Is Kevin Mawae being blackballed?

What is the market for a 39 year old center, which may be past his prime, but may have a few good years left in the tank? Apparently the market for that kind of player is not very good, as 39 year old Kevin Mawae is finding out for himself. In today’s NFL 39 years is well beyond the average age of any player, and well past the point were, teams start looking for a younger replacement. It is not personal it is just the way this league works.

The wrinkle to all this is Mawae happens to be the President of the NFLPA, and given the current climate of labor relations between the league and its players Mawae thinks that teams are blackballing him. He seems to think that no NFL team is going to give him a fair shot because of his status as president of the NFLPA. However, the real truth here is Mawae isn’t going to get another shot until training camp opens and someone gets hurt. That is what happens to aging veterans who are not named Brett Favre.

In no way am I saying his status in the NFLPA is not a sticking point with teams out there, but by no way is this guy being blackballed. On top of that, just by him saying that he is damaging the efforts of the league and the union to get a new CBA done. Both side of this disagreement need to figure out that they are partners, and then need to find an agreement that doesn’t rape the fans. Both sides need to understand that they are pricing fans out of attending games in person. That is not good for anyone.

Related Links:

•Tennessee Titans news and notes
•The Business of the NFL
•MTR Football.com