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
Greg Mendel
March 15th, 2011
5:10 pm
I don’t have a lot of sympathy for either side, but I’ll ponder the issue next time I spend and hour trying to find a single straight board at Home Depot.
Greg Mendel
March 15th, 2011
5:11 pm
Oops. “an” hour.
corsair214
March 15th, 2011
5:24 pm
FANS UNITE TEST. Test one two, test one two, is this thing on.
corsair214
March 15th, 2011
5:43 pm
“FANS UNITE” /NY Jets Chapter
We the fans have the ultimate power. The MONEY. WE pay the owners. FANS UNITE aka F U says, BOYCOTT all NFL products, until the NFL drops it’s prices, and respects the customer. If all we did was watch the games on TV, or listen to the games on the radio (celestial not satellite), and season ticket holders cut cocession sales by 50%, the only other income they have is TV revenue. We can get their attention if we want to. State in all of your posts that you will not buy any NFL merchandise or subscibe to any pay service like RED ZONE, or the NFL TICKET. State that you will watch the game but not any network pregame or post game shows, HBO, SHO, or ESPN highlight shows. If your not a season ticket holder, DO NOT buy any tickets. Pick a sponsor to boycott, there are many to choose from. HIT the products, HIT the sponsors, and HIT the ratings. Visit other sites and spread the word of the FANS UNITE movement (BLITZ). Let everyone know you’re FANS UNITE, and to the NFL we say,…F U !!!!!!!.
PS: Other TARGET ZONES I’m hitting are, the NY Post, Cleveland.com, Boston Herald, SF Chronicle, FOX News, The Philly Enquirer, and the Washington Examiner. ATTACK Dirty Birds! ATTACK!
Dr Richard Handler
March 15th, 2011
6:04 pm
I’ve owned a business and been a union member. Both sides are clearly at fault here. In most businesses, the risk is usually burdened by ownership. However, in this case the players carry much of the risk and the owners almost ZERO! Their bills are paid and money is in the bank before a down is ever played, a ticket sold or a beer and hot dog consumed. It’s time to come together or just have the guts to walk away and call it off, you threaten to call off the season. Do it if you have any —s!
Sid
March 15th, 2011
6:19 pm
JuneBaby March 14th, 2011 7:57 pm
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I never said anything about the players not having any rights. Of course they do. Also, if you will actually read what I wrote I didn’t create an alliance between the fans and ownership. I will spell it out for you. Ownership has a right to not share the books with the players if for no other reason other than they are the owners. Go out and buy your own team and you will feel the same way.
Owners and companies make money, you act like they should be hourly employees.
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carolyn March 14th, 2011 9:55 pm
Seriously, you think the players are not being compensated enough?? The players are making more than peanuts? You’re a trip girl.
So the players are taking a risk but not ownership? We are talking about a business that is run in order to make a profit. Fans could certainly decide not to go to games……….then what happens to the owners and the players.
***********************************************
Somehow we have convinced ourselves that athletes are required to live a lifestyle commensurate with their salary instead of living in a humble manner and preparing for a possible “risk of physical and debilitating risks” (as Carolyn puts it). We fans provide many of them with a very comfortalbe lifestyle, not the owners. Here is some annual earnings from June 2009 to June 2010 including endorsement income:
#1 Eli Manning $39.9 million
#2 Terrell Suggs $38.3 million
#3 Julius Peppers $36 million
#4 Philip Rivers $32.1 million
#5 Albert Haynesworth $27.3 million
#6 Demarcus Ware $26.7 million
#7 Peyton Manning $24.8 million
#8 Jake Delhomme $22.4 million
#9 Matthew Stafford $21.4 million
#10 DeAngelo Hall $20.8 million
#11 Vince Wilfork $$20.6 million
#12 Nnamdi Asomugha $20.5 million
#13 Kurt Warner $20.3 million
#14 Jason Smith $19.4 million
#15 Brett Favre $18.9 million
Greg
March 15th, 2011
7:27 pm
Why are you reading this article and participating in this blog if you are tired of all this and never are to return?
