NFL Draft Armageddon?
By Laddie Morse
NFL Draft Armageddon?
Is this the last NFL draft ever?
Ladner Morse . chiefcrazymorse
Judge Nelson has ruled in favor of the NFL players. The NFL lockout has been lifted. The players may begin to function as employees at NFL facilities beginning on Friday. The owners will seek a stay though the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals. The outcome of that appeal is highly in doubt because higher courts are reticent to overturn well thought out judgments of judges such as Judge Nelson.
If that appeal fails and if there is no new collective bargaining agreement created prior to the 2012 NFL Draft then, that draft may not happen. President of the DNK Cornwell Law Firm and NFLPA Director finalist in 2009, David Cornwell says,
“There is no question that the draft is vulnerable to attack. It doesn’t matter whether or not the players association is now saying that they are not attacking the draft. Any prospective NFL player has standing at some point to challenge the draft. Leon Wood in the NBA… he challenged the draft and the only reason he lost is that the draft is collectively bargained. So, in 2012, if there’s no a collective bargaining agreement, the NFL draft will be subject to, will be vulnerable to attack. And if the players say we’re not attacking it, it doesn’t matter because the players association won’t be able to cloak the draft in anti-trust protection because it won’t be a collective bargaining agreement.”
Of course many suspect this will never happen. However, if the players and owners don’t step forward and get a CBA completed by August then some predict there will be a loss of games next season. Once that happens the whole season, and consequently the 2012 NFL Draft, are in jeopardy.
Happy Draft Day Everybody.