Wednesday night the NFL season kicked off for real.  Who was the big winner you ask?

Well, the Cowboys beat the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants 24-17, we discovered that Jerry Jones’ son-in-law, Shy Anderson, is the Cowboys’ owner’s official spectacle cleanser, fans across the country finally got meaningful football back but the big winner overall was the NFL itself.

No one was maimed or killed in the contest as predicted by NFLPA Director Demaurice Smith in regards to using replacement officials.  In fact, the officials went pretty much un-noticed.

If I’m in the NFL Officials Association, I’m holding my breath that something egregious happens this weekend which would bolster my bargaining position.  If I’m the commissioner, I’m sitting back and hoping this weekend goes just like Wednesday night did, quiet and uneventful.  Either way, the phones will be ringing Monday as the two sides will realize that they need the other and a deal will be struck within the next two weeks. 

In a 10+ billion dollar industry, it’s greed that sets them apart and greed that will ultimately bring them back together.