A Dissenting Opinion on the New Kickoff Rule

The NFL has approved a new rule moving kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35 and requiring coverage players to line up no more than five yards behind the tee, taking away the running start they usually have. The ostensible reason is player safety.

If the end result of the NFL's new kickoff rule is to reduce long kickoff returns, then yeah, I'll be pretty let down. As Bill Belichick said, kickoff returns are one of the most unpredictable, and therefore exciting, aspects of the game. Seattle's Week 3 win over San Diego was not "cheap" or "lucky" because it came through Leon Washington's return touchdowns; is not special teams a legitimate team unit unto itself?

Interestingly, the Seahawks were not one of the teams that voted against the new rule, despite how it might compromise Washington's value. Chicago was, but Devin Hester has not been returning kickoffs for years, only punts - and punts are unaffected by the rule change. (For the curious, the other five "nay" teams were Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Cleveland.)

Many are rightfully saying that this development will result in a lot more touchbacks and fewer decisions to run the ball back, which is probably true. But Seattle fullback Michael Robinson has a different angle; he feels that the removal of a running start for the coverage team will reduce the speed and violence of front-line hits and allow for more return yardage on the returns that do occur. It will also turn kickoff returns into power plays instead of finesse plays, leading teams to compensate by using larger players. This in turn would make blocks easier, requiring kickers to work harder at keeping the ball away from even less stellar returners. If this bears out on the field, it might make kickoff returns more of a boom-or-bust event.

Although Robinson still feels that the changes are unnecessarily marshmallowing the game, the last part has another possible ramification. When we think of "coverage men" or "gunners", we usually think of the faster and smaller players, because getting downfield quickly is crucial in covering or defending kickoffs. Running backs, receivers, tight ends, corners, and linebackers get the most work here (but only the quicker linemen). It's often at these positions that you'll see teams bringing in spares for training camp, sifting for potential gunners. Such considerations have no doubt helped keep Ben Obomanu on Seattle's roster through two coaching changes. But with larger players becoming more important on kickoff returns now, and any potential speed advantage being nullified by lack of a running start, the value could shift towards larger and slower players. It could redefine "kickoff gunners" a little bit. (Or not. Who knows.)

Robinson's Twitter account is worth the occasional look. His blocking value on the field is also a bit underrated by Seattle fans, in my humble opinion, but that's for another day.

NFL Antitrust Case Handed to District Judge Susan Nelson

In what could change the entire face of the NFLPA's antitrust suit against the NFL, the case has been handed to federal judge Susan Nelson - not David Doty, as most originally assumed would happen.

Nelson has scheduled the first hearing on the lockout injunction for April 6. This is actually fairly rapid, in terms of the usual judicial pace.

Nelson is a district judge for the District of Minnesota and was appointed a federal district judge last December, having served as a magistrate (the next level down) since 2000. She was nominated for the district seat by President Barack Obama.

Details of her legal history are hard to find (which may be a good thing), but she apparently litigated against big tobacco in a major case between the industry and the state of Minnesota. She's been known to make political contributions to members of the Democratic party.

The website for a Democratic senator who helped recommend Nelson says Nelson has "a reputation for being thorough, prepared and possesses a unique ability to bring parties together to resolve legal disputes."

Nelson's experience with the NFL includes the case "Dryer vs. NFL", involving the rights of former players to be represented in the league's video footage. She was still presiding when she was promoted to the District level and removed from the case.

This has the potential to re-shape the suit, as Doty was considered by some to be a shill for the NFLPA whom the league owners were desperate to edge out of the case. Doty will continue to hear the television revenue case until its resolution, as well as any damages claims proceeding from it.


Possibly unconnected is an Adam Schefter report that the NFLPA is now telling its players to boycott the draft. This would be very counterproductive. For further details involving the players' stance on Nelson and the negotiations in general, you might want to follow Doug Farrar's Twitter stream - he's getting some strong info from their conference call today, though very possibly with bias - expect a lot of he-said she-said this spring.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there's actually a site called "Judgepedia".


Sources: 

http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Susan_Richard_Nelson
http://www.minnpost.com/ericblack/2009/11/03/13110/susan_richard_nelson_to_be_named_federal_judge
http://klobuchar.senate.gov/newsreleases_detail.cfm?id=324133&
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/dneagles/Next-step-set-in-NFL-labor-fight.html

NFLPA Officially Dissolved, Sends Labor Battle to Court

The inevitable has come. The NFL Players Association has decertified as of 2PM Pacific time today and no longer exists as a union, renouncing its authority to bargain on behalf of NFL players.

Despite a dizzying and rather funny series of 11th-hour Twitter skirmishes, the NFLPA and the league owners were unable to find common ground. With ten minutes until the 5pm ET deadline for decertification, the union gave the owners the ultimatum to release 10 years of audited financial information - heavily guarded information and the pivot point for all the negotiations thus far - or decertification would occur. The owners failed to agree in time, the deadline passed, and the union made good on its threat.

The greatest significance of the union ceasing to exist is that it removes the league's protection against antitrust lawsuits brought on by the players, who can now seek a legal injunction that would prevent the lockout threatened by the owners. This is serious power on the part of the players, especially in light of the fact that the overseeing judge, David Doty, has a history of decisions favoring the players.

In other words, this does not rule out a 2011 NFL season. It also does not affect the draft, which will occur as normal. It does, however, forebode a long and ugly courtroom fight, an unpredictable and labor-dominated offseason, hazy and false information typical to high-profile courtroom cases, and leftover animosity that could sow the seeds for another labor dispute years down the road - as the last dispute did for this one.

We here at 17 Power will provide any pertinent headlines and opinions on the labor dispute that come forth, but our main goal is to strive to remain focused on the draft and the Seahawks during this time. Someone has to keep the Internet sane.

The Effect of the Draft on a CBA

Fan angst will ramp up as the CBA deadline looms, as will player uncertainty. I remain convinced that all of this is absolutely necessary from the owners' perspectives; their demands are big and across the board for a reason. I don't fear a long-term lockout, but a lockout of some length is mandatory if the two sides are going to see just how entrenched the other really is.

So, what if the draft comes and goes and no CBA has been reached? I personally see that as unlikely, because just as the March 3rd lockout date puts players and free agents in particular over the proverbial barrel, the draft date puts front offices over a barrel all their own. Other than the few big-name free agents every year who get top dollar, most free agent signings or re-signings are of the role player variety, thus eliminating or postponing a team need that HAS to be addressed in the draft. Since teams will be without the ability to re-sign even their own free agents, all 32 teams would go into the draft with more needs than picks. Postponing free agent signings until after the draft would leave agents and players with too much leverage over front offices desperate to fill roster talent deficiencies they were unable to fill during the draft.

So think of it this way: A lockout lasting until roughly Combine time or thereabouts is good for the owners, as that time period will evaluate the real cohesiveness of the players union.

A lockout lasting until after the draft would leave free agents with substantially more monetary leverage when a labor agreement is actually reached. Not to mention that the NFL likely does not want the prime time draft to be dominated by talk of the lockout and the inevitable millionaire vs. billionaire talk, and the always audible average joe complaints about spoiled athletes not being grateful for what they have got, etc, etc, etc.

One other factor: The excitement following the draft is often used to drive season ticket sales in places where fan interest has been flagging due to poor results. No labor agreement will effectively kill those ticket sales.