The leaders are elsewhere. Jerry Jones and Bob Kraft and other owners are getting out of limos at the negotiating sessions. Drew Brees and Tom Brady are out front for the players. You only hear from the Eagles when Michael Vick gets a new endorsement deal or DeSean Jackson says something stupid.
In the great labor war of 2011, the Eagles are sidelined with flat feet.
That may turn out not to matter if, as expected, the whole thing fizzles out this week. For all the chest pounding, courtroom posturing, tweeting, gag orders and cameo appearances by various judges, there will be training camp and preseason games and a full season.
Fans will suffer only a minor annoyance, especially since this could have been done a year ago. Only ego and the need to create a deadline prevented that.
Seven years ago, the National Hockey League shut down for an entire year. That was a labor war. When it was over, the new roster and salary-cap rules forced teams to shake up their teams in a flurry of trades and signings. Fans who swore they'd never watch another NHL game were dazzled by the shiny objects and immediately forgot why they were angry.
The NFL seems poised to follow that example. If this new collective-bargaining agreement is approved by players and owners this week, there will be a day or two for everyone to study the rules. Then the free-agent bazaar will open and teams can rush through, haggling on a cornerback here and bidding on a running back there. For those fans who TiVo the NFL Network's scouting combine feed and spend weeks preparing to watch the draft, this compressed offseason will be more fun than watching the actual games.
