The NFL's CBA and You

Even with plenty of big names becoming free agents including a deep quarterback pool, the biggest story this offseason looks to be the inability of the rich owners to share some of their pie. Slightly richer owners such as Dan Snyder of the Redskins refuse to share the profits they have made from sweetheart stadium deals with the slightly less rich owners. As a result, the owners have come to an impasse in agreeing on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). And the poor millionaire players are stuck in the middle of this billionaire lover's quarrel.

I could attempt to explain just what a new CBA means for the NFL, but I'm just some idiot with plenty of worthless opinions. Hell, I get confused just using my blackberry, so the mysteries of the CBA are beyond me.

But Mark Maske at the Washington Post is all over this story (email-bestbucsblog at yahoo.com, password-bestbucsblog):

Representatives of the owners and players are scheduled to meet today and Wednesday in Indianapolis, the site of the NFL scouting combine. Players Association chief Gene Upshaw has set the end of this week as the deadline for completing an extension of the labor agreement to keep the current salary-cap system in place beyond the 2006 season.

Upshaw is scheduled to meet with groups of agents Wednesday and Friday in Indianapolis. He said over the weekend that he would tell the agents the sport is headed to a season without a salary cap in 2007 and they should avoid agreeing to any clauses in players' contracts that would keep their clients unnecessarily tied to teams beyond next season. Upshaw also said he would tell the agents the opening of this year's free-agent market will not be postponed.

Monkey wrench, meet the NFL offseason.