New on SI: Fate of the Union: What the NFLPA Can Learn From the Fight of '77

Compared to their NBA and MLB cohorts, NFL players have it rough. Their short careers in a violent sport include nonguaranteed contracts and restrictions on free agency—and owners have always had the upper hand. For one forgotten moment four decades ago, though, the union had the NFL on the ropes ... and blew it. With players once again readying for labor war, the lessons of that battle matter more than ever.