NFL lockout? Sports Forecast For 2011: Details

Will there be an NFL lockout? It has been in talks for the last few months now. The collective bargaining agreement from 2006 is expiring and that does not leave any good news for the NFL.

The 2006 collective bargaining agreement increased the salary cap for teams from $85.5 million set in 2005 to a whopping $123 million in 2009. It is said to also require teams to spend at least $86.4 million in salaries. If this happens, it will take place at the start of the 2011 free agency period.

It seemed to all be going well since that 1987 NFL player strike but this may have occured because of the smaller teams. It’s clear that most of the NFL’s revenue comes directly from national televison contracts. Most of the smaller market teams in the NFL want either a new or a different collective bargaining agreement, because it has kept them at a disadvantage to the larger marketed teams; at least, that is how they felt. They have a right to feel that way because they are. Larger teams are the ones that get the most local sponsorship, radio contracts, and the long contracts to the stadiums. Unlike other sports, stadium signage is a big issue with the NFL.

We have a little more time to find out what will transpire from this, I will keep you updated when something happens.