CBA Is The New MVP

by Jeremiah Tittle

Amongst a plethora of sports-related three letter acronyms, CBA which stands for Collective Bargaining Agreement – typically negotiated between sports athlete unions and the sports leagues employing their labor – could end up providing fans the best opportunity to voice their concerns about the four major sports as each finds its deal expired in 2011.

While SFC has detailed many of the implications of the NFL’s CBA reaching maturity, Players Association President DeMaurice Smith warned that the threat of work stoppage is real on SFC board member Dave Zirin’s sports radio show “Edge of Sports”. Furthermore, the NBA Players Association executive director recently made headlines when providing intel to the press on the union’s CBA proposal to arrive on Roger Goodell’s doorstep come June.

The bottom line is that 2011 is a time of great uncertainty. But it is also an exciting time to be a sports fan as change is in the air. Would any of us like to see our favorite sport take a year off due to the owners locking out the players? Hell no. But the fact remains that now is as good a time as any for sports fans to get involved and make a difference while all the chips are still on the table.

The founding principle behind Sports Fans Coalition’s formation is that fans deserve a seat at the table. Smith says fans should ‘stay informed’. Certainly, education is a start. Without it, we don’t know that there’s even a problem with the sports industrial complex and where fans fit into the equation. However, following that realization, we might ask, ‘What’s next?’

The answer is action. We must take action to stop the bloodflow. We must use our power as the fuel that feeds leagues putting money in the pockets of the already rich. We must organize, and fight for what we believe in. Affordable seating in stadiums. A college football playoff. No more tax breaks for billionaires. TV coverage of our home team’s games.

Join SFC today to start being part of the solution.