1
00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,080
Speaker 1: What's up, guys, Chris Hary with you on a special

2
00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:17,160
Speaker 1: episode of Chargers Weekly. You're probably listening to this from home.

3
00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,840
Speaker 1: I hope everybody's hanging in okay, staying safe. We're taping

4
00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,600
Speaker 1: this on a Sunday evening. Just received word that NFL

5
00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,040
Speaker 1: Free Agencies scheduled to go off without any delays, and

6
00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,080
Speaker 1: earlier today the NFL players they agreed to ratify a

7
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,519
Speaker 1: new collective bargaining agreement. It brings us labor piece through

8
00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,240
Speaker 1: twenty thirty. To walk us through the key points a

9
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,560
Speaker 1: little bit later, Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic, But first

10
00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,800
Speaker 1: we bring in NFL Media's Judy Batista. All right, very

11
00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,880
Speaker 1: please be joined by Judy Batista of NFL Media. And Judy,

12
00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,880
Speaker 1: it's been a very uncertain times of the last few days,

13
00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,200
Speaker 1: a lot of news on Sunday. We have a new

14
00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,360
Speaker 1: collective bargaining agreement. The players ratified it today. Just your

15
00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,640
Speaker 1: overall thoughts on what's in the deal. We have ten

16
00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,720
Speaker 1: years of labor piece essentially, yeah, literally have eleven years

17
00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:11,360
Speaker 1: eleven year from from the last deal. Although you know

18
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:17,240
Speaker 1: it passed really narrowly sixty votes. So that's how I

19
00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:21,000
Speaker 1: think the deep the divisions were in the Union. Obviously,

20
00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,440
Speaker 1: there was a lot of pushback against the deal, especially

21
00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:29,000
Speaker 1: by some very high profile players and Rodgers Richard Sherman,

22
00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,840
Speaker 1: Russell Wilson, Um. You know, so I think probably on

23
00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,520
Speaker 1: the Union side they probably have a little the pair

24
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,720
Speaker 1: of work to do internally. But what it means is,

25
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:42,600
Speaker 1: you know, uninterrupted football for eleven years. The deal was

26
00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,920
Speaker 1: really geared towards the sort of middle class football player,

27
00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,360
Speaker 1: not the superstar player, the guys who play on minimum stalaries,

28
00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,920
Speaker 1: and that's estimated to be about sixty to sixty five

29
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,880
Speaker 1: percent of the players on rosters. So it would make

30
00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,400
Speaker 1: sense that the deal m got passed. You know, you

31
00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,960
Speaker 1: mentioned what uncertain times that says. I think that actually

32
00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,400
Speaker 1: played a role in pushing this over the finish line,

33
00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,440
Speaker 1: because certainly, you know, when we all left the combine

34
00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,320
Speaker 1: and this is first going to the players. For those

35
00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,240
Speaker 1: the sense was it would pass because those middle class

36
00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,480
Speaker 1: players would would vote, you know, with their own wallast

37
00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,760
Speaker 1: and push it through. And then in the middle of

38
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,760
Speaker 1: the voting it there was a real momentum swing toward

39
00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,119
Speaker 1: no because those sorry high Pole Fall players are really

40
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,320
Speaker 1: pushing back against it, and they had a great deal

41
00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,960
Speaker 1: of influence. But you know, the events of the last

42
00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,000
Speaker 1: week to ten days, with the wild fluctuations in the

43
00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,760
Speaker 1: stock markets and of course the coronavirus shutting down other sports,

44
00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,240
Speaker 1: I think really drove people back to the idea of

45
00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,680
Speaker 1: we that are take this deal while it's available. Tweeted

46
00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,880
Speaker 1: something to that fact earlier this week where he said,

47
00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,920
Speaker 1: you know, we have a chance to get economic certainty,

48
00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,520
Speaker 1: and it came of great uncertainty, and I really think

49
00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,640
Speaker 1: that it was that idea that stops us over the

50
00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:06,320
Speaker 1: finish line. And there's so many things in this agreement,

51
00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,480
Speaker 1: and let's just start with something that's going to go

52
00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,080
Speaker 1: into effect this year. Seven playoff teams. Now, so you

53
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,880
Speaker 1: have seven teams from the AFC and NFC, and if

