The NFL is headed for a lockout in 2011 if DeMaurice Smith, the new head of the NFL Players Association is to be believed. Smith was in Jacksonville yesterday to speak with the Jaguars and gave his thoughts on the owners’ plans for 2011.
“All I can do is take a look at the objective factors and does it seem to me that this is what they are preparing for? Yes,” Smith said.
Smith stressed that if the league is shut down, it shouldn’t be called a work stoppage.
“I don’t know what a work stoppage is. I know what a lockout is. A lockout is where guys who want to work can’t work,” Smith said.
DeMaurice is charged up because the NFL owners hired the same lawyer that worked for the NHL during their work stoppage, and because the owners want to re-examine the Collective Bargaining Agreement which was supposed to expire in 2013.
There are always problems for leagues when they’re trying to work out new CBA deals, but I don’t believe the NFL will have a work stoppage. The owners and players know that they’re sport is too valuable for them to miss any games. Just like I don’t believe there will be an NBA lockout in 2010. Neither side will be stupid enough to go through what happened in 1999.
Head of NFL players association warns of lockout [Jacksonville.com]
TOMASSON: Second NBA lockout could be on horizon [Rocky Mountain News]
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