There is no doubt that the NFL and its teams play a

The two sides cannot come to an agreement on three issues. These issues are that the owners want to expand the season from a sixteen game regular season with four preseason games to an eighteen game regular season with two preseason games, a rookie wage scale, and increased drug testing (DeVault, Christopher). These three issues all require the NFL Players Association to give up something while the owners do nothing but gain from it. This is why they are having so much trouble in trying to come to an agreement on these three things. But, I believe a solution is still possible, after all, neither side really wants a work stoppage next year as it would hurt both sides. If these issues are not agreed upon, I believe they could have a negative effect not only in individual American lives, but businesses and therefore the already unstable American economy.

There is no doubt that the NFL and its teams play at least a small role in the economics of the cities in which they play and on a bigger scale, the entire American economy. But just how big is the role the NFL plays in these economies? One person that believes an NFL lockout would be "disastrous" for the states and regions in which the teams are located is Massachusetts State Representative, Cristine E. Canavan. In a letter to Robert Kraft, owner of an NFL team named the New England Patriots, Canavan expresses her concerns for the economic impact of an NFL lockout in Massachusetts. In a passage from Canavan's letter to Kraft she wrote, "Those fans who visit Gillette Stadium (the stadium where the Patriots play) to support the Patriots also provides a tremendous boost to the local and state economy. It is estimated that the Patriots directly and indirectly generate nearly 2,500 jobs, $11 million in revenue for local businesses, and more than $10 million in badly needed income tax revenue. At a time when we've been working hard to bring Massachusetts out of the recession and put us back on a track toward prosperity, losing so many jobs and so much revenue could have disastrous consequences for the region (Canavan)." Clearly, a lockout in this region would have devastating effects on the economy for the state of Massachusetts, as well as the region surrounding it.

This is not just applicable for this region, but regions across America where NFL teams play. Another example of a region that would be devastated is Indianapolis. The city was awarded the rights to have the 2012 Super Bowl played at their home stadium. Significant time and money has been invested, and numerous jobs have been created to meet the demand of the historic event. Ball State University's Bureau of Business Research has estimated that the Super Bowl could deliver an economic boost of more than $350 million, create about 5,000 jobs, and bring in more than $30 million in tax revenue(NFL Lockout Would Be Disastrous for Colts, City). With the current state of the America economy, losing that kind of revenue and job creation after the city has already sunken large amounts of money into preparation for the Super Bowl, it would be a huge blow to the city of Indianapolis. While the Massachusetts region and the city of Indianapolis are just two areas that will be affected, the same is true with virtually every one of the region's the thirty-two NFL teams play in. Thus, making it a national issue since NFL teams play in regions across America.