54
00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,760
Speaker 1: I'm not mistaken, only one team gets a buy now, correct,

55
00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:24,639
Speaker 1: incredibly important now to try to get that by So

56
00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,080
Speaker 1: that's going in this year. And then the other stuff

57
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,359
Speaker 1: that's in, you know, in the deal for this year

58
00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,440
Speaker 1: that they're going to start this year is right away

59
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,000
Speaker 1: minimum salary. Guys are going to get raises this year,

60
00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,120
Speaker 1: and that was obviously important. And then of course in

61
00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,640
Speaker 1: a few years the league will have to like to

62
00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:43,880
Speaker 1: go to seventeen games, and they certainly will go to

63
00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,880
Speaker 1: seventeen games. That's going to happen in conjunction with the

64
00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,160
Speaker 1: new television contracts that are being negotiated or will be

65
00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,800
Speaker 1: earliest they have. The window to expand to seventeen games

66
00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,040
Speaker 1: is between twenty twenty one and twenty twenty three, so

67
00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,440
Speaker 1: that is huge obviously with the huge stumbling block for

68
00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,560
Speaker 1: a lot of players, seventeen games, and that was something

69
00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,520
Speaker 1: that was really important to owners because that is expected

70
00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:14,640
Speaker 1: to drive those television contracts way up. And as depending

71
00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,120
Speaker 1: on how far up they go, the players will get

72
00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,040
Speaker 1: a little bit more percentage was they will get forty

73
00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,120
Speaker 1: eight point five percent if the contracts go up sixty percent.

74
00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,839
Speaker 1: It's possible they go even higher forty eight point eight percent,

75
00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,719
Speaker 1: depending on what the contracts deliver. So you know, that's

76
00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,640
Speaker 1: the next sort of thing to watch, is what the

77
00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,119
Speaker 1: television contracts are going to look like. But seventeen games

78
00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,200
Speaker 1: is on the horizon. They put some things in the

79
00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,200
Speaker 1: contract to try to minimize the wear and pare of that.

80
00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,000
Speaker 1: They're going to increase the roster size by a two spots,

81
00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,240
Speaker 1: increase the size of the practice squads, reduced the number

82
00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:53,080
Speaker 1: of padded practice in training camps and then put a

83
00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,000
Speaker 1: cap on how many padded practices you can have in

84
00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,440
Speaker 1: the regular season, even when it goes to seventeen games.

85
00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,600
Speaker 1: So they're going to try to many gates they were

86
00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,159
Speaker 1: and care you know, we're gonna have to see how

87
00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,919
Speaker 1: it goes. That was obviously a big concern for the players.

88
00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,240
Speaker 1: So the seventeen games, obviously it's an odd number. How

89
00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,960
Speaker 1: are they going to dictate how many home games and

90
00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:16,360
Speaker 1: away games did you get? Is that going to alternate annually? Yeah,

91
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,839
Speaker 1: that hasn't been figured out yet. Actually, the most recent

92
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,799
Speaker 1: things that they're playing around with is it would alternate

93
00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,039
Speaker 1: by conference, so you know, one year the AFC would

94
00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,920
Speaker 1: get the extra home game and the next year the

95
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,279
Speaker 1: NFC would, But that's not a sentenced one yet. For

96
00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,040
Speaker 1: a while, during negotiations, service of thoughts, you know, because

97
00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,480
Speaker 1: you maybe play the seventeen game on a neutral field,

98
00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,599
Speaker 1: would that maybe be an international game for everybody? But

99
00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,719
Speaker 1: those ideas seem fallen by the wayside. So we'll see

100
00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,120
Speaker 1: what they come up with. But that has not been yet,

101
00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,280
Speaker 1: and you know, again they've got a few years to

102
00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,799
Speaker 1: figure that out, because it's not going to start seventeen

103
00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,839
Speaker 1: games won't start this year and probably won't even start

104
00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,680
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty one, so they got a little time

105
00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,440
Speaker 1: to figure that out. And you mentioned the roster sizes.

106
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:02,280
Speaker 1: I think this is important because it goes to forty

107
00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,880
Speaker 1: six to forty eight players, but you have to have

108
00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,600
Speaker 1: a minimum of eight offensive linemen on game day if

109
00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,520
Speaker 1: I'm not mistaken. How did they come to that correct?