Jim in Augusta
March 15th, 2011
7:49 pm
Blank’s letter is just a marketing strategy, pure and simple. This whole thing is just big money at the dinner table, grabbing and clawing for the biggest share. There is no right or wrong side, just people wanting more money.
JSS
March 15th, 2011
8:08 pm
Shaking my head again, it hurts when a simpleton tries to equate current wages to long term care (health or retirement)…
1) Most NFL players can not get an insurance company to write a long term medical or ambulatory care policy at any cost. That is why the League is being used as a insurer or last resort.
2) According to the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, since 1970 the rate of National Heathcare has risen from 6% to 16% of GDP. So, even at a extreme saving curve, a certain blogger thinks a player who was a player during the infancy of NFL free agency could have covered the cost rising at a rate of healthcare inflation? Even now, throwing the extremes of superstar pay, try matching the hyperinflation of healthcare on the true average salary… Go ahead, do some real math and take the cost controls off to match what retired players pay in medical market place… It is at $14.6 trillion right now under the restrictions of medicare/medicaid. Try using private insurer cost…
Sid
March 15th, 2011
11:33 pm
Jim in Augusta March 15th, 2011 7:49 pm
************************************
“just people wanting more money” In a nutshell Jim you nailed it. And really, when you say “more money” just whose more money is it? HELLO fans, deep down we control this whole damn money machine and yet we are helpless in the outcome.
Jim, you know what? It is time for us fans to stake a claim to our fair share. Any ideas how we get a seat at the table……………!!!
DR. FALCON
March 16th, 2011
1:26 am
MR. BLANK IS A CONSCIENTOUS MAN! UNLIKE MOST OWNERS WHO ONLY CARE ABOUT REVENUE AND PROFITS, MR, BLANK REALLY CARES ABOUT HIS TEAM AND ITS FANS. ITS OWNERS LIKE JERRY JONES AND WOODY JOHNSON OF THE JETS, WHO BUILD THESE BILLION DOLLAR STADIUMS THAT LOOK LIKE CASTLES, AND THEN CRY BROKE! MR. BLANK, DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THE OWNERS, AND MAKE YOUR OWN PATH!! THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, THE OWNERS ARE NOT PART OF A UNION. BRING YOUR FALCON PLAYERS TO THE FACILITY, AND SHOW THE OTHER OWNERS, THAT YOU ARE MAKING A STAND TO BRING THIS THING TO AN END! THIS IS YOUR TEAM! BRING THEM HOME TO FLOWERY BRANCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bust the union
March 16th, 2011
8:48 am
Hey, I own the ball and I can damn well do as I please. You wanna work for me, you’ll play by my rules. I pay your outrageous salary because I have the money to do so. If you don’t like it, go buy your own team and see how you like your employees trying to tell you what to do. As far as I’m concerned, you can take your union affiliation and go straight to……Canada
And take all your fans with you.
Falcons relax...
March 16th, 2011
11:28 am
I have no sympathy for a man who is a BILLIONARE crying hes losing money when his business is growing and wants his MILLIONARE employees to take a pay cut and work harder AND CAN’T PROVE IT. I would want to see the books as well. It would be different if there were at least 3 owners who sold their teams and NFL was losing money. NFL IS GROWING but owners crying. PLus they own other businesses??? No way..
