 the current CBA expired and without a new agreement in place, the NFL owners officially locked out the players. Players were not allowed to use team facilities or be anywhere on team owned grounds. This did not come as a
References: ESPN website. (n.d.). http://espn.go.com/nfl/topics/_/page/nfl-labor-negotiations Howes, L. (2011). The economic impact of the NFL lockout. Retrieved from http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2011/04/27/infographic-the-economic-impact-of-the-nfl-lockout/ Jamarcus Russell officially signs richest NFL rookie contract. (2007, September 12). Street & Smith’s Sports Business Daily. Retrieved from http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2007/09/Issue-1/Franchises/Jamarcus-Russell-Officially-Signs-Richest-NFL-Rookie-Contract.aspx Oestmann, A. (2011). March 3. Retrieved from http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2011/03/nfl-lockout-for-dummies-the-2011-labor-dispute-explained/ Rishe, P. (2011, July 21). Who won the 2011 NFL lockout? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/sportsmoney/2011/07/21/who-won-the-2011-nfl-lockout/ Terms of NFL owners’ proposed CBA. (2011). Retrieved from http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Terms-of-NFL-owners-proposed-collective-bargaining-agreement-072111