NFL Lockout: Blank sends letter to fans
Tony Gonzalez Day" - Atlanta Falcons team owner Arthur Blank honors tight end Tony Gonzalez with a pregame ceremony commemorating his 1,000th catch at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010. Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com
Falcons owner Arthur Blank contended that the owners bargained in good faith with the NFLPA in an open letter to fans, that is posted on the team’s website.
“As you probably know, last Friday the NFL’s mediated talks with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) ended without a new collectively bargained agreement, and on Saturday a lockout commenced,” Blank writes. “Neither of these events were desired outcomes, as commissioner (Roger) Goodell and our negotiating committee had worked diligently and tirelessly to reach a new agreement through the mediation process over the last three weeks.”
Blank address the fact that fans want to know about the 2011 tickets that they have purchase and the investments they made during the playoffs for two rounds of tickets.
“The most important thing you should know is that we remain committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to both sides and does not disrupt the 2011 season,” Blank writes. “We negotiated in good faith with the NFLPA, and we are prepared to re-enter negotiations at any time . . .the current status of the collective bargaining agreement will not disrupt our preparation for the 2011 season.”
He notes that general manager Thomas Dimitroff and his staff are preparing for the NFL Draft, which will be held April 28-30.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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121 comments Add your comment
JASon
March 15th, 2011
8:14 am
“We negotiated in good faith with the NFLPA”
You were asking for a billion dollar swing from the previous agreement. How is that good faith?
Georgia Husky
March 15th, 2011
8:17 am
Those who think the owners are taking a risk are completely missing the point. They are not. These are not regular business people. They have arranged financing scheme that shields them from all risk as they use OPM (Other People’s Money) even though they have plenty of their own. Only a select few of us are in a position to do this. If they feel, they are protected – playing with house $$$.
The players take more risks – 100% injury rate with a 2 yr average career. Still, they have nothing to complain against because they are living a dream.
The rest of us who work for a living without a safety net to support the top .5% who run things take all the risks. The fact that Mr Blank is insulting us the way he is (really – he thinks we should be greatful to him) should be clear to everyone and I hope that no one forgets it. Just because we aren’t oligarchs does not mean we are not intelligent.
This is just another symptom of the Class Warfare launched upon us. Mr Blank – The answer is ‘NO – WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND! YOU HAVE TAKEN AWAY OUR JOBS, OUR HEALTHCARE, OUR CHILDREN’S CHANCES FOR COLLEGE, AND OUR FUTURE! NOW, YOU TAKE AWAY ONE OF OUR ONLY DISTRACTIONS TO THE PAIN YOU CAUSED US – OUR SUNDAYS!! I HOPE THAT ONE DAY YOU UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!
It’s serious, folks.
Orlando needs a proofreader/editor
March 15th, 2011
8:37 am
Blank address(ED) the fact that fans want to know about the 2011 tickets that they have purchase(D) and the investments they made during the playoffs for two rounds of tickets.
Just A Grunt
March 15th, 2011
8:39 am
Somebody educate me here. Aren’t the owners financial records already a matter of public records? I mean they have to file SEC filings just like all other companies and those reports are made public if somebody just does a little looking. This to me is just another example of the unions trying to create some sort of little guy versus the big guy confrontation except this time it is millionaires versus multi millionaires. After seeing that the league minimum salary was over $300k sympathy went right out the window. Imagine getting paid 300K a year for sideline seats to a sporting event with all of your travel and accommodations paid for. Yeah I know working on Sundays can be a hassle but you only do it 16 times a year and has anybody ever really broke down the players salaries by time spent on the field actually playing. I don’t mean standing around during commercial timeouts or between plays, but time actually spent engaged in playing. The average play is about, what 6 secs, with 35 secs between and you normally run an average of what 60 plays a game so you working for 360 seconds or 6 minutes.
Not a bad gig. For fun sometime DVR a game and then fast forward from play to play and you will see how long it actually takes to play and how much is spent standing around.
