As this football nightmare is about to end, how is everyone feeling about it? When all is said and done, no games will be missed, not even pre-season. We, as Phans, now have a historic player feeding frenzy to look forward to, which was just moved forward by 4 months. No fans really lost out on anything. So, is everything back to the way it was for you or, do you now feel differently about the game? If so, why?
My feeling is it lasted a month longer than it needed to and will impact the season as a result. No games will be missed, but the season will be impacted. I don't buy that the majority of these players only practices have been productive. I think they could have been productive for a few teams, but those teams would be ones that already have inherent advantages in stable systems, stable QBs, etc. So everyone will go to training camp (late), every free agent is going to be put in the same situation Chad Pennington was in 2008 of having to learn the playbook overnight. Hell, depending on what you believe about whether coaches were slipping people playbooks or not, many players that have already been on the team will need to learn the new playbook overnight, and that's happening in other places around the league. Now even training camp will be more limited (not just late) because of the absence of two-a-day practices. Fewer practices = less install. I was never comfortable with the owners' tactics during 95% of the lockout process. They were often unethical, sometimes illegal. But over the final 5% stretch it seems to me the players have engaged in the same sort of things that the owners did that I didn't like. I was more or less OK with the process and optimistic until the last month when everyone knew the gulf had closed tremendously and a deal SHOULD have been struck. But I felt like both sides were being extremely lazy and showing zero work ethic. They'd not even put in 8 hour days if Arthur Boylan didn't force them. It was like kids working on a school project and only getting serious about it a few days before it was due. Now the deal threatens to not even be able to be ratified this Thursday at the owners meetings which were scheduled months ago, and laziness and greed are the largest attributable factors in that possibility. And that's not even to say that everyone involved knew damn well that the owners could have moved up their meeting for ratification prior to July 21st. I get that negotiations center around calendar dates. But there were ways to center them around the calendar dates and still work hard enough to make sure that the lockout did not have a big effect on fan experience, and therefore revenue. I think they failed in that. Ticket sale revenues have doubtless been impacted and will remain impacted for the whole season IMO. That's a lose-lose for everyone. The loss in revenue will be directly tied to the loss in fan enjoyment out of the NFL season. So the fans get less enjoyment out of the season and the owners/players get less money. I predict that television ratings will continue their upward trend, but it will be cannibalism, increase television interest at the expense of decreased stadium attendance. The NFL will want to avoid blackouts because that's not good for anyone, and to do that they're going to have to slash ticket prices and hold all kinds of sales (which they've already begun doing). The net effect is higher television ratings at the expense of lower attendance revenue and perhaps an ushering-in of a long period where this is a constant factor every year. With the lockout, the NFL may have inadvertently jump-started a cannibalistic process which may have already been in the cards, but might have been delayed for a while. This could have been handled far better.
My feelings go out to the undrafted rookie FA. I love players like Bess, who beat all odds and makes a difference. I'm sure that at least a few of those type players will be missed this year. I also believe the same will be true of lower round picks. With 500 available vet, I doubt they will be given the same chance as years gone by. My feelings go out to new coaches as well. They have one hell of a challenge.
Personally, I am no more or less excited for the season to start. As a Dolphin fan, I have very low expectations for the 2011 squad. I'm sorry, I just do. The Miami Dolphins will likely be one of the teams negatively affected by the shortened training camp, but that's okay, cause I think we were gonna be pretty bad. I don't think we're gonna be "Suck For Luck" bad, but we'll likely go 7-9 or 6-10.
A lot of people here( Including someone in this thread) cracked me up during the lockout saying hell with NFL and all and boycotting NFLST. I knew they would be back. I said so. It was foolish to think that this wasn't going to get done in some way shape or form. Is it all happening a little bit later than expected? Well yes but I in no way thought for a second we would have a year without football. Let's see how many folks stick to their guns on the boycotting stance.
