NFL lockout ends after 136 days of drama

The new labor deal between the NFLPA and team owners will rule for the next 10 years.
America’s favorite sport is back. The menace of a year without football is no longer a thread. 130 days later the NFLPA and teams owners have finally been able to work out a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which will assure the future of the game for the next 10 years.

For NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this is the best news that football fans could hear. He is quite optimistic about how this new labor deal will come to improve the league. He also highlighted the hard work done from the two parties involved -players and team owners- to make this new CBA come true.

Starting this Wednesday 10 teams will begin their training camp -Denver, Arizona, Dallas, San Diego, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, New England, Oakland, Baltimore and Seattle-, 10 more will follow on Thursday-San Francisco, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Washington, New Orleans and Pittsburgh-, then on Friday another 10 will do the same -Chicago, Buffalo, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New York Giants, Green Bay, Carolina, St. Louis, Tennessee and Minnesota-, and the last two to complete the 32 teams on Sunday 31st will be New York Jets and Houston.

The policy used to pick which teams were assigned to each day was based on a new rule that doesn’t allow them to open up their training camp if the time frame prior to their first game of the season exceeds the 15-day limit.

As far as the free agents, all NFL teams will have to wait until Friday to begin signing contracts, although they are free to start conversations meanwhile.

The 2011-12 NFL season kick off will not be modified, as it will begin on Thursday, September 8 at Lambeau Field, where the defending champions Green Bay Packers will receive the New Orleans Saints. The same goes for the biggest game of the season, Super Bowl XLVI, which remains scheduled for February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.

One party that was probably the most affected during the lockout, and one about which was barely talked about is the NFL personnel. With facilities closed there was no job to do for them, which resulted in important salary reductions.

Good news where received by all the employees of the league, NFL Films, NFL.com and NFL Network through an email from Commissioner Goodell on Tuesday, here he announced that all lost wages will be reimbursed.

Under this new CBA teams are committed to spend almost all of their salary cap, and taking in consideration that for 4 ½ months the free agency was stopped, it is pretty obvious that this will the wildest free-agency period in league history. Franchises have money to burn, time is running out and more than 400 free agents are anxious to secure their future with a new contract.

Fans have already received public apologies from players and team owners for all this drama, as well as the thankfulness for their support and patience throughout a lockout, from which they have been able to make a clearer picture about how much money their passion reports to the industry.