NFLPA v NFL: A Brief History

Here’s a good, if brief, background on labor relations in the NFL (from 1955 through the current negotiations) from “Freedom Socialist”/Dissident Voice.  I suppose unions stand together regardless of the salary differences:

In 1955, National Football League players asked for jocks, socks and clean uniforms for practice. Green Bay Packers’ owner Curley Lambeau refused. That led to the first players’ union.

Somewhere over the next 40-plus years, the game became a multi-billion dollar sports industry with lucrative TV contracts, merchandise galore, corporate sponsorships and public subsidies for constructing luxury sports domes.

But some things haven’t changed. The owners are again digging in their heels, citing a tough economy to wring concessions from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

One of the big sticking points is money. Currently, players get almost 60 percent of the NFL’s revenue; owners want an even bigger piece of the pie and blame players for the high ticket prices fans are forced to pay.

(h/t Dave Pear)

Filed under: background facts, NFLPA

Average NFL Career is 3.5 Years

We’re starting our series on background facts for the NFL, CBA, NFLPA, and average NFL players.  Here’s our first post in this series (click the “background facts” category link below to see them all — yes, there’s just one now):

NFL careers

The average length of an NFL career is about 3 and a half seasons. Although there are some exceptional players who have long careers that extend 10 or twelve seasons and beyond, most players only stay active for about three seasons. Players leave the game because of injury, self-induced retirement, or being cut by the team. This also means that while players may make more money than most people, they are only making it for an average of three and a half years. To make sure they are successful in the future, players must invest their money well and make plans for another career when they can no longer play football.

LINK to NFLPA FAQ

Filed under: background facts