NFLPA sues league over claims of secret salary cap in uncapped year - NFL News
The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the league demanding $ 1 billion in damages for players and $ 3 billion in damage for violation of the 1993 White agreement.
NFLPA filed the lawsuit in a district court in Minneapolis which alleged that the league and team owners had colluded to form a secret $ 123 million salary cap in 2010 which was an uncapped year.
In an uncapped year there are no limits over the amount of money franchises could spend on player wages but according to the NFLPA it found out in March 2012 that most owners agreed on the NFL’s secret rules over the $ 123 million salary cap.
Four franchises though did not participate in colluding with the NFL namely the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders.
NFLPA executive director, DeMaurice Smith said about the filing of the lawsuit.
"When the rules are broken in a way that hurts the game, we have an obligation to act. We cannot stand by when we now know that the owners conspired to collude."
The NFL though has outright rejected the claims of the lawsuit and also said that such litigation is prohibited according to the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed between the league and players union in 2011.
NFL spokesman, Greg Aiello said.
"The filing of these claims is prohibited by the collective bargaining agreement and separately by an agreement signed by the players' attorneys last August. The claims have absolutely no merit and we fully expect them to be dismissed,"
Such collusion on a secret salary cap resulted in losses to players who lost much of their potential earnings they could have gained in the uncapped year and NFLPA president, Domonique Foxworth said that the lawsuit will reveal the complete facts over the conspiracy.
"The complaint today is our effort to fulfill our duty to every NFL player. They deserve to know, above all, the facts and the truth about this conspiracy."
This is another front in the ongoing war between the NFL and NFLPA and it is now up to the court to decide what action needs to be taken over the conspiracy.
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