110
00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,799
Speaker 1: You know, that's a big concern as having an extra

111
00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:16,560
Speaker 1: offensive one. I'm like, I mean, I think we have

112
00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,000
Speaker 1: all public games where I write people for the blue

113
00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,800
Speaker 1: out of linemen, so that was a big thing. Um,

114
00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,680
Speaker 1: you know, increasing the roster size, I have no doubt

115
00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,440
Speaker 1: that the Union probably hoped to increase the roster size

116
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,679
Speaker 1: even more. They're getting more spots on the practice squad.

117
00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,159
Speaker 1: It's a little complicated. You can also bring guys up

118
00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:39,120
Speaker 1: from the practice squad and keep them active, so there.

119
00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,960
Speaker 1: The bottom line is they are going to be more

120
00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:47,200
Speaker 1: players available on game day and that's the important part. Obviously, Judy,

121
00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,599
Speaker 1: with so much uncertainty over the last few days, what

122
00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,720
Speaker 1: are you hearing about free agency? I know a lot

123
00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,360
Speaker 1: of things can be done over a computer or a telephone,

124
00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,880
Speaker 1: but I have to imagine, especially with this new CBA

125
00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,960
Speaker 1: being ratified, there's so many things going on in such

126
00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,520
Speaker 1: a short period of time right now. Yeah, well, actually,

127
00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,320
Speaker 1: you know we're here, we are talking on Sunday evening,

128
00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,560
Speaker 1: and they just sent out a memo from the league

129
00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,040
Speaker 1: office to the team saying free agency is going to open.

130
00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:17,160
Speaker 1: The league year is going to start on time on

131
00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:21,960
Speaker 1: Wednesday afternoon, So buckle up. I think there was a

132
00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,680
Speaker 1: lot of pent up stuff that we're going to see

133
00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:27,880
Speaker 1: unleashed now because teams were waiting to see what the

134
00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:29,640
Speaker 1: rules were going to be. There were different rules in

135
00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,400
Speaker 1: place if the CBA did not get approved. So now

136
00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,040
Speaker 1: that everything is in place, I think we're we already

137
00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:38,480
Speaker 1: sort of thoughts this afternoon, this sort of flood of

138
00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,840
Speaker 1: rule of deals. Right Ryan Tannehill got an extension, so

139
00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,400
Speaker 1: you know, I think we're gonna see a real blood

140
00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:48,880
Speaker 1: of franchise tags and all of that if they have

141
00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,720
Speaker 1: the franchise tag by tomorrow. So I think things are

142
00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,680
Speaker 1: going to move very quickly, and then you're going to

143
00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,880
Speaker 1: have this sort of bananas free agency because there's so

144
00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,600
Speaker 1: many quarterbacks of headline to ports by Tom Brady, which

145
00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,760
Speaker 1: is I mean It's crazy how many top level quarterbacks

146
00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,040
Speaker 1: are on the market, unprecedented and so that's the add

147
00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,800
Speaker 1: obviously an extra bit of luster the free agency that

148
00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,040
Speaker 1: we just you know, the only thing I can compare

149
00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:18,600
Speaker 1: it to is the year that Peyton Manning was a

150
00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,400
Speaker 1: free agent, right and we were all tracking his movements

151
00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,320
Speaker 1: for a few days. And I suspect that's what this

152
00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,120
Speaker 1: is going to be like the next few days. Yeah,

153
00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,559
Speaker 1: there's gonna be so many big dominoes that need to fall.

154
00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,920
Speaker 1: And then when you consider the schedule release, we don't

155
00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,319
Speaker 1: know where the marquee quarterbacks are going to be at

156
00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,319
Speaker 1: this point, so that puts another wrinkle in just the

157
00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,960
Speaker 1: schedule release. And then oh, by the way, we're supposed

158
00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,040
Speaker 1: to have an NFL Draft in Las Vegas, and we

159
00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,640
Speaker 1: don't know what's going to happen with that at this point. Yeah,

160
00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:48,400
Speaker 1: we don't really know beyond free agency opening, we don't

161
00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,840
Speaker 1: really know more about how things are going to unfold

162
00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,920
Speaker 1: this offseason because there is so much uncertainty. Certainly, I

