The Good,Bad & Ugly of the NFL Lockout

 Steeler Nation , Summer is upon us . June is about to slip into July. These are usually days of great anticipation for Steeler fans and NFL fans from coast to coast. Usually mini camps and the free agent signings have just about ended and we are wondering what rookies will sign in time for the first day of training camp in Latrobe.

No such luck for the 2011 NFL Season . NFL owners and players are too busy arguing on how to divide over 9 billion dollars . I know that sounds ludicrous in these devastating economical times , when the average American is lucky to just make ends meet or fighting to even have a job. Its all sad but true.

Talks between the owners and players have recently heated up and it looks like sooner rather then later this hissy fit between Billionaires and Millionaires will come to an end and we will have a NFL Season in 2011. In this post I plan on taking a look at the Good , Bad and Ugly effects of the NFL lockout as it applies to the Steelers and the rest of the NFL .

The Good : Really there is not much good that comes from a situation like this but yes Steeler Nation there is a good angle in all of this for teams like the Steelers. The Steelers are a veteran laden team with many veteran leaders at key positions. The coaching staff has had little turn over the past few seasons and the offense and defensive systems have been intact for quite awhile.

All of this has to be a huge advantage over teams with new Quarterbacks and new coaching staffs who have already lost mini camps in May and June. The time they use to install new systems and bring along new players has already been lost. Veteran teams with long standing coaching staff will benefit from this. Not to mention that the Steelers played more games then most NFL teams last season playing into the month of February . Having May and June off may give veterans like Hines Ward , James Farrior, and Ben Roethlisberger to name a few, a well needed extended rest to heal and start the season fresh.

The Bad : There is plenty of bad to go around when it comes to this NFL Lockout . When ever there is uncertainty its rarely a good thing. No ones future in the NFL could be more uncertain then the undrafted free agents of 2011. Many of these players thought they would be drafted in April. Now not only did they not get drafted but because of the lockout they can not be picked up by any team until there is some type of collective bargaining agreement or the lockout is lifted. These players are usually picked up and signed by teams hours after the NFL draft concludes in April.

These players usually get a head start on learning playbooks, working out at team facilities and getting acquainted with coaches and their systems, even over their drafted counterparts because draft picks are rarely under contract by May and June. These undrafted players will not get the reps in practice that they would of gotten in May and June. These players don't even have a clue what team they will be in camp with let alone know the playbook and we are heading into July. This is a huge disadvantage to these players.

The rookies drafted in 2011 are also going to be at a huge disadvantage for many of the same reasons, having missed mini camps in May and June not to mention teams can't negotiate contracts with draft picks till the lockout has been resolved . Last season rookie players such as Maurkice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders ,and Antonio Brown all benefited greatly by the extra work rookies received in these early mini camps. Also the players that provide depth for teams usually get key practice reps and training this time of year ,that time is now lost.

Some players are self motivated when it comes to workouts and staying in shape. Others need a push from coaches and teams in mandatory workouts that are also now lost. It will be interesting to see what shape some of these players arrive in when the lockout is finished.

Free agents and the free agent market has also been affected by this lockout in a negative way. The Steelers can not even make free agents such as Ike Taylor an offer until this whole mess is taking care of. Teams are not even sure of the dynamics of free agency under a new labor agreement. The whole free agency system may change drastically . Players that do find new teams will have to hit the ground running and have very little time to settle in with their new teams. I can't imagine a team bringing in a new QB to start much later then July and having a positive outcome.

I could probably go on all day about the bad but lets move on to the ugly...

The Ugly

There is plenty of ugly to go around . I'm going to focus on the how the NFL fan has been taken for granted and the bad publicity that both the owners and players have brought to the league and it's all a slap in the face to its fan base.

The NFL is one of the biggest thriving money makers in the world. The fact that they are trying to divide up over 9 billion dollars a year in one of the worst economical times of this generation is a testament to that.

As I have stated before the NFL fan base is second to none and as loyal as they come, almost to a fault.

The NFL owners and Players both posture for the fans to choose a side when in all reality both sides have shown that neither has the fan's or the NFL brand's best interest in mind.

During this lockout both sides have insulted the intelligence of the NFL fan with their, they will follow no matter what attitudes. In all honesty this whole process should have been taken care of way before it got to this point. 

The NFL is already becoming to expensive for the average American worker and the back bone of it's fan base . The NFL fan is the last thing on either sides mind. For more on this subject read my previous post Don't forget the true fan!

Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners are always telling the players to “protect the shield”! Well my question to the NFL owners, Commissioner Goodell and the players is how much longer are you willing to tarnish and soil the shield in the name of greed??? Taking advantage of fan loyalty in these rough economic times when the American people need you most as their favorite escape. Inflating prices of tickets and apparel just because you feel you can!? Just remember sooner or later we all reap what we sow!

With out us fans you both have nothing! Lets hope both side wise up soon!
Where's Clint Eastwood when you need him?

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Later Steeler Nation !        Steeler Nation 4 Life!