NFL Cancels Rookie Symposium Due to Lockout
The NFL Rookie Symposium scheduled for June 26th at the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, OH has been canceled due to the ongoing NFL lockout. The purpose of the event is to teach a crash-course aimed to rookies on issues they will be dealing with as NFL players and how to handle them. The event was mandatory under the now-defunct CBA and has been held yearly since its inception in 1997.
Many people in the football world question the validity of the Rookie Symposium and therefore, do not see its cancellation as a loss. Regardless, this event could be the first of many cancellations in the near future for the NFL and although the process might be flawed, the event is necessary for many players who will be in a whole new world and would greatly benefit form the support network offered by the symposium.
At this point, most fans are just hoping the lockout is ended quickly enough to prevent the missing of any regular season games. Even if this happens, the rookies and un-drafted free agents will feel the consequences of the various events like this that they missed because of the lockout. First-year players have enough problems adjusting to the NFL lifestyle and this years' group may suffer the consequences of this lockout for years to come.
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