Today and tomorrow are big days in this ludicrous labor squabble. Tonight is the much anticipated owner sleepover, nestled between the all important meetings. I hope that they have a wonderful time together. Get real close and get something settled. I'm hearing repeated chatter that the real problem in the labor negotiations is less between the owners and players and more between the owners themselves. The NFL has long thrived on revenue sharing. It is what brought the league to the top of the pro sports food chain. TV money and merchandise sales and licensing are split evenly among the 32 teams. This has allowed the small market teams to keep pace with the big boys. Teams get to keep some of the money that they generate through their stadiums with naming rights and other revenues. This is actually what is killing the Minnesota Vikings. They have a horrible stadium situation that generates little money. With it they will not be able to remain competitive for long. This is why the Vikings are at such a critical point in their quest for a new stadium. They don't get a new stadium. They move. Fools like Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys empire want to retain every cent even loosely connected to his stupid star. The other end of the spectrum is more foolishness in the likes of the Bengals' Mike Brown. His small market team stumbles along below the mediocrity line knowing that revenue sharing will keep him basking in his father's legacy. I used to think that every NFL cent should be shared evenly. Partly because I see the Vikings' owners do everything they can to build a championship team only to be held back by the chains of the Metrodome. As much as I dislike Jerry Jones, I respect his efforts to build and improve the Dallas Cowboys product. Whenever I think well of Jones, I have to ignore his Super Bowl ticket scam and his ridiculous stadium video screen. For every Jerry Jones there is a Mike Brown simply skating by. Now, I actually think that the teams should keep the dollars that they generate through their stadiums and their own at home marketing of the team. All 32 teams should be encouraged to put the best possible team on the field. I'm not sure that total revenue sharing provides that. Even small market teams can make up for being in a small market by being creative.
If the owners can get along and come to agreement with each other, it sounds like an agreement with the players will follow nicely. The setting is perfect tonight. The mood should be right for getting along, finally getting things done during their cozy little sleepover.
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