After months of older men wearing suits walk down sidewalks then into a building, followed by really big dudes – some in suits – but many wearing t-shirts and coaches shirts and sneakers walking into the same building, the NFL and its players finally put all those college degrees to good use and found a way to split up $9 billion dollars a year in revenue and get back to the business of playing pro football.
The deal struck a record 10 years and guarantees stability for a league that has gained World Cup soccer adulation in this country.
“I’m glad we were able to reach this agreement without interrupting the season for our fans,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement released by the team. “In the end, both sides gave enough to get the deal done, and we can all go back to work feeling good about what was accomplished. A 10-year contract is unprecedented in professional sports. By the time this contract ends, the NFL and its player will have been able to play 33 uninterrupted seasons of football.
“The contract protects and strengthens the elements that have driven the popularity of the NFL to unprecedented heights,” Lurie continued. “The continued equalization of player spending guarantees every market, large and small, an equal chance of competitive success. The draft and free agency remain important parts of the game. And there’s recognition of the importance of former players, who gave so much to the game, and who deserve our increased support.”
Lurie lauded NFL fans for not losing faith a deal would get done.
“I want to thank our fans for their patience,” he said. “Now we can get back to football – and that’s what we are all really looking forward to.”
Coach Andy Reid also added his thoughts.:
“I’m happy that the NFL and its players can get back doing what they love to do,” said Reid who will open camp July 27, 2011 at Lehigh University. “The coaches can get back to coaching. Players can get back to playing and we’re all pleased about that.

“As far as our team, we look forward to reconvening in the near future and we are looking forward to holding training camp once again on the campus of Lehigh University,” Reid continued. “We understand that we have a lot of work ahead of us in order to get ready for the season opener at St. Louis and I’m excited to get started on that as soon as we can.”