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All Encompassing Lockout Thread

GP said:
Oh my.

Jerruh done gone an' tipped his hand.

I don't think a date would have been set UNLESS! this is one of those brilliant P.R. moves by Jerry Jones to get fans all hyped up in anticipation of a signed CBA deal...only to be forced to withdraw the date when July 29th hits and he has to tell the fans how awfully bad he feels that the players are prolonging this ordeal.

At zis point, I truzt nuzzing!
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He is probably having sponsor problems and season ticket sales problems so he is throwing a hail marry hoping Glover Quin is covering the pass.
 
GP said:
Oh my.

Jerruh done gone an' tipped his hand.

I don't think a date would have been set UNLESS! this is one of those brilliant P.R. moves by Jerry Jones to get fans all hyped up in anticipation of a signed CBA deal...only to be forced to withdraw the date when July 29th hits and he has to tell the fans how awfully bad he feels that the players are prolonging this ordeal.

At zis point, I truzt nuzzing!
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TEXANRED said:
He is probably having sponsor problems and season ticket sales problems so he is throwing a hail marry hoping Glover Quin is covering the pass.
Click to expand...


Possibly a repeat of the Super Bowl fiasco where fans were sold SEATS that were not there.............except this time the GAME won't be there!:barman:
 
It's been being reported since Friday that the lawyers were working on drafting language for the CBA over the 4th weekend and the owners, players & shysters would meet again Tuesday through Friday to get things ironed out. Sorry I don't have any twitter feeds, I don't twit but it has been online and on the NFL channel. It'll get done and we shall have a full season.

And for this reason, I'm going to join myself for a nice cool beverage and burn some meat. :beer:
 
drs23 said:
It's been being reported since Friday that the lawyers were working on drafting language for the CBA over the 4th weekend and the owners, players & shysters would meet again Tuesday through Friday to get things ironed out. Sorry I don't have any twitter feeds, I don't twit but it has been online and on the NFL channel. It'll get done and we shall have a full season.

And for this reason, I'm going to join myself for a nice cool beverage and burn some meat. :beer:
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It's good to see that the two of you can could finally get together and enjoy a good 4th!:)
 
Greed continues to define both sides.


Bears Offensive Tackle J'Marcus Webb on the NFL Lockout

Updated: Monday, 04 Jul 2011, 1:14 PM CDT
Published : Monday, 04 Jul 2011, 1:14 PM CDT

FOX Chicago News


Bears offensive tackle J'Marcus Webb joined FOX Chicago News to talk about the effect this lockout may have on Chicago.

There has been a break in talks, but there has also been a lot of negotiating behind the scenes and so far no progress.

The main dispute over the newly proposed bargaining agreement centers on the amount of money that the owners want to take as "credit" from the revenue pool.

In the previous agreement, the owners took $1 billion from the pool of approximately $9 billion, but now they are trying to increase that number to $2.4 billion, citing "the economic realities of the era" as reasoning.

This would effectively cut the players' share of the revenue by 18 percent, and thus is causing extreme discontent among the players.

However, many players understand how the increased funding of the owners would lead to an increased annual revenue thanks to new and improved stadiums.

A second topic of major concern has been the split of the overall revenue. The players have been fighting for a 50-50 split with the owners, who have steadfastly refused this offer.

The offer currently on the table is a 51-49 split for the owners, which has been refused by the NFL Player's Association.
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Can you say greed? The owners have yet to prove why they need the larger piece of the overall share.
 
gary said:
Can you say greed? The owners have yet to prove why they need the larger piece of the overall share.
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The owners really have the fans in their hearts and minds when they are constantly raising ticket prices on them. Especially after fans and non fans alike are paying for a large portion of their new stadiums with taxes.

Now they're crying that they need a bigger piece of the pie from the players.

Tell you what Billionaire BoBBy, you try to put the best team possible on the field and then we can talk. Otherwise just shut up with the we're on the right track talk. It's been a decade of crappy football and you're crying poor. Your loyal fans have done their part supporting your crappy product and now your saying you need more? LOL

Cry me a river.

