Cancel the cancellation. The Arena Football League is back.
The AFL announced Wednesday there will be a 2000 season beginning in April because of the formation of a players organization prepared to settle differences through collective bargaining instead of pursuing an antitrust lawsuit filed by six players Feb. 4.
The cancellation was announced last Thursday, but the league still appeared willing to play ball this year if the majority of the players would support negotiating instead of suing.
The new group is called the Arena Football League Players’ Organizing Committee. According to the league, the AFLPOC has the signed support of more than 400 of the approximately 510 players who will be on rosters when training camps open March 19.
Every team will be represented by players in negotiations, which may begin as quickly as this weekend.
The new players committee will hire legal representation immediately.
It was expected that a Chicago local of the Teamsters would run the new group, but league deputy commissioner Ron Kurpiers said: “My understanding is, they [the Teamsters] are not involved. They couldn’t turn this around quickly enough to save the season.”
In a confidential conference call with players late Wednesday night, Kurpiers said the owners want an “interim collective bargaining agreement for the 2000 season” as quickly as possible, according to sources who asked not to be identified.
Kurpiers outlined a list of “preliminary terms” being offered by the owners, including year-round health care for players and their immediate families; a 401K retirement plan; and a minimum pay scale of $800 per game for rookies, $900 for second-year players and $1,000 for players entering at least their third seasons.
Free agency was mentioned but only for players with at least eight years of service.
As a safety measure, Kurpiers said replacement fields would be purchased immediately for a number of teams, including the Orlando Predators.
What happens to the antitrust suit remains to be seen. It was filed by players representing a group calling itself the AFL Players Association.
Attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who represents the players who filed the lawsuit, called the new committee “a sham” and said the reinstatement of the season is “a complete victory for what we are trying to do.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Kessler said about the AFLPOC serving as the exclusive bargaining representative of the players. “They [the owners] put a gun to the players’ heads.”
Kessler said he would continue to pursue the lawsuit and prove in court that the AFLPOC is not a valid group.
Regardless of the antitrust suit, the league, its ownership and apparently the majority of its players are ready for the 14th season to begin.
Commissioner David Baker still expects this season “to be the greatest ever” because of public awareness caused by the AFL background of Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner and new television contracts with TNN, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.
What about sponsors and fans?
“There has to be some damage, actually a tremendous amount of damage, from a business point of view,” Kurpiers said. “But I feel like the world has been lifted off our shoulders.”
Nothing but good news for the Predators, who believe their followers will stick with them.
“Our fans have been fantastic,” Predators General Manager Mark Novell said. “I’ve personally taken more than 200 phone calls, and while most have been upset, they’ve been supportive, too.”
Predators Coach Jay Gruden said he did not expect the weeklong “cancellation” of the season to interfere with his preparations for the mid-April start.
“All our players seemed to be on the same side, thank goodness for that,” Gruden said. “In fact, this may make our players come closer together.”
Predators fullback/linebacker Rick Hamilton agreed — and cautioned the league to be prepared for serious collective bargaining.
“We never wanted to hurt the league,” Hamilton said of the dissatisfied players, “but the owners can’t hold all the cards. This wasn’t about higher salaries as much as about improved medical benefits, a pension plan and a chance for honest free agency.”
Said defensive specialist Kenny McEntyre, “I knew we were going to have a season, but I’m still thrilled that this part is over.”
The question exists whether the cancellation of the season was more a ploy than a reality used by the league and its owners to prompt the majority of players into forming a union for collective bargaining.
“I don’t know if it was a bluff, but we didn’t want to lose the season,” said “Ironman” Barry Wagner, who has been the Predators’ biggest star but was traded in the off-season to the New Jersey Red Dogs. “Now we’ll see if we’ve sold ourselves to the devil or what.”
Whatever.
In any case, the Predators have one last comment:
Season tickets are on sale — again.arenaarenaAfter a weeklong cancellation, AFL is preparing for 2000intro>The Arena Football League will have a 2000 season thanks to a new players union and collective bargaining.
