Below you will find articles and resources that discuss labor issues in professional sports, particularly collective bargaining and collective bargaining agreements. All files are PDFs.

Labor Stoppages

NFL

• NFL Labor Issues: A Primer (Forbes, 2.17.11)
  This piece takes a look at the possible scenarios ahead of the CBA expiration.
• What’s Next In The NFL Labor Battle (Forbes, 3.2.11)
  This was written the day before the previous CBA expired shortly following a U.S. District Court ruling favoring the NFLPA.
• NFL Labor Talk: Watch the Players, Not the Owners (Forbes, 3.3.11)
  This piece analyzes the NFLPA’s option to decertify and explains the advantages and disadvantages.
• What is the NFL Players’ Lawsuit All About? (Forbes 3.14.11)
  This piece answered common questions about the Brady vs. NFL lawsuit shortly after it was filed.

NBA

• Resolution Of NFL Lockout Bodes Poorly For NBA Players In Their Labor Battle (Forbes 7.26.11)
  This piece examines how the resolution of the NFL’s labor stoppage didn’t provide any ammunition for the NBA players in their labor battle.
• Tallying up the NBA Lockout Costs (ESPN, 12.1.11)
  This piece, written shortly after the lockout ended, examines the costs associated with the NBA’s lockout, which resulted in a shortened 2011-2012 season.

Player Contracts

NHL

• How the NHL Used Subsequent Challenge Power to Veto Kovalchuk’s Contract (Forbes, 8.13.10)
  This piece explains the “subsequent challenge” power the Commissioner’s Office had under the CBA that allowed it to void Kovalchuk’s record-breaking contract.
• Understanding Subsequent Challenges To NHL Contracts (Forbes, 8.17.10)
  This piece goes into greater detail than the previous piece as to the power the Commissioner’s Office has to reject player contracts.

Revenue Sharing

MLB

• MLB’s Revenue-Sharing and the Luxury Tax Are Not One in the Same (BizofBaseball.com, 4.19.10)
  This piece explains the difference between both the calculation and distribution of revenue sharing funds and the competitive balance tax (otherwise known as the luxury tax).
• About those leaked financial statements (The Hardball Times 8.27.10)
  This piece reviews revenue sharing proceeds received by clubs whose financial statements were leaked and how those funds fit into each club’s overall budget.

NBA

• NBA’s lack of local revenue sharing unique (ESPN, 11.28.11)
  This piece compares local revenue sharing mechanisms used in MLB, the NFL, the NHL, and the NBA.

Salary Cap

NFL

• How Much Are NFL Owners Forced To Spend Under New CBA? (Forbes, 8.11.11)
  This piece looks at the minimum spend amounts built into the new NFL collective bargaining agreement that act as a salary floor.