163
00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,120
Speaker 1: think most people are in the league think that the

164
00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,520
Speaker 1: start of the off season programs is going to have

165
00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:03,880
Speaker 1: to be pushed back. You know, I don't know what's

166
00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,120
Speaker 1: going to happen with the draft. Certainly they've got a

167
00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:08,920
Speaker 1: little bit of time to wait and see, but not much,

168
00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,040
Speaker 1: you know, maybe another week. I mean, we already saw

169
00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,560
Speaker 1: the Masters postponed, and the Masters happens right before the draft,

170
00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:18,400
Speaker 1: so I you know, I suspect it's hard to imagine

171
00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:20,040
Speaker 1: that they're going to be able to have the sort

172
00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:23,240
Speaker 1: of big extravaganza for the draft like we've seen in

173
00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,800
Speaker 1: recent years, with the huge gatherings of fans. It's just

174
00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:31,240
Speaker 1: hard to imagine that that's going to be okay, you know,

175
00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,400
Speaker 1: in only seve weeks. So they're going to have to

176
00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,600
Speaker 1: come up with whatever solution they're going to come up

177
00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,800
Speaker 1: with with the draft, you know, wherever they're going to

178
00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,959
Speaker 1: do it, and whatever kind of setting they're going to

179
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,040
Speaker 1: have it in, and you know, I look, I think

180
00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,280
Speaker 1: they're trying to figure it out, just like everybody else

181
00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:50,200
Speaker 1: is trying to figure everything out, just like you're seeing

182
00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:53,520
Speaker 1: local government officials trying to figure out what to do

183
00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:55,959
Speaker 1: about closing their schools. I mean, the NFL was trying

184
00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,560
Speaker 1: to figure out how to conduct this business, just like

185
00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,720
Speaker 1: everybody else. And they're sort of, you know, as they

186
00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,600
Speaker 1: go along they're having to make decisions on what to do.

187
00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,360
Speaker 1: And you know, certainly, I think everybody expects that the

188
00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,000
Speaker 1: draft is going to have to be adjusted in some

189
00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,920
Speaker 1: way and we'll just have to wait and see. Well

190
00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,120
Speaker 1: everybody's adjusting. I know, there's so many people working from home.

191
00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,480
Speaker 1: I know that the free agency is going to be

192
00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,240
Speaker 1: different for a lot of teams and really these players too,

193
00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:25,440
Speaker 1: because these visits they're not going to happen like they've

194
00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,280
Speaker 1: happened in the past. These physicals are not going to

195
00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,080
Speaker 1: happen right away, right yeah. And that's actually you know

196
00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,560
Speaker 1: a lot of team executives were sort of saying this

197
00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:34,400
Speaker 1: in the you know, in the last few days when

198
00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,080
Speaker 1: it became clear that like traveling was not probably not

199
00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,439
Speaker 1: something you were going to want to do. Like, how

200
00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,040
Speaker 1: are they going to do that? You know, for the top,

201
00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:45,439
Speaker 1: top level free agents, right, like a term Brady, you

202
00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,160
Speaker 1: don't have to take a trip, right, Like, they're not

203
00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,520
Speaker 1: flying around. Yeah, you know the deal, you know the deal.

204
00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:54,080
Speaker 1: But the middle level guys who take trips, right and

205
00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,480
Speaker 1: teams want to bring them in and talk to them

206
00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:59,400
Speaker 1: and see what they're all about. How does that work?

207
00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:01,480
Speaker 1: I mean, are they just going to do these visits

208
00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,520
Speaker 1: like by skype, Like nobody quite knows what to do.

209
00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:06,440
Speaker 1: And then, as you know, all of these deals are

210
00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,760
Speaker 1: contingent on passing a physical. How's that going to work?

211
00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:11,640
Speaker 1: You know? Are you going to put the guy on

212
00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:13,800
Speaker 1: a plane. Are you going to fly on by private

213
00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,199
Speaker 1: plane to your facility? Are you just going to make

214
00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,160
Speaker 1: the deal contingent on a physical whenever that happens, And

215
00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,400
Speaker 1: that means the deal is not official, which theoretically means

216
00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,079
Speaker 1: players or the team could back out of it. I mean,

217
00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:30,360
Speaker 1: there are so many unknown here about how they're going

218
00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,199
Speaker 1: to proceed that they're going to have to figure out

219
00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,040
Speaker 1: as they go along. But again, the memo went out

220
00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,960
Speaker 1: tonight that free agency is opening on time, so they've

221
00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:40,320
Speaker 1: got to figure it out. And that's the thing too, Judy.

