Last week the CFL and the CFLPA met to start early discussions on a new CBA and it should be noted that both sides are being careful not to leak any information.
It’s safe to say that both sides believe that the players should be making more money, but how they get there and how much more money is going to make these negotiations challenging for both sides.
It should be said the players making more money isn’t as simple as the owners writing a bigger check, and allowing the teams GMs to spend that money as they wish.
If the players do get a much bigger piece of the financial pie the question is where should that money be spent?
Several question arise such as should starting quarterbacks get a raise, should the entire roster get an across the board bump, or would it be better for the league to raise the minimum wage.
If this is the case how would the league even consider to regulate this when each owner and or GM will run their own teams the way they want.
The term revenue-sharing has come up and apparently is going to be an issue that is on top of the agenda and it isn’t as simple as saying let’s split revenues between the clubs and the players.
The players will cite the fact that a new and lucrative TV contract has changed the financial landscape of the league, and they want, as the new head of the Players Association Scott Flory has said, “their fair share.”
This all sounds reasonable, and everyone thinks the players should be paid more but the new TV deal starts this year, and no club can say what the revenues will look like at the end of this season.
In fact, it makes you wonder if revenue sharing at this point is even a good idea for the Players when they don’t know what, if any the revenues will be.
All of which makes all of these negotiations clear as mud, but the bottom line is both sides know the players should get paid more, and it is safe to say, that in the end, that will happen.
Here’s hoping they get things discussed in a realistic manner.
Thanks to Glen Suitor of TSN for the story.
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