In OTL, the players got little out of the 1982 strike becuase networks paid the owners anyway, even when all those games were missed. (8 weeks' worth, with one week madeup at the end to create a 9-week season.) Then, the Union was dissolved after the 1987 strike saw the strikebreakers used, and players kept crossing the lines.
Suppose an early USFL (by only a few months) and some forward thinking players reps got together to create a trick play of sorts, though?
The USFL was announced in early May of 1982. In TTL, it is announced for February. The NFL Players' Association is already planning a strike, starting the 3rd game of the season. They suspect that the owners will cave, but witht he TV contract saying they get paid no matter what, some do wonder if they can break the owners.
Now, they have an alternative. Sure, it's not a lot of teams, but they decide to work with the 8 strongest possible franchises (instead of the hoped for 12).
The USFL agrees to a deal whereby, if the players strike, they will sign the biggest stars, and networks will televise USFL games starting in October. There will be 8 games per team. Then, they would play only a 10-game season int he spring of 1983, going to an 18-game season as planned, with more teams, for 1984 as planned.
If the strike ends, of course, the USFL won't start till 1983, when they'll play their normal spring season of 18 games as planned, with 12 teams.
NFL owners will get paid by networks, but now, they are nervous. The strike begins in July, and the Hall of Fame GAme is a flag football game gbetween old-timers.The USFL looks viable with a smaller number of teams, and Ted Turner's New Jersey Generals are rumored to be ready to sign Joe Montana and Walter Payton if needed. After Week 1's games are cancelled (a few weeks early - teams haven't even had much of a training camp yet!) things start to get ugly, and Dan Rooney helps to negotiate a proposal that give sthe players something of what they demand, though not all.
the first week of games is moved to the end of the season, and the playoffs are pushed back, so there is only a week between conference title games and the Super Bowl. the NFL blinked, worried that if ti dragged out long enough, they might not have had a Super Bowl. But, the're deterined not to blink again.
With the NFL playing all 16 games in 1982, are the networks overconfident enough they promise to pay owners regardless of whether games are played in the next contract, like they had the previous one? If their contracts require games be played, do players sit out longer, with strikebreaker games going several more weeks?
How does a full NFL season in 1982 impact the draft? The order would be different, but how different?
What if the owners don't blink in this scenario in 1982? Might the USFL force a quick merger witht he NFL?
What if strikebreakers are hired in 1982, because the networks were smart enough to say games had to be played before owners would get paid?
(Any one of thse would make an interesting timeline. My money's on the REdskins winning the Super Bowl still in 1982 (well, Jan. '83) but I'm nto sure the Dolphons represent the AFC, as their defense was the main thing, and the Raiders or the Jets looked quite formidable.)
Suppose an early USFL (by only a few months) and some forward thinking players reps got together to create a trick play of sorts, though?
The USFL was announced in early May of 1982. In TTL, it is announced for February. The NFL Players' Association is already planning a strike, starting the 3rd game of the season. They suspect that the owners will cave, but witht he TV contract saying they get paid no matter what, some do wonder if they can break the owners.
Now, they have an alternative. Sure, it's not a lot of teams, but they decide to work with the 8 strongest possible franchises (instead of the hoped for 12).
The USFL agrees to a deal whereby, if the players strike, they will sign the biggest stars, and networks will televise USFL games starting in October. There will be 8 games per team. Then, they would play only a 10-game season int he spring of 1983, going to an 18-game season as planned, with more teams, for 1984 as planned.
If the strike ends, of course, the USFL won't start till 1983, when they'll play their normal spring season of 18 games as planned, with 12 teams.
NFL owners will get paid by networks, but now, they are nervous. The strike begins in July, and the Hall of Fame GAme is a flag football game gbetween old-timers.The USFL looks viable with a smaller number of teams, and Ted Turner's New Jersey Generals are rumored to be ready to sign Joe Montana and Walter Payton if needed. After Week 1's games are cancelled (a few weeks early - teams haven't even had much of a training camp yet!) things start to get ugly, and Dan Rooney helps to negotiate a proposal that give sthe players something of what they demand, though not all.
the first week of games is moved to the end of the season, and the playoffs are pushed back, so there is only a week between conference title games and the Super Bowl. the NFL blinked, worried that if ti dragged out long enough, they might not have had a Super Bowl. But, the're deterined not to blink again.
With the NFL playing all 16 games in 1982, are the networks overconfident enough they promise to pay owners regardless of whether games are played in the next contract, like they had the previous one? If their contracts require games be played, do players sit out longer, with strikebreaker games going several more weeks?
How does a full NFL season in 1982 impact the draft? The order would be different, but how different?
What if the owners don't blink in this scenario in 1982? Might the USFL force a quick merger witht he NFL?
What if strikebreakers are hired in 1982, because the networks were smart enough to say games had to be played before owners would get paid?
(Any one of thse would make an interesting timeline. My money's on the REdskins winning the Super Bowl still in 1982 (well, Jan. '83) but I'm nto sure the Dolphons represent the AFC, as their defense was the main thing, and the Raiders or the Jets looked quite formidable.)