TheManeMan
09-07-2005, 01:33 AM
Broncos owner is on committee to try to revive slowed talks (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/broncos/article/0,1299,DRMN_17_4061072,00.html)
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
September 7, 2005
In an effort to kick-start what have been stalled negotiations to extend the NFL's collective-bargaining agreement, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has been added to the league's executive committee and will be one of three people involved in face-to-face negotiations with the players' union.
Bowlen, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson will meet Thursday with NFL Players' Association representatives to try to make progress toward an extension.
The current collective-bargaining agreement expires after the 2008 season, but the major issue is the lack of a salary cap for that season.
Some in the league fear the salary cap won't be retained if a season is played without it, which would widen the growing divide between large- and small-market teams.
Bowlen, Richardson, New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft and Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II were added to the NFL Management Council's eight-member executive committee this week, replacing four others.
The newcomers join Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, New York Giants executive vice president John Mara (serving for owner Wellington Mara) and St. Louis Rams president John Shaw.
The stall in negotiations has come because owners haven't been able to bridge their differences in how to divide additional revenues that aren't currently shared, such as luxury-suite revenues and in-stadium advertising.
Those revenues aren't figured into the current salary cap, and the players believe they should be.
The league's big-revenue teams that have newer stadiums, including the Broncos, have seen those other revenue streams grow more quickly than the small-market teams have.
As a result, some of the small-market owners, most notably the Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson and the Steelers' Dan Rooney, believe they are losing a competitive advantage because the large-market teams have more cash to offer up-front signing bonuses in attracting top players.
"We don't want to be baseball," Wilson said. "It's the Yankees and everybody else there."
Currently, teams share plenty of revenues, including the new six-year television contracts, which begin in 2006 and will be worth an average of more than $3.7 billion a year.
Bowlen was the league's lead negotiator in those deals.
NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw has said he sees no major obstacle in getting an extension once the owners work out their disagreements involving revenue sharing.
Bowlen consistently has said he is in favor of increasing shared revenues, but some of the other big-revenue teams, such as the Cowboys and Washington Redskins, have balked.
NEW RECEIVER ON WAY: The Broncos were close to a deal Tuesday night with receiver David Terrell to fill the roster spot made available when Jerry Rice announced his retirement.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Terrell was the eighth pick in the 2001 draft by the Chicago Bears and was released last weekend by the Patriots.
He injured his right foot in his second season - he played in only five games in 2002 - and wasn't able to meet expectations in Chicago, leading to his release in February.
He missed significant time during training camp this year because of an infection in the leg.
QB IN FOLD: As expected, the Broncos signed former Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury to their final practice-squad spot.
Kingsbury, who was cut by the New Orleans Saints and spent two years with the Patriots, set seven NCAA Division I-A records with Texas Tech. In 2002, his final season, he had five games with at least 400 passing yards and a 510-yard performance against Missouri.
PALEPOI LOOK: The Oakland Raiders are bringing in defensive end Anton Palepoi for a workout Saturday. Palepoi, a starter last season, was cut Saturday by the Broncos.
legwoldj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2359
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
September 7, 2005
In an effort to kick-start what have been stalled negotiations to extend the NFL's collective-bargaining agreement, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has been added to the league's executive committee and will be one of three people involved in face-to-face negotiations with the players' union.
Bowlen, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson will meet Thursday with NFL Players' Association representatives to try to make progress toward an extension.
The current collective-bargaining agreement expires after the 2008 season, but the major issue is the lack of a salary cap for that season.
Some in the league fear the salary cap won't be retained if a season is played without it, which would widen the growing divide between large- and small-market teams.
Bowlen, Richardson, New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft and Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II were added to the NFL Management Council's eight-member executive committee this week, replacing four others.
The newcomers join Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, New York Giants executive vice president John Mara (serving for owner Wellington Mara) and St. Louis Rams president John Shaw.
The stall in negotiations has come because owners haven't been able to bridge their differences in how to divide additional revenues that aren't currently shared, such as luxury-suite revenues and in-stadium advertising.
Those revenues aren't figured into the current salary cap, and the players believe they should be.
The league's big-revenue teams that have newer stadiums, including the Broncos, have seen those other revenue streams grow more quickly than the small-market teams have.
As a result, some of the small-market owners, most notably the Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson and the Steelers' Dan Rooney, believe they are losing a competitive advantage because the large-market teams have more cash to offer up-front signing bonuses in attracting top players.
"We don't want to be baseball," Wilson said. "It's the Yankees and everybody else there."
Currently, teams share plenty of revenues, including the new six-year television contracts, which begin in 2006 and will be worth an average of more than $3.7 billion a year.
Bowlen was the league's lead negotiator in those deals.
NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw has said he sees no major obstacle in getting an extension once the owners work out their disagreements involving revenue sharing.
Bowlen consistently has said he is in favor of increasing shared revenues, but some of the other big-revenue teams, such as the Cowboys and Washington Redskins, have balked.
NEW RECEIVER ON WAY: The Broncos were close to a deal Tuesday night with receiver David Terrell to fill the roster spot made available when Jerry Rice announced his retirement.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Terrell was the eighth pick in the 2001 draft by the Chicago Bears and was released last weekend by the Patriots.
He injured his right foot in his second season - he played in only five games in 2002 - and wasn't able to meet expectations in Chicago, leading to his release in February.
He missed significant time during training camp this year because of an infection in the leg.
QB IN FOLD: As expected, the Broncos signed former Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury to their final practice-squad spot.
Kingsbury, who was cut by the New Orleans Saints and spent two years with the Patriots, set seven NCAA Division I-A records with Texas Tech. In 2002, his final season, he had five games with at least 400 passing yards and a 510-yard performance against Missouri.
PALEPOI LOOK: The Oakland Raiders are bringing in defensive end Anton Palepoi for a workout Saturday. Palepoi, a starter last season, was cut Saturday by the Broncos.
legwoldj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2359