Know that I believe DeMaurice Smith is a despicable human being and Goddell is a snake. These two deserve each other.
 
steelbtexan said:
The owners really have the fans in their hearts and minds when they are constantly raising ticket prices on them. Especially after fans and non fans alike are paying for a large portion of their new stadiums with taxes.

Now they're crying that they need a bigger piece of the pie from the players.

Tell you what Billionaire BoBBy, you try to put the best team possible on the field and then we can talk. Otherwise just shut up with the we're on the right track talk. It's been a decade of crappy football and you're crying poor. Your loyal fans have done their part supporting your crappy product and now your saying you need more? LOL

Cry me a river.

Know that I believe DeMaurice Smith is a despicable human being and Goddell is a snake. These two deserve each other.
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I am fed up with all of it.
 
92637740_crop_650x440.jpg



We swear, our settlement on the new CBA will not result in taking any money from each other............only from the sucker fans..............we swear!
 
The labor talks continue to ping-pong, with optimism alternatively replaced by pessimism, then optimism. And so with signs pointing to a possible resolution by the weekend, Sal Paolantonio of ESPN reports that progress is slow, and that the first week of the preseason could now be in jeopardy.

Per Paolantonio, lawyers haggled Tuesday regarding the terms of a rookie wage scale and a revised drug program. Citing two unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the talks, disagreement still exists on the key issues of dividing revenues and defining “all revenue.”

The news should come as no huge surprise, given that only the lawyers are present. Without Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith, mediator Arthur Boylan, the owners, or the key players, the lawyers are unlikely to make much progress.

That’s why Goodell, Smith, Boylan, the owners, and the key players need to get to Manhattan, sooner rather than later. If the parties merely had decided to suck it up and meet through the weekend, I’m convinced a deal would have been struck. Instead, the parties will be trying to recapture on Thursday, July 7 the vibe that existed on Thursday, June 30.

Much can change in a week, and the stakes are increasingly higher.

Hopefully, the parties will quit talking about hard work and start engaging in it. At $200 million per week in potentially lost preseason revenues, the two sides have every reason to get this thing done.
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link


Chris Mortensen's inside sources are telling him that there is unlikely that a deal will be struck this week.link
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
link


Chris Mortensen's inside sources are telling him that there is unlikely that a deal will be struck this week.link
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How can they? Meeting 2 days a week isn't going to get anything done. I don't care how much they do when they're apart from each other. They're always talking of commitment and hard work. Pfft! Bull butter!

I used to be on Goodell's side, but honestly, he and Smith are like two monkeys ****in a football when it comes to these CBA negotiations.
 
Mediator starts vacation on Saturday


And now there’s another reason for the principals in the labor dispute to roll up their sleeves, pack a lunch, and focus on the task at hand.

According to ESPN.com, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan is scheduled to start a vacation on Saturday. As a result, ESPN.com reports that the parties “hope to achieve a true framework for a new CBA by the close of business on Friday.”

Maybe they will, and maybe they won’t. But the fact that Boylan starts a vacation reinforces the reality that the two sides should have kept at it over the Fourth of July weekend.

Instead, the key figures will be renewing acquaintances on Thursday, with only two days to get something done before Boylan, who played a key role last week in averting an implosion of the talks, becomes unavailable.
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The 4th of July weekend could end up being the NFL's and NFLPA's Waterloo.


napoleon-na-waterloo.jpg
 
deleted. already posted as a thread in the NFL section.
 
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I've got a random question...and it might be a dumb one. I might be having a brain fart or something.

Obviously teams can't talk with players. However, can they contact their agents? I think the obvious answer's no, but thought I'd ask anyway.
 
I have barely followed this mess since it began. I don't really care if they cancel pre season games it would just mean some extra $$$ in my pocket. I have never understood how college football can play with no pre season and professional football needs 4 make believe games to play the season. I guess its the reason college teams can get there plays in to the QB without a walkie talkie but a pro teams can't
 
Back at it: NFL owners, players come together for crucial talks
NEW YORK -- NFL owners and players arrived at a Manhattan law firm Thursday for a critical set of labor talks, with the possibility of cancelled preseason games becoming more real by the day.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith each came with five representatives of their constituency, as has been the case at many of these meetings.

