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Steelers Fans Weigh In On Possibility Of Lockout

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The threat of an NFL lockout may soon become a reality.

There is an important deadline looming for the team owners and players to reach an agreement and Steelers fans in Pittsburgh are just hoping that there will football next fall.

Like the last seconds of the Super Bowl looked bad for the Steelers, the last hours of the NFL players' collective bargaining agreement doesn't look too good either.

Time is running out. At midnight, the deal is set to expire, and the NFL owners say a lockout will begin. And that could possibly mean, no pro football in Pittsburgh next season.

"I can't even begin to think what that would be like," said Dan Haeck, a Steelers fan.

"They gotta play football," added another fan.

First though, the NFL players and owners have to come to an agreement.

The players want better health care and concessions for an increased roster if owners institute an 18-game schedule.

Owners want a bigger cut of overall profits, but that's just the basics.

"They both need to realize how lucky they are," said Haeck.

"That would be horrible. That would be my worst nightmare as a big fan," said Mike Dean of a possible lockout. "I go to four or five games a year, love the Steelers."

Dean has some perspective when it comes to rank and file, and ownership. He owns the Dormont News. Sure, it is much smaller in scale but the basic concept is the same. Employees what to make money, business owners want to make more money.

But the key with anything like this is give and take.

"I hope they'll work it out and I think they will because it's too important to both sides," said Dean. "The owners and the players and of course the fans and the city of Pittsburgh."

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