What Year Did the NFL Go on Strike?
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It’s a question that many football fans have been asking since the NFL went on strike in 1987. Here’s a look at what happened and why the strike happened.
The NFL Goes on Strike
What led to the strike?
In 1982, the NFL experienced its first players’ strike. The primary cause of the strike was the disagreement between the players and team owners over the issue of revenue sharing. The players wanted a larger percentage of the league’s revenue, while the owners wanted to keep more of the revenue for themselves.
Other issues that led to the strike included:
-The length of the season: The players wanted a shorter season while the owners wanted to keep the season at its current length.
-Free agency: The players wanted more freedom to choose which team they played for, while the owners wanted to restrict player movement.
-The NFL draft: The players wanted a shorter draft, while the owners wanted to keep the draft at its current length.
What were the consequences of the strike?
The NFL went on strike from July 1 to August 6, 1987. The players were striking for free agency and a larger share of the revenue. The strike resulted in replacement players being used for three games.
The most notable replacement game was the “scab” game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys, which was nationally televised on Monday Night Football. The game was played with mostly replacement players, as only a handful of the Cowboys’ regulars crossed the picket line. The Cowboys won the game 38-14.
In total, 24 games were either canceled or postponed because of the strike. The regular season was extended by one week, and each team had two bye weeks instead of one. The playoffs were not affected by the strike.
The Aftermath of the Strike
On September 22, 1987, the NFL Players Association went on strike, and the league responded by bringing in replacement players. The strike lasted 24 days, and ended on October 15th. The regular season was not affected, but the playoffs were shortened. Let’s take a look at how the strike affected the NFL.
How did the NFL recover from the strike?
The 1987 NFL strike lasted for 24 days, from September 22 to October 15. In that time, games were cancelled, and replacement players were used. The NFL lost an estimated $60 million in revenue.
How did the NFL recover from the strike?
The NFL recovered quickly from the 1987 strike. Revenues increased from $1.3 billion in 1987 to $1.6 billion in 1988. By 1989, the NFL was back to its pre-strike levels of revenue.
What lessons were learned from the strike?
The main lessons learned from the strike were that the NFL needed to have a better system in place for player safety and that the league needed to be more transparent with how it distributed its revenue. The77-day strike led to the cancellation of 732 games, including the playoffs. It was the longest work stoppage in NFL history.