Goodell was accompanied by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, New York Giants owner John Mara, Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II and Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, while Smith brought NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, former special-teams ace Sean Morey, Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth. U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan also re-joined the talks, but he has a vacation scheduled to begin Saturday.

These discussions are only scheduled to go through Friday, but there's the possibility of extending them into the weekend -- which would be a first in the six weeks of this phase of negotiations. So, the issue of Boylan potentially leaving talks over the weekend exists, but two sources said it doesn't make the next two days more vital, citing preseason revenue as the primary motivator to quickly finish a settlement.

Also, a Thursday night conference call has been scheduled for the plaintiffs in the Brady et al v. National Football League et al antitrust case. Settling that case ultimately would be part of ending the league-imposed lockout, which started March 12.

After paying tribute to Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, a former NFLPA president who passed away Thursday, Smith was asked on his way into the building if he's hopeful about the labor talks.

"I feel good," Smith responded.

Mawae was asked what he hoped to see accomplished in the talks and said, "Getting a little bit closer to getting a deal done, hopefully, we'll see.

"The closer we get to the kickoff of the regular season, the more important it becomes that the sides come together," Mawae added. "But again, from the players' standpoint, we have to get a deal that's fair for everybody. We're working hard."

Legal teams and staff from each party met Tuesday and Wednesday in Manhattan, and while progress was made, there's only so much that could be done without owners and players present.

Thursday is seen as a big day for a number of reasons.

First, there's the issue of timing, with July 15 largely seen as a deadline to settle a deal and save the preseason in full. Second, there's the need to carry over momentum from the marathon 16-hour session last Thursday and subsequent meeting Friday, after Boylan reined in the parties during a tough time and pushed negotiations forward. Third, there are many issues -- including the rookie salary system and funding of retiree benefits -- on which the parties still need to make breakthroughs, and these talks could be key to that after time away from the table.

It has been estimated that it would take between 10 and 14 days to go from an agreement to a signed document, and the idea of this week's meetings is to cut down that time and have groundwork laid to quickly move things from a settlement to the opening of training camps. The Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams, who are scheduled to play in the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame Game, are scheduled to report to camp July 22.

Saving the preseason would avert the possible loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. That loss would affect the owners' offer to the players and could poison negotiations to the point where the dispute would head back to the courts.

Two court rulings are pending -- one from U.S. Circuit Court Judge David Doty in the networks' rights-fees case and another from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on the league's appeal of a lockout-lifting injunction.

Lawyers involved in negotiations believe rulings in the cases have been finalized but that neither Doty nor the 8th Circuit judges, who previously implored the league and players to work out their differences themselves, want to issue them. The failure of talks, this line of thinking goes, could lead Boylan to inform those courts that negotiations have broken down and there's no need to wait to reveal their rulings.

If that's indeed Boylan's hammer, he has used it effectively, prompting progress on the revenue split last week, the central issue in this entire dispute. In that time, many of the "fringe" demands -- deemed unacceptable by one side or the other -- fell off the table as well, clearing the way for more productive talks.

One remaining issue is retired players' benefits, one of the smaller issues that flows into the revenue split. The owners and players didn't settle the funding for such benefits late last week, and a group of retired players -- led by Carl Eller -- filed a lawsuit in a Minneapolis court Monday seeking to halt the ongoing negotiations and keep the active players from representing them in that setting.
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Source: Call to update players on deal

The plaintiffs in the Tom Brady vs. NFL case will participate in a conference call Thursday night, the latest step toward completing a labor deal between the NFL and its locked-out players in the near future.

The purpose of the conference call is to update the individual plaintiffs on the status of the labor negotiations, particularly the framework for a new collective bargaining agreement, a league source told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio.

