What's your plan for Fall 2011?

Well, you might as well start planning ahead for Fall 2011 if you are one of the millions of die-hard NFL fans. Personally, I only use the NFL as a hangover remedy on Sundays after college games...but I know tons of big NFL fans that will be very bored on September 4, 2011.

Yep, the NFL owners have opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Now they go back to the drawing board and try to hammer out another one.

Do you feel optimistic that a bunch of old, greedy millionaires can find common ground with a bunch of young, greedy millionaires?

I don't.

The owners complain about labor costs. They complain about rookie pool. They complain that they can't recoup lost bonus money when they knowingly draft a shithead player with prior legal problems who gets arrested a dozen times over two years.

Yet they don't seem to complain when an average Joe spends an inordinate amount of his salary just for the OPTION to buy seats to a game...much less the ridiculous amount of money it costs to actually attend. They don't complain about the billions in TV revenue that's flowing their direction.

The players complain about the salary cap. They complain about free-agency rules. They complain about the salary cap. Oh wait, I said that one.

Well if you don't think that will be the sticking point in negotiations...you are kidding yourself. Yes, the NBA has a cap...but it's sky-high considering they pay 12 guys. The MLB has a 'luxury tax' system...or whatever stupid creation they want to call it. But it's not a cap when one team spends $250M on their roster and another rolls up the change from the couch to afford a shitty, late-30's infielder with no gas left in the tank (I'm talking to you, Mark Grudzielanek).

Take this quote from NFLPA boss Gene Upshaw..."I'm not going to sell the players on a cap again. Once we go through the cap, why should we agree to it again?"

So, NFL fans, go ahead and start planning on a lot of yard work, painting the house or whatever else your wife has on your agenda. Your Sundays are screwed.

ESPN article about this mess