So there is a lockout...now what?

As of 5 pm yesterday the NFLPA has decertified and the owners have locked them out. I will look at what is going to happen next and what are the chances that the 2011-2012 season will be impacted by the lockout (in terms of lost games). I will also examine how my life and the lives of NFL fans would change if the seasons was impacted.
Now that the NFLPA has decertified they will sue the NFL and the owners for violating anti-trust laws. It is important to note that the lawsuit will take place in the same court room where two weeks ago the players won a huge legal victory when it was ruled the huge TV warchest the owners had in the case of a lockout was illegal and couldn't be built up. That being the case I expect the NFLPA to win this lawsuit and the owners to appeal. A final victory by the NFLPA would make a new CBA a foregone conclusion as the owners will lose their ability to bargain/negotiate effectivly. The key is how long the legal preceedings take if it goes into July or August then the season (at least the pre-season) could be shortened.

If the season is shortened or lost the lives of myself and many NFL fans would not be the same. First of all, sundays in the fall would lose a lot of their importance as their would be no more games. Also, Madden and Fantasy football which are major social activities for people would be gone. Furthermore, fans in cities like Green Bay and Jacksonville would have no pro teams to root for while fans in cities like DC, Baltimore, Indianapolis, and New Orleans would lose the number one team in their respective cities. The ratings for CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN would take a huge hit as a major ratings draw (NFL sunday) would not be available to them. College football would gain importance and if the NBA can get their CBA issues worked out they as well as the MLB can take advantage of the biggest sport in the nation being on hiatus. In general if the NFL season is shortened or lost then society and culture in this country would be completly different.