PMC
March 15th, 2011
8:48 am
I understand I’ll be listening to a few more games on the radio.
AFL Rules
March 15th, 2011
8:48 am
The AFL is back……The AFL trumps the NFL anyday of the week. Go Force!!!
Tom Jefferson
March 15th, 2011
8:58 am
Well, Well, Well…… The crowd of wealth envy progressives ( Communists / Socialists ) is thick as thieves here today. Boo hoo for the players and hate for the owners is the cry of the day. The NCAA is a slave organization, the owners are are all greedy, bloated pigs raping the poor players. Give me a frigging break. What would be interesting , would be to let these poor, poor athletes get into college on merely the merit of their scholastic aptitude, pay for all their classes, food , use of training facilities, books, travel to and from games, medical services. I realize that a broader vision of real life escapes most progressives and always will, but they will shake their fists in vitriolic hate at those who have achieved and earned more in life through work and wise decisions. Allow these players to take these degrees they “earned” and venture into the workplace and join the rest of us. I guarantee you the desire to bargain will return. To me, the solution is simple, the players under contract return to work and open facilities. Those who refuse, terminate their contracts. Take a league wide accounting of players and expand the draft accordingly. All CBA negotiations begin with the last offer made by the owners and let the chips fall where they may.
fildawg
March 15th, 2011
9:10 am
Yawn! Who cares about the NFL. Dawgs kick-off on Sept 3rd!
WTF?
March 15th, 2011
9:16 am
How many of you boobs on this blog will rush right out and spend big money for tickets for these overgrown babies? The fans should lock the NFL out for a year and there would never be another greed session like this ever again.
SeenThisB4
March 15th, 2011
9:24 am
The verbal diarrhea spewing out of Blank’s mouth only further adds to the putric stench of Atlanta’s smogged air. Only the simple minded, bird brained falcan’t-fans would buy into any of his statement. This has always been about maximizing the gross profits of the owners and the net of the players. It has never been about what is best for the game or the fans.
On the other hand, a lost season would be infinitely better for atlanta fans than the abyssmally bad season the falcan’ts would have in 2011 anyway.
phil
March 15th, 2011
9:28 am
I’m not reading one word that the greedy billionaire owner wrote. Not one. And I don’t want to hear it from the whiny players either. They all make me sick.
Here’s my suggestion to end the strike/walkout/lockout, whatever it is. Don’t go to a single game whenever the NFL next plays a season, be it this year or next. Sit out one full season. No more, no less. Just don’t go. Decide now that enough is enough. If this is how they want to treat us, while playing us off as idiots and fools, then stay away from the games and see how long they keep arguing. Won’t be long….
I’m taking the next season off. No live games, no games on TV. To heck with em….They’re all essentially telling us to go to hell. Well right back at you….
phil
March 15th, 2011
9:30 am
WTF:
Exactly. Stay away for a year and watch what happens. It won’t kill anyone. Just do it.
tim
March 15th, 2011
9:57 am
While I like Mr Blank, the man blows a lot of hot air.
Bargain in “good” faith??? What is that?
LAME LAME LAME
Butch
March 15th, 2011
9:59 am
It’s really quit simple. The dollars that these gentlemen are fighting over belong to the fans, so keep your money. It’s the only card a fan has in this game. I intend to play my card every Sunday of this year.
The Faithful
March 15th, 2011
10:03 am
Sid and Tom have it right.
If I were an owner. I would have a 60 round draft and start from scratch. Write a new contract telling the players how it is and if they sign there X then they are get to play. If not, NEXT.
As for the players. They should start their own league. I think competition is great. It would be fun to see if the players could come up with enough funding, get over the in fighting that would likely to occur, the social security payments they would want, profit sharing that would keep the league mediocre once the first few seasons passed. Communist football would not work.
This is a for profit league run by the best business men. The players are players because that is the skill they have. Only the smartest and best brown nosers (John Elway) get to a position where they can own or participate in a team as a near owner.
The fact of the matter is…they need each other and will come to an agreement because the players are greedy (I need a raise too…Obama’s stimulus missed me), and the owners are too.
