On Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the NFLPA was asking the NFL prospects who are likely to be invited to attend the 2011 NFL Draft to boycott the event.After the inevitable poop storm reigned down, the planned boycott by the union-turned-trade association turned into a "recommendation" to skip the event, and instead attend a separate draft event in New York City.
NFL player agent Drew Rosenhaus made what Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com calls "a compelling point" about keeping players from attending the event.
"The NFL Draft is an incredibly popular event but the players being drafted are locked out, too. The players may be in New York but I can’t see how they can be on TV and give a big hug to a person that is partly responsible for not letting them play."
Of course, if the NFLPA is triumphant in upcoming court battles, particularly during a preliminary injunction hearing on April 6, the lockout could be lifted weeks before the April 28 takes place.
If an agent isn't willing to keep one of his clients from working out for, or visiting and dining with, an NFL team during the pre-draft process, he or she should not advise their client to pass on an invite the NFL Draft. Those teams are partly responsible for the lockout, too.
The only ones not responsible for the lockout are the kids coming into the draft, yet they seem to be a desirable pawn for two sides who we know agree on one thing: Rookie pay needs to be dramatically reduced.
source: Mac's Football Blog
Posted by Brian McIntyre
No comments:
Post a Comment