Bills fans should be patient with labor mess

   When it comes to the NFL work stoppage, I'm just as frustrated as every other NFL fan.  
   I'm tired of seeing greedy billionaire owners and bratty millionaire players fighting over money, while regular people who depend on football for a living (stadium employees, bar owners, etc.) potentially face a tremendous loss of income.  I'm tired of Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith.  I'm tired of hearing about lawsuits and player-organized workouts. 
   I'm ready for the two sides to shut up, get in a room and work out anything that saves the 2011 NFL season.
   Still, when I don't let me emotions get the best of me, I realize that a "quick fix" isn't the answer.  The ramifications of this collective bargaining agreement will have a huge effect on football as a whole - and especially for a small market team like my beloved Buffalo Bills.
   This thing needs to be done right.
   Losing all or part of the 2011 season would be bad.  But signing another bad CBA could make things much, much worse.  And if you don't believe me, just ask Bills owner Ralph Wilson.
   For all of his shortcomings as a football guy, there is no questioning Wilson's brilliance as a business man, or that he understands how to keep an NFL franchise afloat in a small market.  He's already done it for over 50 years.
   When the previous CBA was agreed upon a few years ago, Wilson and Mike Brown of the Bengals were the only owners to vote against it.  They said that revenue sharing plan was going to make competing very difficult for small market teams.  At the time, the two owners were laughed at for their reluctance in keeping up with changes to the sport/business.  But as time has passed, many of the other small market owners have discovered that Wilson and Brown were spot on.
   The problem is, under the old CBA, only some revenue was shared amongst NFL teams - such as money from television contracts and jersey sales.  Money from stadium box seats and many team-licensed products was not.  
   Because of that, a large market team with a brand-new stadium (like the Dallas Cowboys) can make $400 million each year, while a team like Buffalo brings in closer to $200 million. 
   Players get a percentage of the NFL's total revenue, which determines the league's salary cap.  And that salary cap is exactly the same for every team.  So when Jerry Jones builds a new stadium in Dallas and his profits go way up, the salary cap goes way up as well - and all the teams have to shell out more money to fill their rosters and stay competitive.
   Rising player costs aren't a big deal for the teams at the top of the pile who are raking in the dough.  But for those at the bottom (like Buffalo), those massive contracts are taking up a bigger percentage of profits every year.
   If the new CBA doesn't properly address this issue for small market teams, it's probably only a matter of time before the Bills are gone.  When Wilson passes and another owner comes into the picture, bigger cities like Toronto and Los Angeles are going to look awfully tempting.
   Revenue sharing isn't the only issue being debated right now that could negatively affect the future of the Bills in Buffalo.  
   Thanks to the players, the courts are now involved in negotiations.  And that could have a lasting effect on the salary cap, free agency and the draft.  
   Look at the trouble we have had winning with everybody on equal footing.  Then consider what happens to the Bills if there is no draft and top prospects are able to sign with the highest bidder.  What if the salary cap is completely eliminated? 
   Just like everyone else, I'm hoping a deal is worked out before it starts impacting the 2011 season.  But as a fan of the NFL and especially the Buffalo Bills, I'm willing to be patient if it means keeping the team in town.