It is what makes the best country in the world work like it does. It is simply the greatest system ever. Learn to embrace it and you will find joy.
Dr. Johnson
March 15th, 2011
10:25 am
Maybe the Falcons Family should not come to the first 2 home games. No attendance = no concession/vendor $. I bet that will hit their pockets. I totally agree with the comments that were posted previously. The real people suffering are the one’s that are making $7.50 per hour. I wonder how many players/owners are going to offer hardship assistance during the LOCKOUT…
just sayin'
March 15th, 2011
10:28 am
let those under contract honor their contracts….those that don’t show up…terminate their contracts….let them market their capabilities…on the field or off the field..then let them see which ‘lifestyle’ they prefer..playing a game…or having a job, if they can get one in today’s marketplace with the skills they have…let the owners build their own stadiums…no tax dollars for them…if they put a good product on the field, then they’ll make money…
Falcon James
March 15th, 2011
10:37 am
I looking for season ticket. Anybody got some?
TRIPLEDART
March 15th, 2011
10:46 am
CHICKEN SOUP ANYBODY
X
March 15th, 2011
11:04 am
@Blip well said!
CarolinaFalcon
March 15th, 2011
11:26 am
Have been a huge Falcons fan from day one. Even when I moved to Charlotte 13 years ago I remained loyal and watched every game on Directv. Well I am cancelling that and do not care anymore. I am no longer a fan of the Not For Long league and I hope the whole season gets cancelled. 9 bil dollars REALLY!!!Someone should take a look at all the real suffering going on out in the real world and wake up. I hope a lot of other fans will do as I am and this will teach both sides who is really in charge of both’s livelihood. Better things to do with my everyday things than to worry about this crap. Goodby Not For Long league……..
Double Zero Eight
March 15th, 2011
11:28 am
I can adjust to life without pro football.
It is not a necessity!
EC
March 15th, 2011
11:28 am
Who cares! Let them get a job in the real world and then see if they complain about NFL wages. Business owners should always make more money than the employees period. Otherwise why would you take a risk and invest money to open a business anyway?
JSS
March 15th, 2011
11:35 am
@ Just A Grunt…
The then NFL owners restructured their ownership by-laws back at the end of the 1980’s. They made a number of structural changes to how they report their financials. They changed the ownership structure for every team except the Packers (who were grandfathered in) to a single owner with no more than 32 minority owners as “private corporate entities.” This was to keep the vast majority of their books from public view except for the required IRS filings (which by privacy laws can not be released by anyone but voluntarily by the corporate entities). No team can sell stock in public. This excludes the Packers. This was a deliberate choice made to protect themselves in labor negotiations.
The Packers, where we get most of the truthful information of the true operating cost for a NFL franchise releases a detail financial report including revenue sharing. They are also operated as a not-for-profit organization. All operating profits (last reporting year was $9 million dollars) source is Stephen Kiel of the Arquitos Capital Management Financial Fund.
The Packers Foundation stock is no longer available except in a matter of exclusion (voted out) or death and new shareholders are voted on by the managing board of directors. The number (approximately 4,750,000 shares) of Packers shareholders are limited to holding no more than 200,000 shares. They can offer new stock for special projects, that is what happened when they renovated Lambeau Field. According to professional managers who have looked the Packers books; they returned a lofty p/e ratio of 102. So if you infer a non-diluted p/e on 33 owners on the typical NFL team, they are earning a phenomenal return compared to the typical return for a corporation as long you’re not paying dividends…
There are only 5 public held franchises in all of American pro sports. 3 major league teams: the Braves (Liberty Media), Mariners (Nintendo Corp.), and Blue Jays (Rogers Co.) and 2 NHL teams the Rangers (Cablevision) and the Hurricanes (Compuware). The operating costs of those teams are detailed in their annual reports each each year.
ctfalconsfan
March 15th, 2011
11:36 am
The owners do take a risk with their money. Granted the NFL has proven to be a good investment but as I remember Mr. Blank paid over $500 million for this team 8 years ago. $500 million that he earned while being a founder of Home Depot. HD wasn’t his daddy’s company, he worked hard to get to where he is..
