Super Bowl Over, NFL On Track For Lockout

Super Bowl XLV is long been done with the Green Bay Packers becoming another true wild card that played on the road for the entire playoffs and won the Super Bowl.  This past year's playoffs proves a few things that I have adopted as "trends" and that is a good playoff team that is "hot" at the right time, like the Packers were, they can win the Super Bowl.  Arizona was that team a couple years ago but fell short. 

Also, having the #1 season and grinding out the regular season meant nothing this past playoff year as both #1 seeds lost their first game after clinching a bye.  The next time you hear a player, a coach or a media person try to explain the importance of securing that #1 seed so they can play in front of their fans and also have a first round bye, remember that hasn't been too helpful as of late...

This year's Super Bowl continues a trend for football's biggest game, that is the game itself, was pretty good.  Wasn't a blowout and, for the most part, entertaining.  Although the Steeler's turned the ball over 3 times they had a chance to win, just couldn't pull it out.

Now the off season is in full gear and despite all the flowery talk by the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell prior to the Super Bowl, it doesn't appear as if a deal is going to be hammered out by March 3rd...but of course things could change, but as it stands right now, it does look as if a lockout is still eminent...as many have forecasted for some time already.  I think everyone knows that it will only be a matter of time before a deal is reached but both sides have to do the "dance" to make it appear as if they are really serious about not making a penny when they each could be raking in millions and millions of dollars.  I think the owners have all the cards and the players don't seem united.  Once you have some of these "superstars" not getting their million dollar checks every month and they can't afford to keep one of their pools heated in their mansion, I think players will break ranks and essentially force a deal be made by their union just so they can get paid again.  And that is where I think the NFLPA is making a mistake ... they could most certainly get a more "fair" deal done now than later.  The owners are getting paid no matter if football is played or not next season and they are more than happy to sit back and collect million dollar checks for not having to spend a dime.  Once the players begin to exhibit dissension in the union, the union will have to go to the bargaining table to negotiate whatever deal they can in order to appease their members and once the owners know the union has cracked, they can then turn the screws to them.  That is why the NFLPA, if they were smart, imo, would figure out what they would "settle" for now and essentially negotiate to get at least that.  The longer there is no deal, the more it will hurt the NFLPA, imo.  What the NFLPA has incorrectly assumed, I think (again) is that fans would be on their side.  The fans are on neither the owners of the players side, we simply want to watch our teams play football on Sunday.  But, as usual, the players and the owners both take the fans for granted and the end result will likely be a work stoppage.