As The NFL Turns..........

Well as of Sunday, 12:00 PM, the Labor talks now look promising. According to ESPN:

"The NFL owners and the players' union have until midnight Sunday to agree on an extension to the leagues Collective Bargaining Agreement. And just when the talks looked dead, there might be a glimmer of hope.

Gene Upshaw, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the two sides are meeting in New York again Sunday and that the two sides communicated via e-mail on Saturday night after face-to-face talks broke down Saturday.In an e-mail to the Washington Post, Gene Upshaw said the two sides
were "now in the area where we will get a deal. I think it may be there. It comes down to a few final points."

This is a stark contrast from how things ended Saturday. Union attorney Jeffrey Kessler, one of the lead negotiators for the NFLPA and part of a small group that huddled with league representatives, termed the negotiations "as dead as a doornail."

Things are looking up if this don't change, it sounds like the NFL has caused some drama for the off-season to keep the NFL interesting, What do you think? Anyway, as long as this works out that is all I care. I think the NFL needs the Salary Cap, Free Agency, the NFL Draft, and any other thing we as fans might have lost without a CBA extension.

Ok, in other news, I caught on to a story about Bruce Allen inflating the Buccaneers Salary Cap figure to the Media, fans, player, and their agents. I was the first Bucs Blog to break the story something smells fishy. Well here it is, An officially reported by the St. Pete Times, Bucs salary cap situation was never as dire as the picture painted by general manager Bruce Allen. If this was not enough for you, here is the Tampa Tribune's article: Bucs general manager Bruce Allen painted a pretty bleak picture of the challenge he faced in preparing for the start of the new league year.
Just remember Pewter Pirates broke the Story first, I try to bring my readers first hand news about the Buccaneers, as I am tuned into the Bucs all day/everyday.
What do you all think? I think he used a tactic to scare the players and their agents. I also think he inflated the numbers so when he crunched them, he would come out smelling like roses. Really, I do not care as long as our star players return, like Brooks, and Rice. In the past we as fans have lost our star players like Hardy Nickerson, Warrick Dunn, John Lynch, Warren Sapp, and Keenan McCardell. I really would love to see Alstott back for another year, but as for now I think that won't happen and as long as he retires and is not wearing a different team jersey, I think most of us can handle it.

The priority to date is getting under the cap, keeping Brooks, and Rice, resigning Chris Hovan, and Matt Bryant. We need to create money for the rookies that we draft, and then have some cash to go after free agent (specially offensive linemen). We might also need a third receiver if the Buccaneers do not resign Ike Hillard. The just offered Bucs receiver Edell Shepherd a one-year tender, avoiding restricted free agency. Terms were not released. Tampa Bay tendered guard Sean Mahan a one-year, $1.55-million deal.

Shepherd said he still is hopeful for a long-term extension.
"If they want me, they can get me," Shepherd said.

Shepherd could very well be our number 3 receiver and eventually a great number 1 or 2 receiver after Galloway retires. Anyway after the NFL Armageddon, things are looking up at least for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.