222
00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,959
Speaker 1: We're talking now in an hour or two hours, and

223
00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,440
Speaker 1: believe I'm getting this podcast up ACEP so we can

224
00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:49,440
Speaker 1: we can inform folks on what happened today. But things

225
00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,040
Speaker 1: are so fluid at this moment. Yeah, we don't know

226
00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,600
Speaker 1: what's happening in the sports world, the NFL world, in

227
00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,520
Speaker 1: really the country in general. Yeah, I think at the

228
00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,920
Speaker 1: start us today, most people around the league thought they

229
00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,319
Speaker 1: pushback free agency. I mean really most people when you

230
00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,600
Speaker 1: talk to you so while they're you know, it's probably

231
00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:07,640
Speaker 1: not going to start right away, and you know they'll

232
00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:10,679
Speaker 1: take a few weeks, and you know, here we are

233
00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,240
Speaker 1: they're starting it. So yes, things are changing. Um, you

234
00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:19,280
Speaker 1: know my hourly and you know, I think the only

235
00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:21,160
Speaker 1: certain tea we have right now is free agency is

236
00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,400
Speaker 1: going to open and pretty much nothing after that. Again,

237
00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,360
Speaker 1: you know, we don't know when off season programs are

238
00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,360
Speaker 1: going to start. We certainly don't know things like you know,

239
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,600
Speaker 1: rookie mini camps. I mean, we just have no idea

240
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,960
Speaker 1: what's going to be possible, um, you know, and what

241
00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:38,040
Speaker 1: people are going to be comfortable with. I think, look,

242
00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,760
Speaker 1: you know you're working from home. I'm in a hotel

243
00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,400
Speaker 1: right now, but I will be working from home after

244
00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,720
Speaker 1: free agency is over. So um, a lot of teams

245
00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,920
Speaker 1: have sent their staffs home for the most part. You know,

246
00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,760
Speaker 1: they don't want people in their buildings either, So it's unknown,

247
00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,120
Speaker 1: and who knows how long everything is going to have

248
00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,080
Speaker 1: to be that way. So again they're you know, they're

249
00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:00,839
Speaker 1: sort of making it up to say go along, just

250
00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,040
Speaker 1: like a lot of people are. No doubt, now, Judy,

251
00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:05,240
Speaker 1: you're gonna be on NFL Network this week. Where can

252
00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:08,960
Speaker 1: we find you? We have Free Agency Frenzy, which is

253
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,400
Speaker 1: basically all day and starting tomorrow. It actually started today

254
00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,120
Speaker 1: with a few hours of at it and then Monday, Tuesday,

255
00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,599
Speaker 1: Wednesday and Thursday Free Agency Frenzy. I know it'll be

256
00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,079
Speaker 1: something new to watch. It'll be something new to watch.

257
00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,320
Speaker 1: I know. I know NFL fans are excited to see

258
00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:27,800
Speaker 1: which players are coming to their teams and on all

259
00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:29,800
Speaker 1: the movement around the league, and I think it brings

260
00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,800
Speaker 1: a lot of reprieve to people into sports world. And

261
00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,319
Speaker 1: I know that everyone's gonna be watching Free Agency Frenzy

262
00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,080
Speaker 1: on Monday. Judy Batista, thank you so much for your time.

263
00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,280
Speaker 1: Thank you. Great to talk to you all right. Very

264
00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,640
Speaker 1: pleased to bring in sports business reporter Daniel Kaplan of

265
00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:52,000
Speaker 1: the Athletic DAN. It's been an unprecedented past three or

266
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,040
Speaker 1: four days when we just talk about the sports world

267
00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,880
Speaker 1: in general before we get into the CBA. Just your

268
00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,440
Speaker 1: reaction to the entire sports world shutting down. Owned as

269
00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:05,439
Speaker 1: a sports business reporter, well, um, ironically, as a sports

270
00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:10,120
Speaker 1: business reporter, it almost gives me an untasted amount of

271
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:15,080
Speaker 1: stories to write about, what what happens to revenues, what

272
00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:19,600
Speaker 1: happens to contracts. You know what, CBS has paid a

273
00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,920
Speaker 1: lot of money to televise the Masters, to televise and

274
00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,840
Speaker 1: see a tournament. How is that going to pan out?

