Die Anpflanzler [DA] » slinging mud in the

Dear CFL and CFLPA, Lets get this deal done gentlemen. Trying to keep the CBA negotiations private just hasnt happened, and it sounds like these discussions are going nowhere fast! This letter is in no way an attempt to take sides on the issues, but just a reminder to both sides to stay focused on the big picture. The season must start on time. It is better for the teams, better for the players, and most importantly, better for the fans. First to the CFL head office. You guys know better than anyone that the players for years have made sacrifices to keep the league alive and are grossly underpaid in comparison to the rest of the world of professional sports. So when you make a final offer, rather than tell the other side what they wont get, tell them what they do get...which is a real nice raise in the form of the cap being pushed up substantially. By doing so you show the players that while you may think it is too early to go back to revenue sharing, you do want to give the players an increase in the cap they cant refuse, a real increase. Secondly, to the players association. Lets not get obsessive about revenue sharing; if you can see that the offer, and increase in the cap, shows that the league is making the players the priority, get the deal signed. I understand you are playing the "so many players sacrificed in the past so now it is time to draw a line in the sand" card, however, as one of those players that back years ago took over a thirty per cent pay cut on a signed contract, I can tell you going on strike would in no way honour those players. Back then we never thought we would take pay cuts so that future players could shut the league down, and in doing so put it in jeopardy. In fact it was just the opposite. We put the game first back then, and wanted to avoid any chance of a work stoppage. So if you want to be a voice for the players of the past that sacrificed, then make sure the league kicks off on time. The facts are that years ago players knew, due to the shaky financial ground that the league was on, that our contracts were barely worth the paper they were written on because at any time a GM could say, "I know you have a signed deal but we are ripping it up and you have to play for less money!" However, what was also true at the time was owners like David Braley stepped up and put millions into the league to make sure that this great Canadian tradition would continue on for years to come. So yes, the players got paid less than their contracts read, but while that was happening owners were losing, at times, millions of their own hard earned dollars. Players deserve more money, and owners like David Braley and Bob Wetenhall deserve to go a few years where they actually make a profit and make some of the money they have lost back. A new television contract has changed the financial landscape of the game. It should all but guarantee that teams can be profitable no matter what their win/loss record looks like in any given year. Owners and in the case of community-owned teams, the taxpayers, will start to see the fruits of their labour and players will be compensated better for putting it all on the line when they cross the stripes. All of which is a given and may be over-simplifying. However, once again to the league, make the salary cap bump substantial and reflect how much you respect the importance of the players. And to the players, there may be a time down the road when you can hold tough on revenue sharing, but that time is not now. So get a good raise, take care of some other issues, kick off the season on time, and support your families. My father once told me that if someone starts slinging mud in the gutter, dont head to the gutter and start slinging mud back, because all that happens then is that everyone gets muddy. To both sides in these negotiations, this cant be about greed, about the sacrifices of past players, or about egos. The game is too important and the league is realizing momentum like never before in its history. Most importantly, remember none of this is possible without the fans. Right now people are looking at buying their season tickets and trying to make plans for their summer holidays, and those plans are on hold. Fans in our Nations Capital cant wait to have a home team again, and this time with owners that are in it for the long haul. Those fans are now putting their plans on hold while these negotiations continue. It is time to end the, "I go high, you go low," negotiation strategy and sit down and hammer out a deal. Negotiating privately was a massive fail, and it looks like both sides are now trying to sway public opinion, and that is when egos get involved. If it gets to that, shame on both sides, because at that point you are both just covered in mud. Sincerely, Glen Suitor Air Max Goedkoop .A. Happ capped a challenging season with one of his best efforts of the year. Nike Air Max Goedkoop China .C. -- North Carolina State coach Mark Gottfried said his team had a "golden" opportunity to help its NCAA tournament chances. http://www.airmaxbelgie.be/ . Those cheers seemed more special this time because the captains run on Broadway could soon be over. The adoration surely sounded much nicer to Callahan than all the recent trade talk. Nike Air Max Outlet Belgie . The 49ers announced the deal Tuesday. San Francisco selected Lloyd in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. Nike Air Max Belgie Online . Curtis Davies and Robert Koren secured the victory with goals inside 35 minutes of the fifth-round replay against the second-tier side.SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Kobe Bryant will make his long-awaited return from a torn left Achilles tendon when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. In a dramatic video posted on his Facebook page before the Lakers played at Sacramento on Friday night, Bryant set his much-anticipated comeback date. The video, which was also uploaded to the teams Facebook page, was titled: "Seasons of Legend. Lakers announce Kobes return." The video shows Bryants No. 24 jersey flapping in the wind. There is rain, sleet, snow and lightning for nearly 2 minutes. At one point, his jersey tears. Sunshine breaks through the clouds, and the video fades to black. Finally, words flash across the screen that read, "The Legend Continues...December 8." "Thats something special right there," Lakers teammate Nick Young quipped when a reporter showed him the video on his smartphone in the locker room. How effective Bryant will be against top-tier competition is the last lingering question in his return. Lakers coach Mike DAntoni said Bryant will likely be eased back into the lineup, though he declined to discuss how many minutes he will play in his first game. Asked what his expectations are for Bryant this season, DAntoni said, "That hell be a dominant player." "He can play any way," DAntoni said. "He can play below the rim, above the rim, the side of the rim. The guy can play any way. Hell figure out how hell be effective and hell come at you with everything hes got." Bryant did not travel with the team to Sacramento. The 15-time All-Star hasnt played since he was injured April 12 in a home win over the Golden Statte Warriors.dddddddddddd He had surgery the following morning and was projected to take six to nine months to recover. Bryants return has seemed imminent since he began practicing last month. The 35-year-old guard has said that he could adjust his game and contribute something to the Lakers even if hes not fully healthy when he finally steps on the court for his 18th NBA season. His teammates expect the same. "Hes the biggest competitor that there is. Happy to have him back," guard Jodie Meeks said. "Hes looked great. Obviously he has to get his timing back and his legs, but I know hes probably been training pretty hard. I dont think it will take him long at all." Los Angeles signed the fourth-leading scoring in NBA history to a two-year contract extension last week. Bryants new deal is reportedly worth $48.5 million and takes him into his 20th season with the Lakers. Bryant hasnt given up hope of adding a sixth championship ring to his trophy case, even while the Lakers struggle to keep up with the NBAs best teams. Los Angeles entered Friday nights game with a 9-9 record. Thats still slightly better than most Lakers fans expected this season after the departures of Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace coupled with the injuries to Bryant and 39-year-old point guard Steve Nash, who could return next week from the nerve root irritation in his back. "Weve developed some guys that are really going to contribute a lot, and it might not have happened if (Bryant) was here," DAntoni said. "You have to look at the bright side of it. Now we just have to get him back to the level that hes capable of playing." 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