It looks like the players went to the owners with a 7 day extension this morning and didn't take long for the owners to accept apparently.

It makes you think there must be something on the table pretty decent to get the owners to stick around that long, but I'm still banking on a lockout happening unless the players concede a lot more in this next 7 days.

3/4/2011 2:30:25 PM

In my opinion, Bill Simmons has regressed over the years, but his mock lockout column is top notch.

3/4/2011 2:39:33 PM

yeah, the owners are getting raked over the coals in the media and I think that ruling killed their leverage.

3/4/2011 2:54:07 PM

The owners have all the leverage. The average NFL players can't afford to lose a year of playing time with as short as their careers are.

3/4/2011 3:01:08 PM

They should just do like the feds......keep extending the deadline.....like the feds keep approve CRs.

3/4/2011 3:02:02 PM

Quote :

"In my opinion, Bill Simmons has regressed over the years, but his mock lockout column is top notch."

agreed

3/4/2011 3:08:45 PM

Quote :

"In my opinion, Bill Simmons has regressed over the years, but his mock lockout column is top notch."

Agreed. Even though I think there are a few flaws in some of his thinking, this is an excellent column and does a great job explaining what he thinks the owners are thinking. I think it's interesting to note that Rick Reilly has a column taking on the owners as well. Surprising that ESPN's top two columnists write articles slamming the NFL within a day of each other.

[Edited on March 4, 2011 at 3:38 PM. Reason : 2]

3/4/2011 3:37:43 PM

but more specifically, slamming the owners. They're obviously both passionate fans of the game, and don't want to see a stoppage any more than we do. I'm surprised every NFL writer for ESPN hasn't taken a shot at the owners' arguments.

3/4/2011 3:47:34 PM

I am surprised ESPN is allowing anyone to write anything that could put the owners in a negative light. I am sure ESPN enjoys the success of Monday Night Football, and would like to keep that relationship as positive as possible.

3/4/2011 3:53:08 PM

Under normal circumstances, I'd agree, but there's nothing normal about what's going on right now. I'd bet that all the writers would write a "thanks for getting this resolved" column if something gets done in a timely fashion...

3/4/2011 3:55:38 PM

owners are just agreeing to an extension to prevent union decertification.

[Edited on March 4, 2011 at 4:03 PM. Reason : .]

3/4/2011 4:02:22 PM

players union filed to decertify:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6205936

3/11/2011 5:36:45 PM

anybody hear Big Cat on NFL Network just now? says its just a "bump in the road"

18 game season? wonder if we get a 12 game season this year

3/11/2011 5:38:07 PM

Owners tried their damnedest to get a deal done today, but the players decided that Judge Doty is on their side, do they didn't need to give at all. Fuck the players for what they did today. This shit could drag on for years.

If there is a work stoppage, it's on the union at this point. They were within striking distance of a damn good deal, but they got greedy.

3/11/2011 8:33:48 PM

Players wanted the owners to open their books to prove these financial needs that they're declaring. Owners didn't. Players said no problem, this judge will make you. It's on the owners, not the players

3/11/2011 8:40:45 PM

Quote :

"This shit could drag on for years."

hahahaha

3/11/2011 8:41:20 PM

I hope they lock out for a long time now. Recently the NFL has made me sick. I'd be happy if I didn't have to watch it next year means more hockey coverage since the NBA is on this path too. All that's going to happen is higher salaries meaning higher ticket and concession prices, the fans lose regardless so I'm no longer interested at this point.

3/11/2011 8:46:40 PM

Quote :

"Players wanted the owners to open their books to prove these financial needs that they're declaring. Owners didn't. Players said no problem, this judge will make you. It's on the owners, not the players"

Fuck all that noise. The NFLPA just wanted financial records to use as a talking point against the Owners. Everybody knows that the owners made money over the last 10 years. The owners refused to hand over a red herring that the Union could've used to demagogue the issue. The reality is that player salaries outpaced revenues, and there is no denying that.

The owners wanted to reign in player salaries because their rate of growth is unsustainable in the long run. Even then, their last, best deal they offered today increased the salary cap for years to come. They met almost all the demands of the player's union, but the NFLPA still decertified because they felt they had a trump card with Judge Doty.

Quote :

"hahahaha"

Now it goes from negotiations to litigation. Appartently you are unaware of just how slow our legal system works. The last time the NFLPA de-certified and went to anti-trust litigation, it was 1987. They didn't come to a new agreement until 1993. In between, we had some truly shitty football.