FALCON FOR LIFE
March 16th, 2011
12:45 pm
I have an idea and i am very serious about this. seeing that the owners want a lock out and the NFLPA have got decertified. and both parties really have shown that they do not care about what the fans want. i charge all the fans of all 32 teams for two games only (or more depending what the consensus is) to strike. that way the bilion dollar owners and the millionaire players can see when all the seats in the stadium are empty, that we the fans are the true wallets that put money in there pockets. how do you all feel?
corsair214
March 16th, 2011
8:33 pm
FANS UNITE aka F U/ NY Jets Chapter
How about this FALCON FOR LIFE, all fans listen to the first two games (or more) on radio(celestial not satellite). At the very least folks don’t watch any network pregame or post game shows, HBO, SHO, or ESPN highlight shows. And don’t subscribe to the “NFL TICKET”, “RED ZONE”, phone App’s, or any other pay service. Don’t buy any NFL merchandise, boycott NFL sponsors, and don’t buy any product endorsed by an NFL star. This NY JETS fan stands with you. I am FANS UNITE, and to the NFL I say, F U !!!!!!
SteveAtTheLake
March 16th, 2011
9:36 pm
Proofread your stuff, Mr. Ledbetter !!! Too many mistakes.
Ted
March 17th, 2011
7:50 pm
WHO CARES???? It’s amazing that people are even having a conversation about a lockout with everything else that’s going on in the world. No one cares about these multimillionaire owners or players. They all have places to live, food on the table every evening, and they are not hurting for $$$$$$.
Ted
March 17th, 2011
7:51 pm
“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.”
Do you proofread your articles before they are posted?
Keith
March 17th, 2011
8:01 pm
Though I totally agree with the medical care issue ( funny how most companies now adays are doing everything to cut back on heath care for employee, but everyone supports heath care for the players) Ya think we can get this type of support for the everyday american? I still have issue with both sides, yes Mr Blank is a great owner proff in the product he has provided since he bought the team, he’s still a business man and in that he will do what it takes to provide a good product for the best price. the players got a sweetheart deal on the last CBA, they know it we know it and the owners realized it soon after it took place, so yes they need to give back, but it is hard to put the genie back in the bottle once it’s out. D Smith does not impress me as a man who whats to make a deal, very forceful and very driven he wants to WIN, at all cost. some of the players are also coming across that way D. Brees, for all hios apolgies is coming across as win at all cost, What the players and owners don’t seem to take into account or for that matter care or understand is the average fan can never understand or agree with the decision to not sit down and work this out. SOme or out of work for the last couple of years, and the little enjoyment they have is watching football. last year I spent 600 for tickets to see the Falcons come here to Seattle, were they the cheapest tickets no, I wanted to enjoy the game and not sit in nose bleed seats, so yes I paid a lot more, but I had to save for 6 months to pay for those tickets, and that does nto include the parking the souvenors the food, for 2.5 hrs of enjoyment, then there the jerseys I bought before the game. Now lets compare the players, who get provided shoes jerseys, get endorsement deals get paid to come sign autographs etc. I don’t begrudge them those extra ernings but to sit here and complain that they are basiclly “Slaves” boy that was REALLY out of line for a certian unnamed player, so come on guys start thinking about the joe that’s sitting at home with his 100 jersey that he bought to support the team, that might be unable to afford a cobra payment for his medical, or the guy that just spent 5000 bucks building his “Man Cave” Falcons room with all the items needed to deck it out right, now what’s he gonna do? I don’t know about you but if you can’t fix this, then I have quit a few options college football has been great the last couple of years, and HS foootball at least ya know most of them are playing for the love of the game, You guys go ahead cut off your nose to spite your face, just remember how long it took baseball to recover
FACTS
March 18th, 2011
12:09 am
Real Falcon fans are glad to have him as an Owner, I just hope he is not being politically correct. You could put any owners’ name on that letter head, it would not be worth the paper it is printed on. Money is the root of all evil = it will even stop a NFL season, which is the most profitable pro sports in the U.S.A……………WTF
anon
March 18th, 2011
6:18 am
Drew Hill Warren Moon’s Favorite receiever had a Massive heart attack yesterday and will not recover.
He is one of the top 20 wide reciever of all time & one of the best partiers ever in the NFL. He’s at the Piedmonnt Hospital on Peachtree st in Atlanta 5th Floor.