Now I agree the City and State help finance many stadium deals etc. but is Matt Ryan or Roddy White looking to invest their money into the team or a stadium? NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
If the players were smart they would go to the UFL and talk with those owners and invest in forming a new league where they get a majority of the money. However this wouyld require the players to work and invest (take a risk) at forming a new league but I don’t see them being that innovative, they would prefer to sit around and collect a check from the NFL owners..
good old joe
March 15th, 2011
11:37 am
SEND THAT UNION OUT OF TOWN ON A RAIL .WHY DO A FOOTBALL PLAYER KNEED A UNION JUST PLAY THE GAME .
C G Smith
March 15th, 2011
11:49 am
Mr. Blank,
One of the happiest days of the my sports life was the day you bought the Atlanta Falcons. I truly believed that you could bring the magic to professional sports to Atlanta. And to some respect you have. But I have to tell you, that the owners are WRONG this time. You guys need to stop and take a look around you. Who needs big bells and whistles. People just want to watch a good game. A game where the players are healthy and happy. Strong and at the top of their A game. Be able to buy a decent hot dog and a bag of popcorn and afford to take their families on a sports outing. It’s called back to basics. Its called loving the game. And what that looks like is nowhere near what the owners are offering.
Take a look at the history of American sports. If you guys don’t get it right, we will leave you–Sooner than you think.
Misled Fans
March 15th, 2011
11:51 am
Hey to all of you who are banging the capitalism vs. socialism drum and cannot for the life of you understand why the players display such temerity even asking to see the books. Well folks, it’s because the owners have convinced many of their elected officials to grant them a huge exemption from anti trust laws. That’s right – you all remember the Sherman Anti-trust legislation from decades past??
As for me, Mr. Blank has put a quality product on the field and I thank him for that. He has spent money on his product and in doing so he has increased the terminal value of his frnachise. Good for him. However, I for one will NOT support one dime of public tax money being used for a new facility. The dome is good enough. If Jerry ‘My head is so large My Hair Couldn’t Keep Up’ Jones wants to create a memorial to himself and his team – god love him. But I am not paying for it.
brad
March 15th, 2011
11:53 am
the players are not asking for one dime in more salary. They are not thrilled about giving over nearly 1 billion dollars to the owners. One billion that the owners AGREED to in the last negotiation. This labor deal was supposed to go another two years but the OWNERS opted out early. They didn’t want to live up to the deal they signed. So I don’t see how this is the players fault. The average NFL career lasts 4 years. If I’m in that possituion I would be fighting for everything I could get to. You dolts who side with the owners must love paying for PSL’s, full price for preseason football games, 7 dollar beers and 40 dollar parking.
brandon
March 15th, 2011
11:54 am
I don’t think they really care if there’s a season. They did the 7 day extension a couple of Fridays ago and then took the weekend off from negotiating. Why did they even do that knowing they were taking the weekend off and then they can’t get an agreement done by this past Friday??? Since they don’t care, I won’t care.
Devildog
March 15th, 2011
12:05 pm
Doesn’t matter how much the players get paid. Within a couple of years 85 percent of the oafs will be bankrupt, anyway.
tardawg
March 15th, 2011
12:14 pm
If the players and owners care about me send me 1500.00 to pay my income tax I owe so I want lose my house or go to jail.I was wondering if the owners offered most what smith(nflpa)wanted see Peter King SI article on line why did you decommit,if nflpa wanted to open owners books what about the other way around and see who is getting the money for the nflpa(excective officers) who really want a big raise.think about it.
JSS
March 15th, 2011
12:22 pm
ctfalconsfan
March 15th, 2011
11:36 am
“Now I agree the City and State help finance many stadium deals etc. but is Matt Ryan or Roddy White looking to invest their money into the team or a stadium? NOOOOOOOOOOO!”
