Baltimore Weighs In On The NFL Negotiations
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--The NFL labor dispute has officially entered overtime. The players union and the NFL now have seven days to come to an agreement.
Mike Schuh is following the response here in Baltimore.
WJZ talks with a Baltimore-born and raised NFL player. His stake is obvious, but there are a lot of others whose stars are aligned with the NFL.
The league has enjoyed a good run of peaceful labor relations. Its last work stoppage was a players' strike 24 years ago.
NFL player Aaron Maybin is keeping track of the NFL negotiations. He was born at Sinai Hospital, grew up in Baltimore, but plays linebacker for the Buffalo Bills.
He was visiting kids Friday and got an update on the new children's wing under construction.
But his thoughts are never far from the NFL negotiators down in Washington, D.C.
"We've delegated people to negotiate on our behalf in this situation and so we are in a situation where we have to sit and wait," Maybin said.
Across town, The Field House is packed during Ravens games. A lockout would crush their football season.
"That's going to hurt business tremendously," said Carly Nascimbeni, Field House general manager.
These games mean an extra $14,000 in the till compared to a non-NFL on Sunday.
Money from the fans accounts for a quarter million dollar difference for the season and a big difference for those who work there.
"Regular Sunday we have a few people. On Ravens Sunday we have three people here, four there, another five upstairs, full crew in back, dishwashers-- the works," said Nascimbeni.
"You know at the end of the day the fans want to see the games. We want to play the games and people have to work those things out so that can happen," Maybin said.
The negotiators aren't letting on to what the main sticking points are.