All of the details of the agreement have not been worked out, but the call is designed to give the plaintiffs a clear idea of where the agreement is headed so that they can make an informed decision about the anti-trust lawsuit which must be settled in federal court prior to the CBA taking effect, the league source said.

Those scheduled to be on the conference call are Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Logan Mankins, Osi Umenyiora and rookie Von Miller -- all of whom must approve of the deal in federal court before it can become binding.

While there remains a focused approach toward completing a deal, finishing it Thursday is close to impossible, sources close to the negotiations told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

It still is expected that negotiations will spill into early next week to achieve a "done deal," the sources said. Even with progress, there are unresolved issues that require further negotiations. Members of the NFL Players Association's executive board and owners resumed discussions Thursday at a law firm in Manhattan.

If the talks extend past Friday, the sides will be negotiating without U.S. District Judge Arthur Boylan, the mediator in the talks. Sources told ESPN that Boylan is scheduled to go on vacation Saturday.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, owners and players are involved in the talks to finalize the details of a new revenue split, which is getting closer to agreement. Sources told ESPN on Wednesday both sides hope to achieve a true framework for a new collective bargaining agreement by the close of business on Friday.

Besides Goodell and Smith, others taking part in the talks Thursday include NFLPA president Kevin Mawae and team owners including Robert Kraft of the Patriots, John Mara of the New York Giants and Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys.

Lawyers for both sides have met over the past two days to do paperwork toward a collective bargaining agreement. On Wednesday, they negotiated details for free agency and training camps once the NFL is re-opened for business.

The players have so far rejected any deal that allows teams to have a right of first refusal on offers for up to three of their own free agents. Said one agent: "That punishes the top guys."

Also, teams would be allowed to bring in 80 to 90 players to training camp to allow for injuries and rust because of the lockout, which reached its 114th day Thursday.

Players and owners have been involved in six sets of negotiations around the country over the last several weeks, with pressure mounting to make a deal.

Training camps for the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears are scheduled to open July 22, with those teams scheduled to play in the Hall of Fame Game Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio.

The rest of the training camps would open about a week later, with a full slate of preseason games set for the second weekend in August.
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Videos accompany both links. Also Albert Breer just posted on twitter that a food delivery was just made in the discussion room (9:00 pm EST), so it seems they plan to meet tonight awhile longer.
 
I gave rep to Allstar for posting all of that information.

I think everyone should rep him if it lets them do it.

Thanks for posting all of that. I read all of it, and I think a deal will be done and signed no later than July 22 or July 25 so that camps can get started.

I also think they'll drop the first preseason game and just have three preseason games.

Just my hunch.
 
Texans34Life said:
@AdamSchefter: Lockout is legal, 8th circuit ruled.
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The verdict is hardly a surprise, but the timing certainly is with CBA talks nearing a settlement. Theoretically the owners can now lock out the players for the entire season, but the players still have the anti-trust suit in the courts. How this affects CBA discussions remains to be seen. SI.com's Peter King believes commissioner Roger Goodell will not allow the owners to "step on the players' throats" with their new found leverage. Losing close to a billion dollars on preseason games is still a concern.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/43684675/ns/sports-player_news/
 
IDEXAN said:
The verdict is hardly a surprise, but the timing certainly is with CBA talks nearing a settlement. Theoretically the owners can now lock out the players for the entire season, but the players still have the anti-trust suit in the courts. How this affects CBA discussions remains to be seen. SI.com's Peter King believes commissioner Roger Goodell will not allow the owners to "step on the players' throats" with their new found leverage. Losing close to a billion dollars on preseason games is still a concern.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/43684675/ns/sports-player_news/
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Yep, it's the anti-trust suit (Brady vs. NFL) that has the owners worried.

The lockout itself is worth ZERO if the owners might not be able to use their stash of TV contract money--as a way to survive a cancelled season--if a court rules in favor of Brady in the Brady vs. NFL case.

That's the real tipping point, and it could end up not being settled well into the fall of this year. This, IMO, is why the owners are willing to engage in these talks--They are not 100% guaranteed of being able to financially withstand a cancelled season unless a court rules in THEIR favor in Brady vs. NFL. Someone correct if I'm wrong here.

