The NFL stuff is still going on because the two sides can’t figure out how to divide up a boatload of money. I mean, we are talking about over $9 billion that needs to get split up, and the owners and players can’t agree how to do that. Now, the NBA is in a situation where over half of the teams in the league are losing money. The major markets are taking in all the dough, and apparently everyone else is struggling to stay afloat. It really blows my mind that two leagues can be in essentially the same situation (lockout), with one of them having so much money they don’t know what to do with while the other is trying to find a way to make a profit.

I know that both of these situations are far more complex than money, but no one can deny that $$ is at the heart of both stoppages.  I’m not saying one is right and one is wrong, but doesn’t this NBA situation make the NFL look even worse? The NFL is thriving, taking in money hand over fist, and yet as it stands right now, the league is prepared to miss games if necessary. The NBA is trying to find a way to bring in more money than it has so franchises can function while making a profit. I would never condone a lockout for any reason, and I’m certainly not giving the NBA a pass here, but I understand why they are in this situation. If the NFL didn’t look petty before, it certainly does now.

Also, teams will be required to spend nearly all the way up to the salary cap under this proposed agreement. That means that small-market teams won’t be able to cheap out on payroll to save money. In the previous agreement, the total payroll floor was less than 90% of the cap, so this should force teams to spend their money, making the competitive balance even better in a league that is already in pretty good shape in that aspect. Several other issues, such as TV deals and the rookie wage scale are also featured in the deal, but those have yet to be ironed out.

So, overall this looks like a major step forward in discussions. Now that these details are out there, it will be tough for either side to hold off on these point due to public opinion. Neither side wants to be the “bad guy” in these negotiations, so I can’t imagine either holding up a deal. I have heard numerous insiders who believe that we could have agreement in principle in the next 7-10 days, and if that happens, it’s only a matter of time before a final deal is agreed upon. This isn’t to say that this thing is completely finished by any means, and we have seen this turn bad several times already. I will say that I think this is as close as we have been, and I’m confident that the 2011 NFL season will take place on time.