NFL Lockout

After months of talking and even bringing in a federal mediator, the NFL and NFLPA (National Football League Player Association) could not get a deal done and now starts the lockout.  This is the first lockout since 1987 and it puts the 2011 season in limbo. The NFLPA decertified, which means they are no longer an association and now are suing the NFL for money.  During the lockout the players cannot use the facilities or communicate with any teams. Also, players without contracts cannot even negotiate a contract with any team. If you’re a fan of football, this is devastating knowing that there possibly will be no 2011 season or a late start to the season. Many of the players have stated that if there is no agreement soon that they will pursue some other sport or activity. This can also be a big blow to the fan base of football. The NFL is at an all-time high and yet they could not come up with an agreement in appreciation to the fans. It leaves fans like me thinking that they do not even care about the fans, just about the money.  This has also made me focus more on other sports like the NBA and MLB. While the NFL has locked out its players and NFLPA has decertified, there is still one event that will occur under the last contract. That is the NFL draft, which usually teams use to fill holes in their team but this year could turn out different. Teams usually go for certain players and whatever they do not get, they get through free agency, but this year free agency will not happen until they have a deal in place. This causes the teams to strategize a little differently. Once the draft is done there will be nothing to look for in football except a possible deal that could take a while to occur. So for all those football fans out there, all we can do is hope that there will be some deal done soon.