🏈 Why We Needed The NFL’s New CBA

It’s not perfect. But in increasingly uncertain times, knowing football will be back is the little bit of normalcy we all need. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: The NFL’s new CBA means a little bit of normalcy in these uncertain times ... we celebrate 3:16 Day with the Texas Rattlesnake himself ... and the Tom Brady Sweepstakes begins in earnest now that free agency is upon us. It says something about the times we are living in when the mere fact that something won’t be postponed is cause for a major sigh of relief, yet that is essentially what the elbow bump agreement between the National Football League and its players association on Sunday was all about. As much as blissful harmony between team owners and the athletes that collect wages from them would be nice, the best bit about the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement running through 2030 was that there won’t be a work stoppage, at least not for reasons of industrial dispute. [STORY IMAGE 1] Who knows how long the coronavirus shutdown will upend our lives and afflict our cherished sports? This column doesn’t pretend to have any kind of inside track on the medical front, our best advice being that investing in a quality bidet is a surefire way to delay toilet roll shortage anxiety. Humanity has survived because of our ability to roll with the punches, and while this is quite the modern test, our predecessors had to go through a lot more at various times. Yet one thing that’s certain is that when this all wraps up, whenever that may be, we will all be thoroughly fatigued of upheaval. There will be a hankering for normalcy once COVID-19 is contained to an acceptable level and the current stresses on life subside. A cease in activities involving America’s favorite sport and national obsession, or even an impasse that threatened one, would have been wholly unwelcome and felt like another blow to the gut. Of course, there are more important things than being able to indulge in the activity of watching sports, which is a form of entertainment and an enjoyable pastime, not something we were ever entitled to by right. But part of healing from dark periods in human history, especially those that cause great hardship and extensive loss of life, is an ability for things to eventually return to normal. [STORY IMAGE 2] In football at least, as long as the current shutdown on public gatherings does not extend all through the summer and into the back end of the year, standard operations should be possible. In truth, it never seemed like a stalemate, even on the scale of the one seen in the NFL in 2011, would come particularly close to fruition. There were some vocal and high-profile critics of the owners’ offer, with Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, J.J. Watt and Richard Sherman all adamant that the players could and should hold out for better. In the end, the package put together that will allocate the players a piece of the revenue pie that can climb to as much as 48.8 percent, increase the regular season to 17 games, and also see two extra playoff teams tacked on, got the requisite number of “yes” votes. We haven’t been hearing many final scorelines lately, but this one came in at 1,019 to 959, with several hundred players not voting. [STORY IMAGE 3] It is a complex matter. Fears over player safety due to the extra game were the biggest sticking point for the detractors, but additional revenue benefits and increased roster sizes were seemingly enough of a carrot to persuade the required number of affirmers. In Sports Illustrated, Conor Orr questioned whether football fans are ready for an increase in the amount of football we see. “The question the NFL and its loving stable of network partners have yet to answer for themselves is how the rest of you will feel about it,” Orr wrote. “Could you get tired of football again? How much is too much?” I’m not in the business of issuing absolute predictions as to how we might mentally rebound from this strange period of social nervousness and sporting void, but personally speaking, I highly doubt we've reached that saturation point. I’m already desperate for something to watch. [STORY IMAGE 4] Judging by social media, I’m not alone. If thousands of sports fanatics are gravitating towards things they wouldn’t normally watch — Australian rugby, Mexican soccer, European badminton and online video game racing — imagine how they will react to the return of their favorite viewing pleasures. The football offseason always feels long, and you already know that this one will feel longer than ever. But, when the time is right, football will be back, pretty much as we know it — and with a little bit more of it as a viewing bonus, starting perhaps as early as next season. It wasn’t the most important news of the weekend and, in truth, it’s not even news that needs processing right now. But we’ll take it. