Madland on the NFL player-ower dispute

Where do NFL players stand in the contracts going into next season?

Well, the current contract between players and owners expires at the end of next season. Owners have opted out a year early of the existing agreement and have threatened to lock out the players, meaning cancel games in the 2011 season unless they get a new contract that they like a little better. That means that the 2010 season, the next season, could be the last for quite some time.

How do NFL players' labor agreements compare to those of otter workers?

NFL players receive 59 percent of the league's revenues. Unfortunately, in the wider economy, most workers don't share in the gains that they help create. That means, when their companies profit, workers don't necessarily do any better. For example, over the past 30 years, workers productivity has increased by about 75 percent. That helps companies do much much better. Unfortunately, workers have gotten only a very small share of that gains--about 20 percent of their increased productivity gains have been translated into increased wages.

What can American workers learn from the NFL negotiations?

You know, on first glance, it may seem a little ridiculous to claim there's relevance to this disputes between millionaires and billionaires to our working lives. But really, it's directly relevant that players can bargain on equal footing with the owners. Unfortunately, most workers are not able to bargain with their employers on relatively equal footing as part of a union. As a result, for most workers, wages have stayed flat, even as their companies have profited.

One final question: Who's going to win on Sunday, Drew Brees' Saints or Peyton Manning's Colts?

You know, my heart says the Saints and Drew Brees, but I just think Peyton Manning and the Colts are far too efficient. You know, they're not going to turn the ball over like the Vikings in the championship game, so I've got to say the Colts.