275
00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,840
Speaker 1: You know? Obviously, same same questions at the NBA, the NHL,

276
00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:36,040
Speaker 1: different networks. So ironically, as a sports business reporter, there's

277
00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,040
Speaker 1: a lot to write about. It's the it's the reporters

278
00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,960
Speaker 1: who cover the teams. They've they've really they've got their

279
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,880
Speaker 1: work cut out for them in terms of where they're

280
00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,280
Speaker 1: going to write about with no games. Well, yeah, we

281
00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,160
Speaker 1: woke up this morning not knowing what was going to

282
00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:54,120
Speaker 1: happen with this new collective bargaining agreement. It passes by

283
00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:59,800
Speaker 1: just a narrow, narrow margin. Your overall reaction to how

284
00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,200
Speaker 1: it pass and how how close the margin was, and

285
00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,560
Speaker 1: then just what's in it in general? Well, I was

286
00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:09,320
Speaker 1: surprised it was so narrow. I realized it was controversial,

287
00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,360
Speaker 1: and the board a player reps narrowly passed passed it

288
00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,840
Speaker 1: and sent it on a full membership. But because it's

289
00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,600
Speaker 1: raising minimum salary in sixty to sixty five percent of

290
00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:26,480
Speaker 1: NFL players around the minimum. I figured, well, they would

291
00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,600
Speaker 1: it would pass easily as we as you as he said,

292
00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,560
Speaker 1: it did not pass easily. It was believed about fifty

293
00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,680
Speaker 1: one and a half percent to forty eight and a

294
00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,440
Speaker 1: half percent. It needed a simple majority to pass. So

295
00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,960
Speaker 1: the reason it was so controversial is largely because of

296
00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:47,920
Speaker 1: the seven teams game. If the those who are against

297
00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,800
Speaker 1: it feel if the NFL is serious about health and safety,

298
00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,960
Speaker 1: they wouldn't be adding a game to the regular season.

299
00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,960
Speaker 1: But it was a non negotiable item for the league,

300
00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:01,280
Speaker 1: and the NFLPA decided to try to get a concessions

301
00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,680
Speaker 1: from the league on other matters like minimon salaries. And

302
00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:07,600
Speaker 1: here we are, there's a seventeenth games not starting this

303
00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:10,600
Speaker 1: season this coming season, but as perhaps the earliest twenty

304
00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:14,160
Speaker 1: twenty one. So with that seventeenth game, teams only have

305
00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,880
Speaker 1: three preseason games now. And you said, this doesn't go

306
00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,560
Speaker 1: into effect this year, may not even be next year,

307
00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,960
Speaker 1: but it's probably coming sooner than later. One of the

308
00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,440
Speaker 1: things that is coming into play, I briefly touch on

309
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,480
Speaker 1: this with duty is just the seven playoff teams that's

310
00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:33,520
Speaker 1: going into effect this year. As someone who's covered the

311
00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,960
Speaker 1: league and it's been thirty two teams, six playoff teams

312
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,560
Speaker 1: from each conference. How different is this going to be

313
00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,280
Speaker 1: for you to see seven playoff teams with only one

314
00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:46,440
Speaker 1: team getting to buy? Well, I it's different for everybody, clearly,

315
00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:50,160
Speaker 1: and obviously the team that gets to buy will now

316
00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:55,960
Speaker 1: have an even greater advantage than the four. But look,

317
00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,240
Speaker 1: it's not a o the second team losing the buy.

318
00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,760
Speaker 1: I'm not sure it's a tremendous differences. An extra game,

319
00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,919
Speaker 1: a couple of extra games we get to see. Clearly,

320
00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:11,679
Speaker 1: they'll be more revenue coming in from the broadcasters who

321
00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,360
Speaker 1: will jump up a chance to show more NFL Playoffs games.

