GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) -- Regardless of how they were affected by the NFL labor deal accepted Wednesday night, everyone from those hit hardest to those who will benefit most agreed on one thing: They're glad to have it.þþ''I'm pleased,'' commissioner Paul Tagliabue said, ''and more than pleased, I'm relieved.''þþAfter several delays and deadline extensions, owners who'd been fighting among themselves more than with the players union overwhelmingly agreed to extend their collective bargaining agreement through the 2011.þþThe new parameters include a revenue-sharing formula forcing the 15 highest-grossing clubs to subsidize the other 17, with those making the most also giving the most.þþYet even Dallas' Jerry Jones and Washington's Dan Snyder, two of the owners who will have to write the biggest checks, went away pleased with the fact something was worked out.þþ''We couldn't walk out of this building and not have a deal,'' said Jones, who helped hammer out the final compromise. ''I expected to come out of this without having my Christmas list intact and I met my expectation.''þþSnyder noted that the top-grossing teams already have been forking over a lot of money to keep up the league's competitive balance.þþ''Some of us had to give and take a little more than others, but things have a way of working out,'' he said. ''We just wanted to get this done for the sake of the league.''þþAlthough the start of free agency is being pushed back another day or two, players looking for new teams can finally get ready for their phones to ring.þþ''I've just been waiting for all this to get settled,'' said defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, who led Seattle in sacks last season. ''I didn't understand what was going on in depth until I looked at it closely. It's all business, you know?''þþBetter yet for players, the salary cap is going up to $102 million, $7.5 million more than it would have been without a deal. It jumps to $109 million in 2007. While that otherwise would've been an uncapped year, the stability provided by knowing the boundaries for 2008-11 should keep the nation's top pro sports league running smoothly.þþ''I'm extremely excited,'' Oakland Raiders linebacker Danny Clark said. ''I don't see too many problems with the way the CBA was run the past 13 years. Now, it benefits the players as well as the owners. Nobody wanted to see it go the other way. Everybody benefits. I'm excited about it getting done. I was confident everybody would get it done in time. Better late than never.''þþGreen Bay Packers president Bob Harlan was thrilled to avoid an uncapped year, which could've thrown the league's salary structure out of whack.þþ''We're delighted with the new CBA and that a salary-cap system was preserved,'' he said. ''Continuation of the salary cap was our No. 1 goal because without it the long-term viability of the Packers would be in doubt. ... Dramatic revenue-sharing will enable all clubs to be competitive in this new system.''þþTampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Bruce Allen also was glad to see the league pretty much stick with its existing structure.þþ''The NFL has been the premier sports league in North America for decades, and this new deal should allow us to continue with our unprecedented growth,'' he said.þþSoon after the final vote, owners rushed from the Dallas-Fort Worth airport hotel where they were meeting to catch flights home. After all, they have work to do, from building their rosters to bolstering their budgets.þþ''I think all of us feel good that we got something done,'' New York Jets owner Woody Johnson said. ''We look forward to working a lot harder to try paying for it. It's a very expensive deal.''þþ
Source: NY Times