I always laugh at this one… Go back and look at how the old American Professional Football Association (the original NFL) was… It was not a bunch of rich guys trying to make maximum profits or hold down player contracts. They were generally a source of civic pride. The game needed organization in order to have a regular schedule. The true founders of the league were “players” like Jim Thorpe! They were being paid to play in exhibitions piece meal and it was intermittent at best…
They weren’t worried about owners getting rich!
By the way, the NFL owners deliberately wrote rules into the ownership by-laws in the late 1980’s to keep the Union or the players from becoming financial partners in the running of or purchasing of teams and franchises,,,
Najeh Davenpoop
March 15th, 2011
12:44 pm
“Hey to all of you who are banging the capitalism vs. socialism drum and cannot for the life of you understand why the players display such temerity even asking to see the books. Well folks, it’s because the owners have convinced many of their elected officials to grant them a huge exemption from anti trust laws. That’s right – you all remember the Sherman Anti-trust legislation from decades past??”
All true, but there is a much simpler explanation. The vast majority of fans pay to see great players. They are not going to pay to see JP Losman and Brooks Bollinger starting NFL games in the place of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. In the entertainment business — of which sports is a part — the “labor” is irreplaceable. In other businesses, labor is for the most part replaceable. This is why a players’ union in sports leagues can have the “temerity” to ask for so much that a labor union in other industries could not.
Bust the union
March 15th, 2011
12:59 pm
The NFLPA should be given the boot……owners should lock ‘em out (did) and give them seven days to come back to work without union affiliation or they will be fired…..the owners should then start over again with players who just want to play football for a reasonable amount of money. What the players are doing is nothing more than blackmail. As far a the owners showing the players ten years worth of financial statements, if I were an owner I would tell them where they can stick that request. And brad March 15th, 2011 at 11:53 am, you just don’t get it, do you?
March 15th, 2011
11:53 am
Elliot Garcia
March 15th, 2011
1:05 pm
You have to admit some NFL players could never find another job that pays the kind of money they make….If working in the NFL is so bad, then quit already….
Jeffrey
March 15th, 2011
1:52 pm
Why should we care about either side of this dispute? They are all spoiled rotten living lives of luxury that most Americans can only dream about. They’re all greedy, which brings me to this question: Why do we, as a public, idolize these people? It amazes me. There are so many others out in the public that never get the attention these clowns get and they are our teachers, policemen (other than the ones that abuse their powers), firefighters, and oh yeah, the rescue workers in Japan dealing with one of the most horrific scenes of modern time. And a special shout-out to the workers at the nuclear power plant who are in the middle of that mess risking their lives and well-being trying their darnedest to prevent a catastrophe of historic proportions. Those are the real heros in my opinion. The NFL, NBA, MLB and all the “stars” in Hollywoood do not deserve any air time.
musicgeekmusic
March 15th, 2011
2:08 pm
For everyone claiming that the owners deserve what they want because they’re the ones risking their money, I ask: What risk? Has an NFL team EVER gone down in value? Ever? There is no risk here. Even if you knowingly put a lousy team on the field, you still make money as an NFL owner and the value of your franchise always increases. The owners want more money because they know the public is sick of paying for owners’ luxury stadiums and now the owners must fork over more of their own money to get their palaces built. And, once those new palaces are built … wait for it … the value of their NFL franchise will skyrocket.
Rob
March 15th, 2011
2:09 pm
If they wanted to fix this strike once and for all, and ensure no other professional team from any sport ever struck again, they would fire all current players, and expand the draft so they have enough players to play ball. In five years, we’d have the the same quality ball we have now, except they new players would be much more appreciated of what they have.
Case in point: Do you think the air traffic controllers will ever strike again?
gcs
March 15th, 2011
2:27 pm
If Arthur Blank was a stock, I would say SELL, SELL, SELL!
.
ctfalconsfan
March 15th, 2011
2:39 pm
musicgeekmusic – As I said the owners are risking their money and even though the NFL is a great return on investment so was the US housing market in 2006, no end in site, buy , buy , buy…
What goes up, can come down!!