Therefore, the owners are going to create a deal and hold it just out of the players' reach and say to the players, "Before you sign this, let's talk about Brady vs. NFL..." and you'll see the players drop Brady vs. NFL and then a new CBA will be signed.

The very thing the owners tried to do, to survive a prolonged lockout, is what has them by the balls at the moment. They can't access that money right now, and they're having to choose whether to push forward and do a CBA deal now or walk away from talks and risk losing the Brady vs. NFL case later in the fall. And even then, there will be an appeals process too!

The owners talked tough up until recently (see: Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones), but they know they can't wait on the court system to settle the anti-trust suit.

The only question seems to be how many preseason games will be played. I think 3 at the most, with the chance that we might only have 1 or 2. The final signed deal can't be done soon enough to ensure a small window of free agency AND that first preseason game. I think the HOF game gets nixed, as well.
 
Exhausting keeping up with this stuff. My thanks to all you guys who have kept us updated, and have tried to help us understand all the "talks" going on between the two sides. I'm to the point that I just don't care anymore. I love the GAME of football, and the NFL has been my fav for over 5 decades. BUT, I can still get my football fix on Friday nights and Sat. Regardless of what they decide to do, the fans are still the victims. ALL the cost of this lockout will eventually be passed on down to us, bet on it!!
 
AlbertBreer Albert Breer
After running this 8th Circuit ruling by a few people ... I think it might actually ramp up urgency to do a deal now.

AlbertBreer Albert Breer
The bad news (part of the motivation, too) is that if preseason revenue starts to evaporate, situation could potentially get a lot uglier.

AlbertBreer Albert Breer
Dominoes ... Rookies/UFAs need to be ruled on ... Nelson gets 1st crack ... Nelson likely to rule for players ... That ruling = Total chaos.

AlbertBreer Albert Breer
Wanna really boil this down? 8th Cir to Players/Owners: "Solve this thing soon, or you're gonna have a real ugly situation on your hands."


The 8th circuit ruling didn't rule on undrafted rookies and UFA, so that goes back to Judge Nelson,who will most likely rule with the players again. So that would be a mess. This deal needs to get done before things get out of control.
 
Allstar said:
The 8th circuit ruling didn't rule on undrafted rookies and UFA, so that goes back to Judge Nelson,who will most likely rule with the players again. So that would be a mess. This deal needs to get done before things get out of control.
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Which would mean an owner's appeal to the 8th Circuit again, I bet.

Round and round we go...
 
Allstar said:
AlbertBreer Albert Breer
After running this 8th Circuit ruling by a few people ... I think it might actually ramp up urgency to do a deal now.

AlbertBreer Albert Breer
The bad news (part of the motivation, too) is that if preseason revenue starts to evaporate, situation could potentially get a lot uglier.

AlbertBreer Albert Breer
Dominoes ... Rookies/UFAs need to be ruled on ... Nelson gets 1st crack ... Nelson likely to rule for players ... That ruling = Total chaos.

AlbertBreer Albert Breer
Wanna really boil this down? 8th Cir to Players/Owners: "Solve this thing soon, or you're gonna have a real ugly situation on your hands."


The 8th circuit ruling didn't rule on undrafted rookies and UFA, so that goes back to Judge Nelson,who will most likely rule with the players again. So that would be a mess. This deal needs to get done before things get out of control.
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True, but the NFL would just appeal. In turn, right back in the 8th's hands. Like a big cirlcle. Like you mentioned, their best bet would be to settle before she rules on anything
 
AdamSchefter Adam Schefter
Sal Pal is is reporting that De Smith is holding a conference call with NFL player reps from all 32 teams. Call began at 3 pm EDT.


Let's cross our fingers.
 
More questions.........

