With the Super Bowl under wraps, another season of football locked in memories, people’s minds would normally turn to other sports, such as hockey or basketball. This off season, however, many people are going to keep their eyes pinned to the NFL. If by March 2 an agreement is not reached between the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and the owners, the off season might last a little longer than normal. The argument stems from the owners basically demanding salary cuts from the players totaling approximately $1 billion. This is in addition to the owners’ supporting the idea of increasing the regular season from 16 games to 18. This comes out to the players earning less money for more risk.
Personally, I have a problem with that. That would infuriate me to the point of petitioning against my employers. I have to work more hours, but you’re going to pay me less? All so you can have more green in your wallet? Seriously?
The other things that would be significantly affected, if the lockout should happen, are the local economies of the 32 NFL markets, which stand to lose $160 million. In addition, more than 115,000 jobs would be put on hold or lost completely. It’s a scary thought, considering Cincinnati is one of those markets.
Now on the other side, if the NFL lockout does occur, there are some indirect benefits that might come out of it. The NHL and NBA each have 30 teams, many of which share cities with NFL franchises. There’s no doubt that the NFL cuts into their revenues, so a lockout would surely give a boost to them, not to mention all the open TV slots that would be void.
A lot hangs in the balance between now and March 2, and fans just have to hope. For more information about the lockout and how you can help, log on to www.nfllockout.com.