What Is This Lockout NOT About?

This lockout is NOT about players wanting more.

• The players want to play.
• The players have stated many times they’re content with the current system and revenue split… NFL owners and players each split roughly 50 percent of the revenue pie.
• NFL owners, however, DO want more and are adamant about reducing the share of league revenue set aside for player salaries by roughly 18 percent ($1 billion) beginning next year. 

This lockout is NOT about an unfair CBA in 2006.

• In March of 2006, NFL owners voted overwhelmingly (30-2) to extend the CBA that was set to expire after the 2007 season for an additional six years thereby allowing football to continue through the 2012 season.
• In 2008, however, NFL owners voted to opt out of the 2006 CBA extension, thereby terminating the agreement in March of 2011—two years early.  
• The fact is players and owners currently have a fair deal… here are the percentages over the past eight (8) years:

Percentage of All Revenue (By League Year) received by Players

• 2002–51.87 %
• 2003–50.23 %
• 2004–52.18 %
• 2005–50.52 %
• 2006–52.74 %
• 2007–51.84 %
• 2008–50.96 %
• 2009–50.06 %

This lockout is NOT about owners’ risk.

• Did you know that if NFL owners choose to lock out players in 2011, they will receive $4.5 billion from their TV contracts EVEN if there is no football games played next season?
• Did you know that NFL owners receive a credit of slightly more than $1 billion for operating and investment expenses off the top of the revenue pool ($8.8 billion) BEFORE the remainder of the money is divided with players?
• Did you know that while NFL owners complain about financial risks, players contributed $800 million to the new Meadowlands Stadium for the owners of the New York Giants and Jets, and contributed $300 million to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium?
• Did you know that NFL owners have rejected the union’s request that players get ownership stakes in return for assuming financial risk?

This lockout is NOT about players being unreasonable.

• Players have agreed to a rookie wage scale, detailing a “Proven Performance Plan.”
• The plan called for rookie deals to be reduced in length to three or four years, which creates a revenue pool that would fund incentives for players who outperform their contracts and benefit retired players. The revenue pool would free up approximately $200 million.
• Players have always been willing to keep playing under an extension of the existing CBA.