NFL lockout ruling raises timing issues
By Lester Munson
ESPN.com

As NFL owners and players appear to be closing in on a new collective bargaining agreement, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit (St. Louis) on Friday issued a 2-1 opinion that eliminates a lower court injunction that temporarily stopped the owners' lockout. The decision, its rationale, the dissent and the timing raise questions about the current bargaining process and the 2011 season. Here are some of the questions and their answers:

Why would these judges issue their decision now, when it appears that the owners and the players are in the final stages of a new agreement?

There isn't an obvious answer to that. The timing of this decision is highly questionable. All reports indicate that both sides are negotiating in good faith and approaching an agreement that would resolve all issues and establish a working partnership that can endure for several NFL seasons. It appeared, until Friday, that the judges who were involved in owner-player litigation were holding off on their decisions as the negotiations continued. Why render a decision that can change the relative strength of the bargaining positions when it appears that a settlement is on the horizon? U.S. District Judge David Doty in Minneapolis, who has presided over NFL labor disputes for more than 20 years and is easily the nation's most knowledgeable jurist on these issues, has delayed his decision on the players' lawsuit attacking TV network payments to the owners during the lockout. Doty's timing, in contrast to the judges of the higher court, allows the players and the owners to find common ground without any sudden and dramatic changes in the topography.

How did the two judges of the higher court reach the conclusion that the owners could continue with their lockout?

In ironic and surprising interpretations of a federal law known as the Norris-LaGuardia Act and a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in another NFL case, the majority judges (Steven M. Colloton and Duane Benton) concluded that American law prohibits the use of injunctions against lockouts in labor disputes. The irony arises from the fact the law was enacted to protect labor unions from injunctions issued by anti-labor judges in the early days of the labor movement. As Judge Kermit Edward Bye explains in his dissent, the Norris-LaGuardia Act was "not intended for the protection of employers (the owners)," and was intended only for the protection of employees (the players). The surprise is that the judges viewed the owners-players dispute as a labor dispute even though it no longer involves a labor union. (The NFLPA decertified as soon as the lockout began.) To reach their conclusion, the judges analyzed Brown vs. NFL, a 1996 decision involving developmental squad players, a rare loss for NFL players in the long history of antitrust litigation between players and owners. Even though the Brown decision stated that a decertification of a union could open the owners to antitrust claims (including an injunction stopping a lockout), the judges on Friday ruled that they would ignore the decertification and treat the dispute as a labor dispute and not an antitrust dispute.

What effect will the decision have on negotiations?

If the owners and the players are close to an agreement, the effect of the decision will be minimal. But if the negotiations break down, the decision could have a major effect. In their opinion, the majority judges ruled that free agents and rookies may be entitled to an injunction that would end the lockout for them and allow them to begin to negotiate for contracts. The judges' ruling included an admonition that the free agents and rookies must present witnesses and other evidence to U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson in St. Paul, but that, after an evidentiary hearing, they would be entitled to an order stopping the lockout. If lawyers and agents representing rookies and free agents filed a lawsuit now, they would complicate the labor negotiations with a new layer of issues and possibilities. Veteran players under contract would be locked out, and free agents and rookies would be permitted to negotiate contracts, attend preseason camps and prepare for the 2011 season.

Can the players appeal this loss?

Yes. There are two avenues of appeal that are open to the players. The first is to ask for reconsideration in what is known as an "en banc" hearing before the 11 active judges of the Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. With a 2-1 decision and a strong dissent, the chances for an en banc reconsideration are better than they would be with a 3-0 decision. The players would then face the challenge of persuading five of the remaining eight judges who did not participate in Friday's decision that it's an antitrust dispute and not a labor dispute. The second alternative is a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to intervene in the dispute. The high court can easily refuse to hear the players' appeal, and that would be the end of the litigation. But, if the Supreme Court did agree to consider the case, the players would be in a court that ruled 9-0 against the owners in the last NFL case it considered: American Needle vs. NFL.

Is this the end of the players' antitrust attack on the owners?

No. The players can return to federal court in St. Paul and pursue their claims against the owners. They would be asking for financial records of the league's 32 teams, and they would ask a jury to award them money triple damages for the losses they claim to have resulted from the lockout and restrictions on player movement (franchise and transition tags, draft, salary caps). It would be an endless process, extending into 2012 and beyond.