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Mike Jones, USA Today: “Now the nation's most prominent professional sports league will enjoy another 11 years of uninterrupted labor peace. As the outcome of the vote indicates, this wasn’t a slam dunk. This wasn’t a no-brainer for a lot of players. The new CBA isn’t at all perfect. That’s because perfect labor deals don’t exist. This deal does, however, feature a lot of good, and it means that the players take another step toward equal footing with their employers. They’re not there yet, but this represents significant progress because it should pave the way for more long-term growth for the players 10 years from now when the sides return to the bargaining tables.” Geoff Schwartz, SB Nation: “No one is ever completely happy with a labor deal — in any negotiation, your side is going to give a little and get a little. That said, I’d have voted yes for this CBA, even as I recognize its limitations. ... There’s plenty not to like. But, in the end, retired players get more benefits and younger players get more money. I understand why players voted ‘yes.’” Mark Maske, Washington Post: “The NFL informed teams Sunday night that the league and NFLPA would not postpone free agency. Teams have until 11:59 a.m. ET Monday to use franchise or transition tags to limit players’ free agent mobility. Free agents can begin negotiating with other teams at noon Monday. The free agent market officially opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - With the new CBA officially passed, [The Ringer’s Robert Mays looks]( at the deal’s potential impacts on NFL free agency. - Dana White has vowed that only a “total shutdown of the country” will cancel UFC events. [Yahoo Sports’ Jack Baer mulls over]( that decision. - The Reds’ Trevor Bauer wanted to do something for stadium workers, so he hosted a “Sandlot” wiffle ball game featuring MLB players. [Chris Bumbaca at USA Today reports]( on how it all went down. [THE BRADY HUNCH] [THE BRADY HUNCH] After Ryan Tannehill and the Titans agreed to a four-year deal this weekend, it was reported the Tom Brady Sweepstakes would come down to the Patriots and the Buccaneers. But have we forgotten about the possibility of Hollywood Tom so quickly? Early Monday morning, [NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported]( that the Chargers are in fact still in the mix (via NESN): “It's really not a been a surprise. We've talked about it since the Super Bowl. They're expected to make a bit of a run at Tom Brady. The Tampa Bay Bucs are another team that have some interest in Brady. Other than that, it seems to be the Patriots who have the most interest.” [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Yes, we know that there are still some sports out there — WWE, soccer and MMA, we’re looking squarely in your direction — but finding live competition is harder and harder. That means we’re all going to have to get creative, and we’re not going to lie — as silly as it might seem, marble racing is one of the most compelling things we watched all weekend. We dare you to try to watch this video and not end up on the edge of your seat, especially for the nail-biting finish. So ... anyone want to go halfsies on starting a Marble Racing league? Anyone? [VIEWER'S GUIDE] WWE Monday Night Raw (USA, 8 p.m. ET) Stone Cold Steve Austin will be live on Raw tonight to celebrate 3:16 Day from the WWE Performance Center, and The Undertaker and A.J. Styles will sign their WrestleMania contract, an occasion that always goes smoothly with zero issues! Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Most Underrated Moments (WWE.com) Speaking of the Texas Rattlesnake, [WWE’s official website has put together a playlist]( of some of his more overlooked (but still legendary) moments, which seems like the perfect way to spend a little time on Stone Cold’s special day. XFL Replay (Tuesday, FS1, 6 a.m. ET) Craving some football in your life? Starting at 6 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday and running until 9 p.m., FS1 will re-air five of the best XFL games of the season, back-to-back-to-back-to ... well, you get the picture. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Tom Brady’s team for Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season New England Patriots: -150 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +150 Los Angeles Chargers: +650 Las Vegas Raiders: +1600 Miami Dolphins: +3000 Futures are your best bet — pun absolutely intended — these days, and as the legal tampering period kicks off in the NFL, what better wager is there than where Tom Brady will play next season? Of course, Brady’s free agency isn’t the only market on the board; you can also take a look at Teddy Bridgewater’s next move (where the Bucs are the betting favorites, at +200) or Philip Rivers’ next team (Colts, -154), among a handful of others. A new FOX Sports app and website is coming. [Click here]( to be notified when the reimagined app is available. [WHAT THEY SAID] “If you're not IN the parade, you WATCH the parade. That's life.” — Mike Ditka [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download the FOX Sports app for live scores and streaming [App Store]( [Google Play]( Available on: [tvOS] [Roku] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] [tvOS] [fireTV] [androidtv] [XBOX] [Google chromecast] Forwarded this message? [Sign up](. Amazon, Fire, and all related marks are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2020 FOX Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. FOX.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900