Say what you will I agree with ck the product on the field will be less than good for alot of teams. As for me personally I've given up the NFL channel and desided this year will give nothing to the NFL in anyway to show my distain for their actions this year. Will watch only the games shown on local TV plus no TN games that start in November. Am I alone in my feelings, maybe, but I really could care less. They don't care about my feelings so why should I spend my money showing support for them. NO SIR they all can kiss it where the sun don't shine! As for coming here and chatting, I'll show up once in a while but have already cut down on my visits save POFO, see ya!
I didn't care either way. Not the end of the world if they didn't play. A bunch of millionaires fighting over money during a recession doesn't rub me to well.
Of course the performance on the field is going to be affected, there is going to be a lot of playing and thinking at the same time as a result of not being together all offseason.. I do disagree with those who think that the teams who were more unified in the offseason will not be better teams because of it.
Bored, boring, tedious. Also found the NFL talking heads to be low talent, spineless men for the most part.
I cant wait to pull into the stadium with my truck, my chick, cooler full of brewskis and fellow fin fans. Its going to be a great new year with a clean slate and hopefully we can at least double our win total at home from last year, lol!
The worst part about it is just the lack of things to follow. Whereas in past seasons we had FA and OTAs to track, this year it was only the negotiations which seemed like for a while werent happening. I loved getting on while at work and checking up on any Dolphin news but this year, there wasnt much of that. I just had to walk away and come back when it was ready to go. I think the football might be a little watered down although these are professional athletes who still have the ability to make fantastic plays.
I pretty much agree with CK. I will also add it made coming to this board really tediuous. Same thing to talk about for months. After the draft ended there was so little point.
I'm a college student. I'm sure I could have found some other ways to fill my time. Now, I can perform those activities simultaneously. You haven't lived until you score a Touchdown simultaneously with your football team.
I guess most of us could not really complain because there was nothing missed so far. The frustrating part is the lost free agency days and the minor news that we received during off season workouts and mini camps. It has just been a little irritating hearing the sides go back and forth, blaming each other and honestly coming up with a middle of the road deal (speculation) that could have been hashed out early on.
I'm still more pissed at the NFLPA than the owners, but neither side is clean. Both were underhanded and dishonest in finally starting to negotiate, something that should have happened two years ago. No one lost anything this offseason monetarily, neither the owners nor the players. That's fine, but assuming the NFLPA re-charters, does anyone then need any further proof that the de-certification of the NFLPA was a sham ?? Once the players walked out in March, De Smith let the lawyers do all the lita-gotiating until recently when it was clear that if they didn't get a move on, the players would miss paychecks. He clearly did not have even his own constituents welfare foremost, but some other 'lawyer' agenda foremost. He finally saw that, as Goodell said back in March, a deal will get done by negotiation, not litigation and started some movement in that light. Despite not being totally clean and upright thru this, the owners still look like the good guys here, to me. Neither side had/have absolutely any concern about the fans whatsoever, so don't kid yourselves. The thought process has been and still is that when the game returns, the fans will too. That is most likely right. There will be a few who will not feel about the NFL game as they did before the strike, but very few. I'm most likely one of those that will return to the game and once the season gets going, it'll be just like before, but don't ever kid yourself that neither side here gives a whooey about the fans. They only care about the fans money... As to the effect of all this on the game itself, there will definitely be ramifications to individual players and teams. Some players, who don't have the discipline that constant oversight by the teams during the offseason accomplish will have injuries. I think we'll see a myriad of hammy's, Achille's, and muscle tears/pulls that you normally would not see this TC. Key injuries will affect performance of some teams. Heck, be thankful this isn't a Colts forum. How do you think they feel right now ?? The loss of a premium player to one of these injuries could be extremely difficult to overcome in a year where the preparation is stunted. Some FA won't get as good of deals during the abbreviated FA period we're about to begin. TO may have ended his career with that ACL tear earlier... Many UDFAs could have fewer career opportunities. The next Wes Welker or Davone Bess might not get a chance this year to show what he can do. Some FAs that really want to stay where they are won't be able to. Remember the lack of communication to the players and agents will clearly affect how quickly deals can get done. Teams will be in a hurry to make it happen and will simply move on if the process begins to slow down. If there is normally a 3 month main window for FAs and now it's a week or 10 days ?? Some coaching staffs will be sealing their futures as well. If they are on the bubble (like this one is) and aren't organized enough to navigate thru this shortened offseason of team preparation they likely will be unemployed in January. Some staffs that have been getting things going in the right direction, might lose momentum and falter (maybe the Rams, Jills, Seahawks, Cards, 49ers or the Texans). There of course will be teams that excel during this period. I suspect Belicheat and Reid and Coughlin will come out of this smelling like roses...again. How will teams like the Falcons, Ravens, Packers and Cowboys do this year...teams that seemed to have arrived or very close to arriving... It's a lose-lose proposition for all, but mostly for us fans...