What are the chances for a 2011 season after this decision?

The best chance for a 2011 season is the negotiation now underway. If the owners and the players can continue with the progress they appear to be making, there will be a season. But if the negotiations fail, then there is the prospect of a continuing lockout, a lawsuit by free agents and rookies, an appeal of Friday's decision, a decision in the TV networks case and continuing uncertainty.

Lester Munson, a Chicago lawyer and journalist who reports on investigative and legal issues in the sports industry, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
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AlbertBreer Albert Breer
I'm told thus far - 7.5 hours in - very little progress has been made on key ussues today. Decision yet to come on potential weekend talks.


All I know is, if they fail to reach an agreement now and everything goes back to the way things were a couple months ago, the NFL should prepare themselves for the wrath of millions of fans.
 
Allstar said:
AlbertBreer Albert Breer
I'm told thus far - 7.5 hours in - very little progress has been made on key ussues today. Decision yet to come on potential weekend talks.


All I know is, if they fail to reach an agreement now and everything goes back to the way things were a couple months ago, the NFL should prepare themselves for the wrath of millions of fans.
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******************************************************
More info:

Albert Breer of NFL Network reports that no decision has been made about whether talks will continue into the weekend. He points out the two sides haven’t negotiated on the weekend since February.
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Yeh..........they've been working really hard...........right! And now they're not sure that they will be carrying the negotiations THIS weekend?!
 
Allstar said:
AlbertBreer Albert Breer
I'm told thus far - 7.5 hours in - very little progress has been made on key ussues today. Decision yet to come on potential weekend talks.


All I know is, if they fail to reach an agreement now and everything goes back to the way things were a couple months ago, the NFL should prepare themselves for the wrath of millions of fans.
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This heat wave has kept my inside a lot more than usual, especially in the summer.

Once things start to cool down in the fall, I'm just not sure if I want to give half my weekends to these people anymore. I'm starting to think about all the things that I can do outside during those beautiful fall Sundays instead of sitting in front of the boob tube.

I love football, but like SheTex mentioned earlier, there are other ways to get that fix. Sundays might not be the NFL's anymore, especially if they fail to get a deal done and sacrifice any part of a regular season.

I will still watch the Texans, but with DVRs these days, I might be waiting until Sunday nights to do it.
 
Whether there is a season or not, I'm already thinking of alternative things to do on Sundays. Between the Texans never showing anything and this crap, I'm rapidly losing interest in the NFL.

If they ever start playing again, that will change somewhat. I'm afraid I'm at the point now I can't be the fan I used to be. It's going to take the NFL and the Texans both to convice me to be a charged up fan again.
 
The 8th circuit's ruling today didn't help the proceedings one iota.

The timing of this decision is highly questionable. All reports indicate that both sides are negotiating in good faith and approaching an agreement that would resolve all issues and establish a working partnership that can endure for several NFL seasons. It appeared, until Friday, that the judges who were involved in owner-player litigation were holding off on their decisions as the negotiations continued. Why render a decision that can change the relative strength of the bargaining positions when it appears that a settlement is on the horizon? U.S. District Judge David Doty in Minneapolis, who has presided over NFL labor disputes for more than 20 years and is easily the nation's most knowledgeable jurist on these issues, has delayed his decision on the players' lawsuit attacking TV network payments to the owners during the lockout. Doty's timing, in contrast to the judges of the higher court, allows the players and the owners to find common ground without any sudden and dramatic changes in the topography.
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I honestly hope Doty give the Owners a signal that he'll issue his ruling by the end of next week if a deal isn't struck beforehand. I'm 99% sure that Doty won't be nearly as forgiving as the 8th circuit, and the Owners will be looking at a multi-hundred-million-dollar settlement for negotiating the TV contracts in bad faith.

I'm almost beginning to wonder if there are pockets being lined over in the 8th.
 
disaacks3 said:
The 8th circuit's ruling today didn't help the proceedings one iota.

