NFL negotiations. Blame the Lawyers

[Fafnir]

And there is no way they would have even had a vote on it, had there not been an agreement on those terms in the negotiations with the players representatives.

I'm not sure this is 100% true, I wouldn't be shocked if the owners tried to short circuit some remaining quibbles to the main framework by announcing it as a done deal for them, now just the players need to vote and recertify.

As I understand it, the main deal *is* a done deal.  Remaining issues -- drug testing, discipline, some benefits -- can't legally be negotiated until the union recertifies, if I understand that correctly.  The CBA itself, however, seems to have been agreed to by the negotiators for both sides, and now the owners.

I tend to agree with Chris:  there's no real negotiating to be done at this point regarding the CBA itself.  Any failure to sign is just posturing for attention.

If that's accurate sure, though I think I sympathize with the reactions of last not to the press conference. Players didn't know if anything was added or done like that until their side had time to go through the owner's final proposal.

[Chris]

And there is no way they would have even had a vote on it, had there not been an agreement on those terms in the negotiations with the players representatives.

I'm not sure this is 100% true, I wouldn't be shocked if the owners tried to short circuit some remaining quibbles to the main framework by announcing it as a done deal for them, now just the players need to vote and recertify.

As I understand it, the main deal *is* a done deal.  Remaining issues -- drug testing, discipline, some benefits -- can't legally be negotiated until the union recertifies, if I understand that correctly.  The CBA itself, however, seems to have been agreed to by the negotiators for both sides, and now the owners.

I tend to agree with Chris:  there's no real negotiating to be done at this point regarding the CBA itself.  Any failure to sign is just posturing for attention.

If that's accurate sure, though I think I sympathize with the reactions of last not to the press conference. Players didn't know if anything was added or done like that until their side had time to go through the owner's final proposal.

I don't blame any of the players for their reactions.  I get the feeling that communication has not been great...and it is certainly tough to be when you have 1900 members, very few of whom have any business background.

Chances are most of them are working on heresay, as they have not been part of the negotiations. 

I just find some of the stuff from Smith to be a bit disingenuous, and come across as one last power play by him, to make it known that the players will vote on their own time.