A Sea Of Red

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4842066

WASHINGTON -- Pro football players sought lawmakers' help Wednesday in preventing NFL owners from imposing a lockout after next season and said a league victory in a Supreme Court antitrust case could affect free agency and ticket prices.

"We want Congress to know that management is pushing us toward a lockout," said Kevin Mawae, the union president and one of about 30 current and former players who were on Capitol Hill.

A league official said the players' time would be better spent negotiating with the owners than lobbying Congress.

Mawae, a Tennessee Titans center, hopes Congress will exert its leverage over the league to help prevent a lockout, which players fear the owners plan to do following the 2010 season. He cited comments by New York Giants co-owner John Mara to The New York Times this week that the two sides might be moving further apart in negotiations for a new deal.

Owners contend the existing agreement, which calls for players to receive about 60 percent of revenues, is too favorable for players.

League Vice President Joe Browne said in an e-mail that the union's new executive director, DeMaurice Smith, won election on a platform "that included 'using' Congress to exert influence on our labor talks. Kevin's comments -- and the visits by dozens of players to the Hill today -- are consistent with that promise. The owners and players are going to negotiate a deal. The only question is when. Having the union and its player reps spending more time in the negotiating room and less time lobbying Congress would be a good start."

Great, just what we need, Congress to screw up the NFL. This is exactly why the NFLPA hired an Obama lackey as their rep.

They know they're against the ropes and are really at the owners' mercy. Here comes a rookie cap!

60% of revenues to the players is not sustainable. It may have worked when revenues were escalating due to new media contracts, licensing deals and creative advertising opportunities, but the future opportunities for new revenues is limited. In a bad economy, it becomes more obvious.

Here's an idea. Obama should nationalize the NFL.