Facing the possibility of an extended work stoppage in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers will take a series of cost-cutting measures that could include pay cuts to top-level employees such as president and CEO Mark Murphy, coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson. By making those cuts, the team hopes to avoid laying off lower-salaried workers. “We all hope for the best, we are all optimistic that this will get done,†Packers vice president of administration/general counsel Jason Wied said in a conference call with reporters Saturday. “We know that all parties have every intention of getting this done. But we need to plan for the worst.†Even amid the tension between players and owners, Murphy said it’s too early for fans to worry about a work stoppage affecting the 2011 season. “We’re still very far away from that,†Murphy said. “I would encourage people, let’s be reflective. We still have a lot of time and hopefully, at the end of the day, cooler heads will prevail and we’ll be able to reach an agreement without any interference in terms of football games or training camp.†Source: Associated Press