I honestly hope Doty give the Owners a signal that he'll issue his ruling by the end of next week if a deal isn't struck beforehand. I'm 99% sure that Doty won't be nearly as forgiving as the 8th circuit, and the Owners will be looking at a multi-hundred-million-dollar settlement for negotiating the TV contracts in bad faith.

I'm almost beginning to wonder if there are pockets being lined over in the 8th.
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How dare you question the American justice system
-------------------------------Casey Marie Anthony
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:foottap:
 
During negotiations Friday the rookie wage scale and finalizing the free agency rules were discussed, according to a person familiar with the talks who requested anonymity because details are not being announced publicly. Owners want to increase the number of unrestricted free agents on which they can exercise the right of first refusal.

"We're going to break for the weekend, get back to work next week. We continue to work hard to get something done," Smith said. "I know our fans want us to get something done as quickly as possible."
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link

Hard work / break for the weekend.........Sounds contradictory to me.
 
From PFT:

Stalemate arises over rookie wage scale


Thanks for nothing, Arthur Boylan.

As the U.S. Magistrate Judge who presided over the labor talks like a referee and then decided to leave the stadium with the ball inside the five starts his vacation, some believe that the process can continue without him, given the threat of the looming loss of preseason revenue. We’re not so sure that’s the case.

A source with knowledge of the dynamics of the negotiations tells us that the league and the players are at a stalemate on the issue of the rookie wage scale.

Per the source, the owners still are pushing for five-year contracts for first-round picks. But that approach would make it harder for truly great players to be properly compensated before making it through five years with enough left in the tank to justify a big contract. That would actually make it better for great players to slide into round two, since the players would be eligible for free agency, or at a minimum the franchise tag, after four years of play.

The league’s general concern is valid. Too much money flows out of the system when top-ten draft picks become busts. Also, the magnitude of those contracts possibly contributes to a player becoming a bust, by causing him to become complacent or by making him believe he doesn’t have to listen to teammates, coaches, or anyone. But the league seems to be trying to leverage that concern into a solution that goes much farther than it needs to.

Making the league’s position even more confusing is the apparent reality that the salary floor will creep within five or so points of the salary cap, forcing teams to spend money. So why do they want to lock up first-round draft picks to subpar contracts? The league would likely contend that teams will have no choice but to extend truly great first-round picks before their initial contracts expire. While that may be true for quarterbacks and high-profile skill position players, the men who toil in anonymity easily could remain anonymous until they finish that fifth NFL season.

Regardless of how it all works out, it needs to work out before the lockout can end. And while few dispute that a rookie wage scale needs to be put in place, the league needs to be fair and reasonable on this point, or much of the money that would be redistributed via a rookie wage scale will be lost once preseason games begin to be canceled.

But it will be hard for anything to work out until Boylan comes back.
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exactly Gary, this is past stupid. they should be locked into a room, no a/c and sit there until they work it out
 
Double Barrel said:
This heat wave has kept my inside a lot more than usual, especially in the summer.

Once things start to cool down in the fall, I'm just not sure if I want to give half my weekends to these people anymore. I'm starting to think about all the things that I can do outside during those beautiful fall Sundays instead of sitting in front of the boob tube.

I love football, but like SheTex mentioned earlier, there are other ways to get that fix. Sundays might not be the NFL's anymore, especially if they fail to get a deal done and sacrifice any part of a regular season.

I will still watch the Texans, but with DVRs these days, I might be waiting until Sunday nights to do it.
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CFL game on the NFLN right now.

For what that's worth.
 
drs23 said:
It's been being reported since Friday that the lawyers were working on drafting language for the CBA over the 4th weekend and the owners, players & shysters would meet again Tuesday through Friday to get things ironed out. Sorry I don't have any twitter feeds, I don't twit but it has been online and on the NFL channel. It'll get done and shall have a full season.

And for this reason, I'm going to join myself for a nice cool beverage and burn some meat. :beer:
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So you are not a twit? That's a good thing.
 
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