European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 17, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday october 17, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 strike was a no win situation for players by Darrell Christian new York a if he strike was a Battic for control of pro football As management said he own ers May have won the  s the end of inc civil War Here and they re Tak ing Atlanta said Cris Collinsworth spokesman for the Cincinnati bengals. Let s gel the furniture before it bums too. The Bottom line is collective bargaining is Over with to we know ii in the nil and it 4 Mab Cut end of anyone in this country influencing the nil again Collinsworth said. The players wanted unrestricted free Agency there is no change. The players wanted pension and sever Cnoc pay improvements there is no change. The players wanted rosters expanded to 49 for now they re still at 45, and much of any expansion in the coming weeks Likely will be used to Reward replace ment players like running Back Joe Dudek of the Den ver Broncos or quarterback Mike Hohensee of Ilie Chi Cago bean. The players wanted a new three year contract. They not Only did t get that they did t even gel an Exten Sion of the old one. The players backed off free Agency. When that did t work they called for mediation to be followed by binding arbitration. When thai did l work they agreed to Settle for mediation alone. When that did t work they agreed to Settle for extending the old con tract. When thai did t work they decided to go Back to work and fight in Eurt. The Bottom line is that the players gained nothing through a 24-Day strike that surveys showed be forehand was unlikely to work. The player did t View free Agency As an Issue Worth striking Over and when the strike was called. Inc Union could t hold its own members in line. At last count 228 of them defied the strike Many of them among the game s biggest names. By contrast the owners were a Model of consistency. The owners held inc line on free Agency. The owners up on strike replacement games As they said they would and while it was t nil Caliper football it was enough to keep television camera turned on. More importantly it put pressure on the players who saw their playoff chances left in the hands of inexperienced replacements. The new York jets and the Minnesota Vikings saw 2-0, Restrike Start turn into 2-2 seasons. When the super bowl Champion new York giants found them selves 0-4 and already in danger . 19s6 nil map Lawrence Taylor void he was crossing the picket line to come to the Rescue. The owners said players would have to report l y i . Wednesday to play on sunday or lose another week s pay and have 10 Walch their strike replacements Lake their place again. Apparently their deadline is a True deadline said John Spagnola player representative of the Phila Delphia eagles. La was that Way throughout the strike. The players budged and waited in vain for the owner to do the same. The owners May have even made a Little Money on the strike. Their weekly payrolls dropped from an average of 1865,000 per team to about j200,000, and their weekly revenues were Down an estimated $300,000. That calculated to 1165,000 or so More profit a wet. The players in Money a lot of it. Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly lost the most almost 1270,000 counting this week s lost pay Day. The Lowrant paid player is out $ 12,500, the average player $60,000. And the Gamble that the owners would waive the wednesday deadline once the strike ended was expensive indeed Cooling players an estimated s20 million in salary. One of the few Union players who might be a strike patriots Dong Folie. Gets to go Home Winner was Doug flu tic. He at least got to go Home traded from the Chicago bears to the new England patriots. Buffalo nose tackle Fred Smerlas said he Bills were disappointed All around about the Way things have  not everyone was so harsh. Offensive lineman Stan Brock of the new Orleans saints defended Union chief Gene Upshaw we be been very Well represented and very Well informed Brock said. We think Upshaw is doing great Job with what he has to Deal  what he had to Deal with though was a Union not fully committed to the strike and a management committed to weather a strike at All costs. Appow Sohappy thoughts it tort Abjohn to ring � Suhm. Unto open scion of the Reg and Regn lir Roste the mate it Etta 0a Csc win staff the lean  Purtice a a Tom i mile High at pantely from Allan be Puum. Some fms pleased with Success record by Barry Wilner new York pick up your Money Scab Yuu re through some of the assistant Oathes. Looked or cloy nervous but there was nothing More to a oilers linebacker Eugene scale Aid the end of the strike would not of Eccl inc replacement team s performance Hun Day. We All arc looking Forward 10 inc game especially since it May be our  scale said i feel it was Worth