And it's starting to cool down with multiple sources saying a deal will be signed anywhere between today and Tuesday. A tentative agreement has basically been approved, just the wording has to be written to where it is understandable and logical to all that is involved. Reports are saying a tentative salary cap is set in place for the 2011 season at $120 million. Last year was an uncapped year for the NFL, and the last time the NFL had a salary cap back in 2009, it was set at $123 million. WOW, both figures are a lot of money!!! The last BIG ISSUE that was on the negotiating table was the rookie wage scale, which arguments are now closed, and agreed upon.
Another issue next on the table, but shouldn't take long to resolve, is the legacy fund. The legacy fund is a fund to help retirees. As of right now, it helps up to five years, then the retired players are on there own as far as health insurance and other insurance needs. But this deal is a no brainer. This will get done. A lot of the retirees did not get paid like players of today. So they need a little help, which is understandable. I had stated in an earlier story, why do they need this fund? But I made the mistake in forgetting that this fund will help out the retirees that played this game for basically the wage I make. This will still help current players, but I believe current players should know better, and invest money better, due to better pay. There will be no excuses for these players.
The last big hurdle to overcome, and they will overcome this, is the right of first refusal clause. This clause deals with free agency. What this clause means is teams have the right to match any offer to a current player whose contract has run out. The players are trying to fight this, because, what's to say that player doesn't want to play for that team anymore. So the players want the right to refuse that, and let any team sign them that has the best offer. This hurdle will be a little more difficult to overcome than the legacy fund. But it will get done, due to what sources from NFL Network, Sirius NFL Radio, and ESPN are all saying.
I'm getting real excited about football again with all the reports coming out that the lockout is in the final stages and the NFL 2011 season is around the corner. Funny as this sounds, and I know it's not true, but I have to say it. This is all due to the fact that the players just didn't want to go through all the OTA's and mini camps. They wanted the off season to themselves like players from the past use to have.
Once the regular season gets under way, it's going to be a memorial of an opening kickoff weekend. Opening Sunday is September 11. WOW!!! What a great weekend that will be.
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