322
00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,800
Speaker 1: So it's different for fans, it's different for the media,

323
00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,920
Speaker 1: different for the players. But um, you know, at the

324
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,480
Speaker 1: end of the day, in terms of the percent of

325
00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,800
Speaker 1: teams that makes the playoffs, it's not a it's not

326
00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,199
Speaker 1: it's not greatly different from any to any of the

327
00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,680
Speaker 1: other leagues. Roster sizes they also increase from forty six

328
00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,239
Speaker 1: to forty eight players, but you have to have a

329
00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,880
Speaker 1: minimum of eight offensive linemen. How big of a deal

330
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,760
Speaker 1: was this for the players to have those roster sizes

331
00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:48,840
Speaker 1: increase on that practice squad? Well, the increases on the

332
00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:52,560
Speaker 1: practice squad and increases on the general roster um. But

333
00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,240
Speaker 1: it was a key key point for the NFLPA that

334
00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:59,920
Speaker 1: they wanted roster sizes to increase, especially if you will

335
00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:03,160
Speaker 1: go and have a seventeenth game for health and safety reasons.

336
00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:08,439
Speaker 1: And when I said earlier that the NFLPA conceded the

337
00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,240
Speaker 1: seventies game point, they did so knowing that they could

338
00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:16,120
Speaker 1: perhaps extract concessions from the owners. And this was one

339
00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,040
Speaker 1: of them practices too. I know that was one of

340
00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:20,880
Speaker 1: your ten takeaways. And by the way, if you haven't

341
00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,760
Speaker 1: seen this, then you have a piece up on the

342
00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:28,480
Speaker 1: Athletic Today. Ten important changes in the new NFLCBA very

343
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,439
Speaker 1: informative for fans that want to learn more about this

344
00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:34,119
Speaker 1: because it's such a robust deal. I think you mentioned

345
00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:36,240
Speaker 1: it's four hundred and thirty nine pages. This is just

346
00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,360
Speaker 1: some of the key takeaways that you took. But if

347
00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:43,520
Speaker 1: you could maybe expand on the practices and how that changes, sure,

348
00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:45,920
Speaker 1: I mean, it's not the number of practices per sade,

349
00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:50,080
Speaker 1: it's the number of padded practices. And obviously the one

350
00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:54,400
Speaker 1: of the key rights of players is that the practice

351
00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:58,320
Speaker 1: they get beat up in practices the NFL. The NFL's

352
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:03,560
Speaker 1: and cussion statistics have shown that, especially that there's an

353
00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:08,159
Speaker 1: annoying number of concussions and practices. If they can reduce those,

354
00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:12,919
Speaker 1: that will go a long way for health and safety concerns.

355
00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:16,960
Speaker 1: That that said, it's hard to look at that and say, well,

356
00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,399
Speaker 1: that makes up to the seventeen game. Nothing is like

357
00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:23,480
Speaker 1: a game, and I'm in the opinion that the leagues

358
00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,320
Speaker 1: never should about it the seventeen game if they truly

359
00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:31,640
Speaker 1: care about health and safety issues. Revenue sharing goes up

360
00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:34,240
Speaker 1: from forty seven to forty eight percent, it could go

361
00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,920
Speaker 1: up as much as forty eight and a half percent,

362
00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,480
Speaker 1: and when you couple the fact that these network deals

363
00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,640
Speaker 1: are going to be in play over the next couple

364
00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,359
Speaker 1: of years, this is a big piece of the pie

365
00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:47,880
Speaker 1: for the players. No, potentially, yes, I mean obviously, now,

366
00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:54,360
Speaker 1: given everything going on with the economy with coronavirus, it's

367
00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:56,800
Speaker 1: probably not the right time for the league to jump

368
00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,760
Speaker 1: in on the media rights negotiations and actual to builds

369
00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,760
Speaker 1: high forty eight point eight percent, that would be if

370
00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:09,200
Speaker 1: the league negotiated one hundred twenty increase in the media

371
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,600
Speaker 1: rights deals. But that being said, is when you're expecting

372
00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,880
Speaker 1: two hundred billion dollars over the course of the ten

373
00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:18,920
Speaker 1: eleven years, perhaps more. You know, one one and a

374
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,520
Speaker 1: half percent increase is a lot of money, Daniel, I

375
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,360
Speaker 1: want to get you out of here on this. Your

376
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,280
Speaker 1: reaction to just having free agency a little bit different

377
00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:32,040
Speaker 1: this year. Obviously, there's not going to be the physicals,

378
00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:33,920
Speaker 1: there's not going to be the visits that we're used

379
00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:36,520
Speaker 1: to seeing a lot of the stuff. You're working from home.