I agree not much has changed, feel for the 1st and 2nd year guys who really need the development of the offseason, via the minis, OTA's, getting used to the weather down there, ohh dont forget Miami has a new offense which I am sure needs time to implement....this year might be "stressful" to watch..... I never threathened to boycott the NFL, I cant, I love it too much, I did boycott the lockout though, I paid it no mind really....
What I find strange is many taking issue with greed and money. Guess what? It's been the same for almost 20 years. Nothing has changed, other than more people knowing about it.
2 questions about the lockout..... 1) How long is the length of the new CBA? 2) Who is Miami's player rep?
I never talked about a boycott. I'd love to tell you that I could because I'd really love to stop watching the NFL altogether but the reality is I can't. I'll be back watching the Phins but I have soured even more on all of pro sports. The NFL is the last pro sports league that I watch at all besides championship series in each league. I'm much more into college athletics where the game still means something to those playing it. If not for my allegiance to the Dolphins I can tell you I probably would not be back and I'll be dedicating less of my Sunday time to watching other NFL football games. As a fan how can you not be negatively affected by these bickering babies? It's pathetic.
So what? Does it make it better that it's been around that long? That the greed continues to make the game more unaccessible to the avg. fan on a yearly basis?
and here we go......just vote already....hopefully the owners vote tomorrow, and put the pressure on the players.....temperature taking come on...? . http://twitter.com/#!/JasonLaCanfora/status/93786561216385024
So, it's the same game, same deal, and the same we have been dealing with, no difference. IF 10 million football fans got together, no sliver of hope, and demanded lower ticket prices, where do you think that would go?
My feelings on this mess is that an awful lot of development opportunity was lost and I'm pretty p.o.'d about it. Football is going to be sloppy for quite a while. I'm a good bet less interested in training camp than in years' past. Once this gets up and running, things will probably change for me, but I'm pretty aggravated at the entire mess the NFL/NFLPL have made.
That's a very fair opinion. For me, I'm gonna be looking much closer at training camp. Hell, may need a score card to keep track of who's who.
Actually if 10 million fans did get together it would change things. What people tend to forget is that the "valuations" of the league come from fan support alone. It will never happen though. That does not mean I have to sit here and take it without expressing my displeasure. If enough people do get fed up it may or may not change things in the long run. Realizing a problem is probably too big to solve is one thing but to embrace it is another.
Have to completely disagree, and coaches and players have done the same during all this nonsense. We have a NEW O, and it's not something you just add water to, and watch it grow. The OL is not settled, with a rookie hopefully in the middle. RB's, whoever they may be, have to learn everything. Henne has to adapt to a new O, and click with receivers. It is not going to be an easy task.
My feelings right now is, "SIGN THE F#$@$#$# you MOTHER#$@$@#!!!!!!!!!!" I just want my NFL, I do not care about player greed or owner greed or agent greed or anything right now. I Just want football. I was surprised how people chose such hard stances for either side. It seemed like they were replacing their cheering for the Dolphins offseason with cheering for the players or the owners. I am just looking forward to some horrible preseason that I get excited for every year and then am bored to death with.
