To CBA, or not to CBA? That is the question.

NFL owners unanimously voted to opt out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement on Tuesday.  Just two years go Mike Brown and Ralph Wilson were the only ones to vote against it.  What does all this mean?  Lets examine, shall we?:

As much good that the current deal brings to the league, it does have its fair share of flaws.  Brown and Wilson recognized this 2 years ago, but now it seems as though everybody does.  Here are a few reasons why the owners now want out:  Bonuses paid to players that later breach their contract are not recoverable.  Rookies are allowed to be paid millions more dollars than the proven veterans who have put in the time and won Superbowls for their teams.  Not to mention the ever increasing sums of money that must be spent on stadiums and such, when the players are getting a majority of the pool of money.  Not that the teams are going broke, but it does put a financial strain on them at times.  You can read the leagues official statement for opting out here.

The following two seasons will be played with a salary cap, but without an extension the ensuing season will not have a salary cap.  If you thought the Bengals were bad now, imagine how terrible they would be if they weren't playing on an even playing field.  Eli Manning would probably get a ring for each finger over the next decade, while Carson is left to sit around chili dippin' in good ole small market Cincitucky, Ohio.

But you see the thing is, the NFL and a majority of the owners understand that it would be the end of the NFL as we know it if they allowed this to happen.  The NFL is the best sport in America and arguably the world for one reason, and that is the CBA.  It is a distinct competitive advantage of the league.  There is no way that a new deal wouldn't be in place before the 2010 season. The league just wouldn't allow it to happen. 

Long story short, the current CBA has its issues which need to be addressed.  And I wholeheartedly believe the league will git er done in the next couple years.  Maybe if the players were to take a pay cut in the new agreement, old Mikey would find it in his heart to hire a GM...