380
00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,119
Speaker 1: I'm working from home. I got a portable podcast studio

381
00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,639
Speaker 1: right now as we take this on a Sunday night.

382
00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,240
Speaker 1: How is this week going to be different for NFL

383
00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:48,480
Speaker 1: teams knowing that you're not going to be able to

384
00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:51,639
Speaker 1: bring these guys into the building this week. Well, I

385
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,400
Speaker 1: suppose it's going to be very different, like this week

386
00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:57,840
Speaker 1: will and feature weeks will be for all of us.

387
00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,400
Speaker 1: I'm walking from home, kids are home from school. They'll

388
00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:05,640
Speaker 1: be remote learning, as the new catch phrases starting next week,

389
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,760
Speaker 1: and in NFL players and where the teams, it'll be remote.

390
00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,479
Speaker 1: I think you can't quite do remote physical, but everything

391
00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:17,320
Speaker 1: else will be remote, and it will be a different

392
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:21,720
Speaker 1: free agency period, and it's not just free agency. It'll

393
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,600
Speaker 1: be interesting to see the early camps in April if

394
00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,359
Speaker 1: those are held. The CDC today recommended for the next

395
00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,639
Speaker 1: eight weeks. No, we're gatherings of fifty or more people

396
00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,879
Speaker 1: that could put a crimp in early camps and then

397
00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,840
Speaker 1: obviously for the NFL Draft. It's very hard to see

398
00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,560
Speaker 1: the NFL Draft going off as plan in Las Vegas,

399
00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,359
Speaker 1: and I would expect a decision by the league but

400
00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:46,920
Speaker 1: at least by the end of the week what they're

401
00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,480
Speaker 1: going to do with the draft in Vegas, Dah, We're

402
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,840
Speaker 1: living hour by hour these days. I'm sure you're gonna

403
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:55,400
Speaker 1: have a lot to cover. You mentioned at the top

404
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,879
Speaker 1: that you're gonna have no shortage of stories. What are

405
00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:00,680
Speaker 1: you working on? What do you think we can see

406
00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,280
Speaker 1: from you in the next week or so? Well, I

407
00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,119
Speaker 1: want to do a story before the NFL distogram. Why

408
00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,320
Speaker 1: can't they do on draft contingency plans or what are

409
00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,840
Speaker 1: what are some of the options? Do they make it

410
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,159
Speaker 1: a studio show? Do they just put it in a

411
00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,840
Speaker 1: ballroom in Vegas? Do they? Um, you know, do they

412
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,160
Speaker 1: do the phone bank where people who are the team

413
00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,560
Speaker 1: just call in? Uh? What what what do they do? Um?

414
00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,840
Speaker 1: That's that's a that's the key that's the key question.

415
00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,840
Speaker 1: I'm looking at so plans that I'm a draft. That's

416
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,520
Speaker 1: the that's the key focus for this week. Daniel Kaplan

417
00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:36,760
Speaker 1: of The Athletic does great work. If you don't have

418
00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,639
Speaker 1: a subscription to The Athletic, you gotta get one. I

419
00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,120
Speaker 1: think there's gonna be a lot of important stories being

420
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,240
Speaker 1: told over the next several weeks. Dan Kaplin, really appreciate

421
00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,320
Speaker 1: your time tonight and wish you all the best. I

422
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,200
Speaker 1: wish you all the best. Thank you all right, guys,

423
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:52,800
Speaker 1: that's going to do it for us. A big thanks

424
00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,600
Speaker 1: to Daniel and Judy for joining me, and of course

425
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,760
Speaker 1: thanks to you all for listening. We're gonna have you

426
00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,280
Speaker 1: covered all week long year on the Chargers pie Cast

427
00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:03,640
Speaker 1: network with free agency, the draft, and any other news

428
00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,240
Speaker 1: that may come about. Appreciate you guys listening. Like I

429
00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,320
Speaker 1: said at the top, stay safe, stay at home, and

430
00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:11,359
Speaker 1: until next time, I'm Chris Hary.