As the hours tick down to Super Bowl XLV, the clock is also ticking down to a more frightening date -- March 4th, 2011. That’s the day the NFL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires. NFL Players Union (NFLPA) Executive Director DeMaurice Smith and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced just this Monday that reps from the NFL and NFLPA will meet this Saturday, the day before the Super Bowl, for a “formal bargaining session with both negotiating teams … in [an] effort to reach a new agreement by early March." As tensions and public attention ramp up, everyone is becoming increasingly anxious to get down to business and, if you believe both sides, make sure there is a football season in 2011.
An other battle, however, is taking place outside the bargaining room. NFL players and executives alike have taken to the Internet to win over fans in the court of public opinion. The NFLPA has definitely taken the offensive online. Leading the charge is NFLLockout.com. Here, fans can sign a petition to “Block the Lockout,” count down the hours to the start of the lockout, and read articles on the lockout from all kinds of news sources. The union is careful to tell the fans what the lockout is about -- economics, equality, healthcare, and history -- and what it is not about -- players’ greed, an unfair CBA in 2006, or owner’s risk.
Beyond the carefully crafted party line, NFLPA executives, as well as current and former players, have taken to the figurative streets to garner sympathy and support for the player’s’ position.
There was national Let Us Play Day on January 18th when players and fans alike showed there opposition to the lockout by using the Twitter hashtags #letusplay and #blockthelockout and encouraging friends on Facebook, and, of course, in real life, to sign the petition. Just a brief look at all of tweets including #LetUsPlay and #BlockTheLockout reveals the broad success of this move to get players vocal and fans active in building momentum for the players’ side of the debate.
NFLPA executives have been active on Twitter by keeping fans updated and responding to comments made by the NFL. In response to Goodell’s claim that he would take a $1 salary if there is a lockout, for example, Smith tweeted that he would take a 68 cent salary. Assistant Executive Director of External Affairs George Atallah is a prolific tweeter, updating dozens of times each day. He responds directly to fans and updates on the negotiation process, giving fans access behind the scenes of the NFLPA.
NFLPA executives have been active on Twitter by keeping fans updated and responding to comments made by the NFL. In response to Goodell’s claim that he would take a $1 salary if there is a lockout, for example, Smith tweeted that he would take a 68 cent salary. Assistant Executive Director of External Affairs George Atallah is a prolific tweeter, updating dozens of times each day. He responds directly to fans and updates on the negotiation process, giving fans access behind the scenes of the NFLPA.
The greatest source of potential for the NFLPA, both positively and negatively, is the players themselves. When united, the players can have a huge influence on fans by putting a human face to the lockout. Online, they can come across as a bunch of regular guys who want only to play the game they love and support their families in doing so. Some of the more on message tweets are highlighted by the NFLPA here. However, this tactic has the potential to go very wrong, as in the case of the Hasselbeck-Cromartie spat. The players need to present a united front. Internal bickering brought out into the open seriously hurts the NFLPA position of just trying to get back to playing football.
The NFL has responded with its own online assault. The primary component is NFLLabor.com and it’s corresponding @nfllabor Twitter account. Though more tame than most of what we see coming from players, the NFL is nevertheless using the opportunity to take some subtle jabs at the NFLPA. They are letting fans know that they believe the players currently got a “great deal” and emphasizing Gooddell’s commitment to resolving the dispute by the March 4th deadline. Goodell himself has a Twitter account but does not update very frequently.
So, in this new age of social media and around the clock access to newsmakers, both the NFL and the players are wasting no time using technology to their advantage. But ultimately, how much does it really matter? No fans are going to be happy if there is a lockout, regardless of who tweets and Facebooks the most. The real work needs to be done by the big players. Maybe on Saturday, when Goodell and Smith put down their smartphones and sit down to talk face to face, some actual progress can be made. In the mean time, I will be glued to my Twitter feed watching it all go down.
The NFL has responded with its own online assault. The primary component is NFLLabor.com and it’s corresponding @nfllabor Twitter account. Though more tame than most of what we see coming from players, the NFL is nevertheless using the opportunity to take some subtle jabs at the NFLPA. They are letting fans know that they believe the players currently got a “great deal” and emphasizing Gooddell’s commitment to resolving the dispute by the March 4th deadline. Goodell himself has a Twitter account but does not update very frequently.
So, in this new age of social media and around the clock access to newsmakers, both the NFL and the players are wasting no time using technology to their advantage. But ultimately, how much does it really matter? No fans are going to be happy if there is a lockout, regardless of who tweets and Facebooks the most. The real work needs to be done by the big players. Maybe on Saturday, when Goodell and Smith put down their smartphones and sit down to talk face to face, some actual progress can be made. In the mean time, I will be glued to my Twitter feed watching it all go down.
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