The primary fight between the NFL and the players, once all of the jargon and bluster and mumbo-jumbo is peeled away, centers on the manner in which the money gets divided.

For 20 years or more, the players have received 50 cents of every dollar that passes through the cash register, regardless of the specific formula utilized. And they want to keep it that way.

The owners seem to be prepared, after some thought the league wanted to cut the number to 40 percent, to give the players 48 cents of every dollar, per both ESPN and the Associated Press (and possibly others). Coupled with the concept of an ever-growing pie and, presumably, a real willingness to share the upside with the players no matter how far up it goes, that probably will be enough to get a deal done.

After all, what’s two cents?

That said, if/when the total revenue grows to $20 billion per year, it’s $400 million annually. For now, at $9 billion in annual revenues, it’s less than $200 million.

As the total dollars continue to grow, that money will come back, and then some.

Though plenty of media outlets have made a big to-do about the “disappearance” of $1 billion in expense credits, with some seemingly implying that it makes the deal better, the players received nearly 60 percent of the remainder after the owners got their cut. By shifting to a true “total revenue” formula, and necessarily dumping the $1 billion credit, the players will getting a smaller share than they have in recent years.

NFLPA spokesman George Atallah told PFT last year that the players received 51.87 percent of all revenue in 2002. In 2003, the number dropped to 50.23 percent. In 2004, it grew to 52.18 percent. In 2005, the number was 50.52 percent. In 2006, it was 52.74 percent. In 2008, it was 50.96 percent. In 2007, it was 51.84 percent. In 2008, it was 50.96 percent. In 2009, it was 50.06 percent.

So, yes, the players are getting less per dollar. But we don’t need to call the new cut “just under 50 percent” (like the AP does) or marvel at the magnanimous removal of the $1 billion of the top to sell it to the players as a good deal. When this started, the league wanted another billion before applying the 60-40 formula, which meant that the league wanted a give-back of $600 million per year, given current revenue levels. The current proposal reflects a 66.6-percent reduction in that position, along with plenty of valuable concessions like a minimum cash expenditure of more than 90 percent of the salary limit, four years to free agency, reduction in offseason workouts, and other player-friendly terms.