Sports has been in desperate need of a morsel of good news in a world that’s been turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic.
We got that gift on Sunday with news that the NFL players voted in favor of ratifying the collective bargaining agreement, which guarantees labor peace between the players and owners for the next 10 years.
In these times of uncertainty, the last thing we needed was more uncertainty in one of the most popular sports in America. And a players vote against the CBA would have left the league in an ominous state of uncertainty.
With every other sports league and organization in season either suspended or canceled at the moment, all of us associated with sports needed some good news and we got it Sunday — even though there isn’t a game scheduled for another five months.
Tom Brady, who happens to be not only one of the most prominent faces in the NFL but also its highest-profile free agent, praised NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith in a tweet, posting: “Well done De.”
Fans of the NFL should second that emotion.
On Sunday, the CBA agreement gave us all something to talk about other than coronavirus and the debilitating effect it’s having on everyone.
The deal?
First and foremost, it’s a good one for the fans. Let us count the reasons why:
- Most importantly because it ensures that we’ll have the NFL uninterrupted by labor strife through at least 2030.
- Beginning in 2021, there will be a 17th game added to the regular-season schedule. And what NFL fan doesn’t welcome more meaningful football into their life?
- Beginning in 2021, the preseason schedule will be reduced to three games. What NFL fan isn’t in favor of fewer meaningless games with no starters playing? Not to mention the fact that season-ticket holders are automatically charged for preseason games, so this is one fewer meaningless game for which to be overcharged.
- Beginning in the 2020 season, the playoffs will expand to 14 teams from 12, with only the No. 1 seeds in each conference getting a first-round bye. How can fans of playoff-challenged teams like the Jets, who haven’t qualified since 2010, not be happy about an increase in their team’s chances of getting into the postseason?
The deal is a good for the players because:
- Player revenue shares rise from 47 percent to 48.5 percent. The expansion of the postseason by two teams will generate an estimated $150 million, according to an NFLPA memo sent to players, and 48.5 percent of that is $72.75 million for the players.
- Minimum salaries rise about $90,000 per player.
- While there will be a 17th game added, the number of in-season practices will be reduced.
- There will be more opportunities for players with game-day active rosters expanded from 46 to 48 players. Practice squads will expand from 10 players to 12 in 2020 and 2021 and to 14 starting in 2022.
Make no mistake: This new deal is not universally revered. As evidenced by the final vote — 1,019 were in favor and 959 were opposed — there are plenty of players who aren’t happy with the result.
Many of them took to Twitter on Sunday to voice their opinion on both sides. Among the highest-profile players who’ve been opposed to the new deal were Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman.
The theme to this agreement is how beneficial it is for the “middle class’’ rank-and-file among the NFL players. About 65 percent of them play under minimum-salary contracts, which will increase by some 20 percent. They’re the ones who — percentage-wise — will get the biggest bumps in salary, though minimum salaries for players in other experience brackets will rise, too.
At the end of this, there are enough benefits for both sides that this made enough sense.
At the moment, though, the biggest winners here are the fans of the NFL, because everyone has been in desperate need of a little bit of good news. And on Sunday, with news of this agreement, we all got just that.