It’s offseason calendar watching time in the NFL and there are some important events set to happen over the next two weeks. We’ll know more about the labor situation and the makeup of teams by March 18th. Here are the dates where you should always be by a phone, computer, or television.
March 12th, CBA Vote Deadline
The deadline for players to vote arrives three days short of the ides of March. This one is pretty simple. Either the players vote to ratify the new CBA or they vote to decline the offer. Going with the second option puts them back at square one. There aren’t many negotiating points that the owners would be willing to give up on. Some people seem to be focusing on the revenue split. In the current offer, it sits at 48 percent. Even if the players fight for 50 percent they will have to figure out if the TV deal will be a lower dollar amount a year from now. It only takes simple math to figure out that 48 percent of 10 billion is more than 50 percent of nine billion.
This deal should be watched closely. It could set up the NFL for the next 10 years or it could lead to a lockout and a situation where we all miss football. The deal only passed 17-14 with team reps so it’s going to be a tight vote.