NFL Labor Talks: Why the Testy Negotiations Spell Doom for NFL Football in 2011

Well, it has happened. The NFLPA has applied for de-certification and the world of professional football is now headed to the courtroom.

Judge Doty is now the man who will decide things between these two parties, and the threat of having no NFL football in 2011 is officially real.

We, the fans, will now be caught in the unknown world of legal battles, and the only guaranteed thing we have is a three-day bonanza known as the NFL Draft.

Things will definitely get worse before they get better and we will have to settle in for the long haul in regards to this situation.

At midnight tonight, the NFL will officially go into its first work stoppage since 1987 and whoever grabs the initial boost from Judge Doty, who is very much been been behind the players in matters like this, will hold the power moving forward.

Here are five reasons why this situation spells doom for the 2011 NFL season.

Urgency Will Not Be Real Until Threat of Losing 2011 Season

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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith (C) speaks as he and a group of player representatives arrive for labor talks at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service building March 11, 2011 in Washington, D

A lot of what is going on now, especially in the ball park of the owners, will not strike real fear until we get into August and September.

Do not get me wrong. They know what is at stake, but we know that the last-minute situation could force either one of these sides to cave in the threat of losing football.

Neither one of these sides looks like they will cave. The reports from inside say that there are still major differences and holes that need to be worked out. Now we are hearing both sides state their cases.

Overall, this just means we have a long way to go and this does not bode well for any of the involved parties, including us.

New Problems and Trust Issues Arise

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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 08: National Football League Players' Association (NFLPA) executive director DeMaurice Smith (R) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch (C) arrive with players for negotiations at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Se

The NFLPA wants 10 years of audited financial documents from the owners.

The problem with this, to me, is why was this not a major player earlier on?

I understand it might have been the final tactic before de-certification, but that leads to a belief that the players union was never serious.

I am not taking a side, but the owners are not wrong in believing that the NFLPA was never truly serious about collective bargaining and simply wanted to go to litigation in which they believe they hold the most leverage. Now, we all lose again.

Nobody trusts anybody at this point. Already we have finger pointing and shots being made by both parties.

The words "lied" and "facts" have already been used, and it has only been 48 minutes since de-certification.

Players' Names Get Dragged into the Battle

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 15: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts greets Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots after the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts won the game 35-34. (Phot

Some of the league's biggest names, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, will be at the forefront of the antitrust lawsuits that the former NFLPA will file.

Instead of talking about a new season and what these players are doing in preparation, we have to talk about legal terms that majority of us do not care to understand because we just want to watch football.

Instead of working out with their teams and getting themselves in shape for the new season, players have to worry about courtroom stuff.

Lack of Preparation

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NEW YORK - APRIL 22: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looks on as he stands on stage during the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 22, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Speaking of preparation, we are now staring down the barrel of a weakened product.

There is a reason NFL teams go through training (even though players hate it). There is a reason there are OTA's and practices and preseason games (even if there are too many). This game is as much mental as it is physical.

Teams can no longer work with their "former" players, assuming we go through a lockout (which is expected despite what the owners say). This cannot possibly bold well at all for anybody involved.

Worst of all, following the 2011 NFL Draft, the new rookies' rights are simply owned by the teams with nothing for them to do.

Rookies most of all need time to adapt and prepare for what is one of the toughest professions in the world. Now we anticipate having nothing.

Free Agency and Trading

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SAN DIEGO - DECEMBER 05: Nnamdi Asomugha #21 the Oakland Raiders looks on from the sideline against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on December 5, 2010 in San Diego, California. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 28-13. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Ge

There are rumors that there may be a way for free agency and trading to open up prior to a deal, but as it stands now, there is no player movement at all.

We are about to get to a draft in which only draft picks can be moved and hundreds of NFL players are in limbo as to where they will be playing football next season.

There is no guarantee when this will lift nor how the free-agency period will pan out.

Even deeper than that, the NFL hopefuls who are not selected in April's draft will not have the opportunity to sign undrafted free-agent contracts.

Quite simply, player movement could be a mess following the draft.

Overall

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GREEN BAY, WI - FEBRUARY 08: Green Bay Packers fans gather at Lambeau Field for the Packers victory ceremony on February 8, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matt Ludtke/Getty Images)

This is simply a ton of stuff for us all to take in.

There is very little we can trust from either side at this point, and there will be a ton of things thrown around as we get ready for the courtroom chatter.

I wish you all the best of luck trying to navigate through this situation. If I can offer any advice as we stare down the potential stoppage of football, it is to turn your old Sunday into Saturday because the college kids will certainly bring it.