What's the probabolty that we won't have a 2011 NFL season?

As the title suggests, this post will be my take on the possibility of not playing NFL football in 2011. As an avid Cleveland Browns fan I continually think that "next year will be better" just like most of Cleveland. But a year with nothing going on would tear this city apart. I remember not having football to cheer for when the Browns were moved to Baltimore. With no end in site of the current labor disputes the season, though it is still months away, is in serious jeopardy. The league insists on conducting business as usual until any definitive decision has been made, but with the ending of the collective bargaining agreement and the players being placed in a "lockout" they are not allowed in team facilities. In my opinion, with the situation in such a dire position I would say the chances of NFL football being played this season is a 50% probability.

NFL Collective Barganing Agreement

As many of you who follow sports, specifically the NFL, know the current issues the league is facing with the expiration of the league's collective bargaining agreement. Players, owners, and the league as a whole entity are at a serious crossroad. Neither side of the table seems to be budging away from their respective positions any time soon. The fan's guide to the labor dispute can be found at the following link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-laborquestions090810. This page poses many questions and answers to those questions that the fans can understand.

Media questioning of players after games

I feel that the players and coaches should be able to refuse media questioning sessions after games if they do not want to do it. Although this is not the case. Most players and coaches are required to meet with the media after games, win or lose. After a recent loss in the NCAA tournament this media session took place involving Kansas State University's standout player Jacob Pullen and his coach Frank Martin. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6239365

NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection

The process in which teams are selected for the field of 68 is a rather personal event. Humans, not computers, determine which teams are qualified for the field. The selection committee is made up of athletic directors and conference commisioners. The current selection committee can be found at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_basketball_tournament_selection_process#Current_men.27s_committee_members

These 10 men create the field of 68 teams, their seedings, and the brackets.

NCAA All-Star Team Respreseting the USA in the Olympics?

This idea may not seem like a great idea to a lot of people. But in my opinion I think this would be very good for the Olympics in the future. You may say that we would never win anything! All I would have to do is remind you of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team. If you don't know anything about them check out the following links:
About the Team - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_Ice
Video of final minutes against the Soviets - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gfD134ED54&NR=1
A team of college all-stars beat the best team in the world after failing to do so in numerous attempts prior to that game. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!?!

NCAA "Student" Athletes

The topic of NCAA "student" athletes in something that has always bothered me personally. Even though I know many of the young men and women who compete in the NCAA are in fact wonderful students there are many that are not. Simply looking at the Division 1 level I am a bit concerned with the way star athletes are given preferential treatment when it comes to enrollment, grades, etc. In my own personal experiences, I was denied admittance into The Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus. While a few athletes, who have since dropped out of college, were granted admission to the main campus. There seems to be a double standard for athletes at major college campuses all around the country.

NCAA Athletic Scholarships

The topic of NCAA scholarships and their availibility is a rather touchy subject to many aspiring athletes. The amount of scholarships granted by the NCAA to each sport varies based on the number of athletes in the sport and the number of teams each sport has across the country. Take a look at the discrepincy of scholarship availibility based on each sport for men and women at this link: http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/scholarships_by_sport.htm