44 - Should NFL Players Have Agreed to the new CBA?

The topic of the 44th episode of the Mike Meltser Podcast is about the new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The biggest headline from the new CBA is that the NFL regular season will soon be moving from 16 games to 17 games.  Mike's guest on the podcast is Dan Kaplan, senior writer of sports business for The Athletic. The episode covers a number of topics: (3:30) What grade would Kaplan give the NFLPA for this deal? (4:45) How did we reach the stage where 17 games became seemingly non-negotiable for the owners? (5:55) Did the coronavirus pandemic create enough worry to cause players to vote "yes" over the final week of voting? (8:05) Why was the vote to pass the new CBA so close? (9:09) What was the best part of the deal for the players? (11:40) What needs to happen for the revenue split to go to 48.5% and 48.8% for the players? (17:28) What are the positive and negative aspects of the new CBA for former NFL players? (22:53) Mike recaps the interview and gives a grade to the NFLPA for the new deal and explains why he's concerned that the union has opened up Pandora's Box in the future.