If Matt Ryan and Roddy White want to invest in the Falcons and pay travel and Admin costs for a piece of the pie (like Warrick Dunn) then they need to shut up and play.
ctfalconsfan
March 15th, 2011
2:43 pm
Elliot you stated : “You have to admit some NFL players could never find another job that pays the kind of money they make….If working in the NFL is so bad, then quit already….”"”
SOME???? Try ALL as in, no NFL player could find a better paying job than what they get now.
- I’m not counting Brady or Manning being broadcasters.
crossdawg
March 15th, 2011
2:51 pm
To both sides….OINK, OINK, OINK
Rick
March 15th, 2011
2:58 pm
Millionairees and Billionairres bitching over how to spilt the enormous pie?// Absurd! And our Home town hero Arthur [ Jewish ] Blank wanting the fans to build him a outside stadium! Now you see why the Jewish community has all the power and money in America. You noted I worded that very delicately. I’ll guarantee you these discussions had no regards for lowering ticket prices, concessions, parking, so that a middle class american can go to a game? These GREED MONGERS NEED A LESSON IN HUMILITY! I Love Pro Football as much as anyone but sumone like Peyton Manning making 20 million A YEAR?,and he is just a player. No telling how much owners make in jersey sales , anything with team logo on it etc. Why don’t we the people enter these negotions and tell them how it is going to be? Would be a neet little change in Capatilism huh? They play a lousy sport for petes sake, top pay should be 1 million and scale it down, and take care of players injuries for life! I don’t tink people relaize the old timers that put pro football on the map suffering with lingering nasty injuries that they occured while making these billionairres richer. They should be compensated for life. Settling this is really kinda simple More games=more revenue, 70 man roster top 52 negotiate their pay, reserve 18 flat fee 100k or close. Now you have the revenues to do more things with in say a 18 -22 game schedule! Then if you guys still can’t figure out your mess Email me at Bronzeone1@yahoo.com
JSS
March 15th, 2011
3:03 pm
Okay geniuses…
From the NFL Constitution and By-laws
Page 4 Article II Purpose and Objects (Of the Association of Teams known as the National Football League)
2.2 The “League” is not organized nor to be operated for profit.
Read it and read it again… Go to the NFL site and download the pdf… This is not a business, it is an association!
brad
March 15th, 2011
3:05 pm
bust the union…..yes I do get it. I get the owners have an anti-trust exemption..therefore the players should have the ability to see the financial records. Tell me this…has any NFL owner EVER lost money?? I thought not. I’m sick of this so called “risk” the owner take buying an NFL franchise…it is a money making machine…..and why is that by the way??…oh right THE PLAYERS. I believe they take the ultimate risk with the health of their bodies. Thereofre they should be compensated as much as they can get. And they are highly compensated…as they should be. If the owners want a billion dollars more of the revenue then the players have every right to ask to see the books. If you want 20 bucks from me I’m gonna want to know why. Wouldn’t you?
JSS
March 15th, 2011
3:07 pm
Wow, Rick can post that, but the Ledbetter blog filter can holds up my post on the difference between legal and illegal work actions by Federal employees? “Snarky Central lives!”
Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah ha ha ha ha!
JSS
March 15th, 2011
3:16 pm
@ Brad…
No NFL has ever lost a dime since they introduced “Revenue Sharing” unless they were illegally gambling in violation of the Ownership by-laws like Hugh Culverhouse or Leonard Tose when they owned the Bucs and Eagles. Teams did go bankrupt before Rozelle introduced National TV contracts and revenue sharing…
joewhite
March 15th, 2011
4:41 pm
Look sixteen year season ticket holder why ask for money and u dont have a product for us? Once an agreement is in place then i will buy tickets not 5 but 3
bluto
March 15th, 2011
4:43 pm
No one has missed a game yet. So for all of the people blaming the owners or saying they will never watch another game I call BS. You are just a bunch of loud mouthed idiots.