Potential timebomb

No this has nothing to do with Terrell Owens. Whom will be fine this year, the only thing we have to worry about is his play. But a interesting issue, that I didn't know about, but after reading a few articles about it in Pro Football Talk. Makes me think.

Its about a recent change in policy regarding pension plans and how it effects NFL assistant coaches. The league I guess up until March of 2009 made teams put their coaches through the league run pension plan. With the current recession, changes were made, where teams could opt out and do whatever. 401k, their own pension, praying that they will have job until they die or some other retirement plan. And yes the Bills are one of those teams that opted out. Including the 49ers, Saints, Cardinals, Falcons, Cowboys, Texans and Patriots. The Patriots opting out doesn't shock me in the least. Bob Kraft always seems to me, like the screwing over employees type. Its why they are so successful. They don't care about cutting someone that has served them well. And yes if Tom Brady slips, he'll be out of there and traded for draft picks.

You may think, whats the big deal, I don't have a pension why should they? Well Howard Mudd thought it was a issue and retired. Tom Moore may follow. All of a sudden, the Colts are out of two of their best coaches. Because the NFL Owners have decided to join the ranks of most Business owners, and letting employees decide their own plan or whatever. Which means we'll go back to the good old days of working till you die. No more early retirement, well unless you're wealthy. Assistant coaches are very transient, and their jobs are never secure, especially in todays NFL. And you take away their saftey net? Its gonna make a lot of them angry. And probably unionize. With the CBA ending soon. You could have two parties, looking to make deals with the Owners. Dealing with one union is tough, but two?

Making business decisions based on expenses you don't deem "necessary" can always come back to bite you. The Owners are really going to dig in, with tons of debt and wanting to get more of the pie, the new Contract is going to be a rought one. And with a new NFLPA boss, who I'm sure doesn't want to look weak in his first real test. Might have found a new allie in the coaches. You need all the allies you can get in a war. And in the next few years, the new contract will be a war.

It may seem like a non issue now. But screwing with peoples pensions, especially after what happened in the stock market, will get people edgy. Yes I know it will go back up. People lost a lot of money, the last year, and if I were 60, 65, and edging toward retirement, i'd be pretty scared of my security. Now my employer wants to opt out of what was a obligation? I'd get pretty angry. Angry enough to stick it to my boss? Maybe.

With TV, reaching its market peak, I don't think they'll offer more to keep football, they are tapped out. And Rookies getting so much money. Now coaches having their pensions stripped away. The next contract, could be the most important, since Free Agency was allowed. (Notice the Bills haven't been to a Super Bowl since then) The owners are going to try to give less to the players, and the Players I'm sure won't want to give in. I'm sure each side has its war chest.

The NFL is going to the mattreses soon. And us the fans, we'll caught in the cross fire. So get your NFL enjoyment now, because we might just have College Football to get us through the Fall soon.