Why the NFL Will Get A Deal Done, Soon

By Ron Futrell @RonFutrell

(NOTE--This column was written July 7th. Well before anything was settled by NFL players and owners, Ron had accurate sources in the NFL who gave him vital information to come to this conclusion well before anybody else)

The NFL lockout will end soon and regular season games will not be lost. Book it.

After all the talk about TV deals, cash for players, percentages for owners and how much to pay retired players is hashed out, the biggest issue could be timing.

The first Sunday of the regular season falls on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Do not underestimate the power of that date and how it relates to this issue.

Let’s take the negative side first. Imagine empty stadiums on the 10th anniversary of the most horrific attack on American soil by foreign terrorists. Now---I’m in no way comparing the two here, just setting the stage for what the mindset of the American people will be on that day. While we honor those who died in the attacks and the talk is about “never again,” the fact that selfish billionaire owners and millionaire players could not work out a contract will create more animosity towards the NFL than they could imagine. “What, we can’t rebuild the Twin Towers and we can’t work out a deal to play football, what’s wrong with this country?” This will be the mindset of the average fan, and they would be right.

Now, let’s take the positive side. Let’s imagine football stadiums filled on that Sunday and NFL teams market properly and plan their pre-game ceremonies to build a patriotic bond between the fans and the future on this day of remembrance. The league has already told its teams that they will be wearing special 9/11 patches on that opening Sunday to remember what happened. There is nothing wrong with the league taking advantage of the timing here and working to create an atmosphere of optimism for America and for the future. Sports does this very well, and this will be another opportunity for the American passion of football to do it in a way that only it can.

"We will use the national platform to remember and reflect upon those who lost their lives and honor families who lost loved ones," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said via e-mail. "We also will salute the American spirit, the early responders on 9/11 and everyday heroes.

"We designed the schedule in a manner that would enable us to help appropriately commemorate, on a national level, September 11th and what it represents to Americans."

Let’s think back for a moment on what happened nearly 10 years ago. September 11, 2001 was a Tuesday morning. It is etched forever in our memories. NFL games were postponed the Sunday following 9/11 but made up the first weekend in January. Because of the nature of the sport, it would’ve been difficult for teams to properly prepare for a Sunday game. But when the NFL returned to play they gave appropriate recognition to what had happened. Every player in the league had a patch on their jersey to honor those who died on 9/11. The Jets and Giants wore special patches on their uniforms to honor firefighters from New York City. This is the first time the league has ever done something like this, the 10th anniversary will be the second time.