Sunday, March 13, 2011

Broncos Owner Willing to Open Books to Get Deal Done


Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, who co-chairs the NFL Management Council Executive Committee, is willing to open the team's financial records from the last five seasons if it means a new collective bargaining agreement can be reached, reports Mike Klis of The Denver Post.

"If the league decides they want to open up the books of the Denver Broncos to present them to the union — I don't know if the league is into identifying individual clubs because they're private businesses," Broncos COO Joe Ellis said on Saturday. "But with a neutral (auditor) to verify the fact that certain teams haven't been operating as effectively as they did in the past, we're a willing and able participant."

With the union's side willing to keep all financial information disclosed confidential, and the co-chair of the CEC willing to open his books, perhaps Bowlen can convince some of his brethren to do the same. It may not be the 10 years' worth of data that NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith curiously demanded be turned over on Friday, but a willingness to turn five years' worth of financial records should be enough to get both sides back to the bargaining table.

Despite the willingness to disclose the team's financial records, Ellis echoed a sentiment expressed in statements from NFL teams throughout the day on Saturday that the union did not negotiate in good faith.

"Pat certainly believes they had no real good intention of negotiating and their goal all along was to go down the path of litigation," Ellis said. "It's extremely disappointing and it frustrates Pat. It makes him angry. He's fully aware that it makes our friends, our constituents, our season-ticket holders and everybody who supports us angry and disappointing. But we can't stop operating."

source:  Mac's Football Blog
Posted by Brian McIntyre

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