NFL Owners Collective Bargaining Agreement Position

The other day I mentioned what the NFLPA's position on the CBA negotiations.  Of course the owners have their own.  Without the unions agreement to these demands, the owners are willing to lock the players out of the 2011-2012 season. 

18 Game Season

Commissioner Roger Goodell has been talk about expanding the season since he took reign of the league. The NFL's position is that they would like to provide the fans with more NFL caliber football, which the preseason is not. They say it will bring more income to the players and league, which will allow them to invest in player safety and other aspects to further the sport. The players say they will not be compensated for the extra games.

Rookie Salary Cap

Both sides are willing to cap the amount rookies are allowed to be paid in their first contract. The league says that the union proposed capping the rookies' salary but also wanted the contracts to be three years and lowering the years needed to be a restricted free agent the same three years from the current four years. Certain players contend that the union came back with a proposal that kept the current four year requirement.

The bickering and unwillingness to negotiate reminds me of the current political partisanship. The league says they are doing this for the fans. However, the worst thing the league could do for the fans is cancel a season.