3/11/2011 9:02:17 PM

are you saying they wont play for years or are you saying the legal mumbo jumbo part of it will drag on but theyll be playing before it gets to "years"

3/11/2011 9:06:17 PM

I'm saying that the legal battle will drag on for years, fucking up free-agency and causing stupid, unintended consequences.

I would bet that we have football next year, with a continuation of the rules from this year, ie all 5th and 6th year players get screwed into restricted free-agency once again. But there is a decent chance that the NFL finds a way to lock out the players, and everybody loses.

Other than that, the big question is when and how free-agency works. Does it go into effect in a week, a month, right before the season? A judge will decide.


[Edited on March 11, 2011 at 9:23 PM. Reason : 2]

3/11/2011 9:11:49 PM

Nah, the big questions is whether or not the Panthers will get the #1 draft pick next year because of this

3/11/2011 9:22:08 PM

I thought it was said that if there is a lockout the draft order stays the same. Regardless of who they draft this year, they will be drafting first overall again (hopefully) so Luck still gets stuck going to them after attempting to avoid them this year by staying in school.

3/11/2011 9:42:07 PM

On a positive note we can avoid a season of gouging our eyes out watching the panthers

[Edited on March 11, 2011 at 9:57 PM. Reason : F]

3/11/2011 9:56:43 PM

Actually, after reading the supposed owner's proposal to the players, I'll agree that the players are, in fact, to blame for this lockout (assuming Mike Florio's report is accurate)

3/11/2011 10:48:20 PM

3/12/2011 1:49:54 AM

godalmighty.

3/12/2011 2:28:19 AM

Quote :

"On a positive note we can avoid a season of gouging our eyes out watching the panthers"

3/12/2011 6:44:25 AM

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-disrespectedunion031111

So according to Silver we are in this mess because people got "disrespected".

Quote :

"For the players, things got personal and stayed that way, and ultimately Smith and his members did what proud athletes usually do when they feel they’ve been threatened, disrespected and treated dismissively: They stood tall, puffed out their chests and got ready to rumble. “Players made every effort to engage in a business process,” Atallah said Friday. “The only thing they asked for was respect. They understand their business and they wanted to be treated like partners. It’s obvious that never happened. It’s obvious that was never in [the owners’] plans. They didn’t treat us like businessmen."

At first it sounded to me like the owners were being unreasonable, then after reading the final proposal from owners it sounds like the players are more to blame. Guess what when you are the owner of a business, you kind of get to do what you want.

3/12/2011 10:00:39 AM

Jerry Richardson sabotaged negotiations by personally insulting Peyton Manning and some of the other players.

Nice work Big Cat.

3/12/2011 2:21:32 PM

most importantly, how does this affect madden '12???

3/13/2011 12:08:31 AM

NY Media providing some lulz
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/03/13/2011-03-13_game_of_tag_may_be_out.html

3/13/2011 2:23:43 PM

Quote :

"most importantly, how does this affect madden '12???"

3/13/2011 5:51:25 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6424084

judge halts the lockout...for now



and maybe someone can 'splain this to me. the nfl wants to cut rookie pay by 60%, lock them in for 5 years, and use the remaining money to go towards veterans. why in the hell would the players have a problem with this?

4/25/2011 6:07:38 PM

Because their 50% share in the collective revenue pie would be decreased.

4/25/2011 6:27:07 PM

Quote :

" U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson said she was swayed by the players' argument that that the lockout, now in its second month, was causing irreparable harm to their careers."

Where the fuck was this cunt when the nhl lost an entire season

4/25/2011 6:48:54 PM

^ because the game of hockey causes irreparable harm to hockey, not the lockout.

4/25/2011 6:53:10 PM

False

4/25/2011 7:29:18 PM

^^ wow, sweet comment. Quite frankly I hope the NFL locks out, maybe it'll teach the players to actually be smart with their money, since you know, 78% are bankrupt within 2 years of retirement.

[Edited on April 25, 2011 at 7:39 PM. Reason : Arrows]

4/25/2011 7:39:38 PM

Lockout ended by Judge Neilson, who refused a stay pending appeals. Now the NFL has to conduct some form of "business as usual" or risk contempt of court. They are appealing, but in the meantime they must come up with trade and free-agency rules for the new league year that do not violate anti-trust laws. They are confused about what to do at this point.

I would expect them to announce a continuation of the rules from last year, with free-agency officially beginning at a set date that allows them time to beg for a stay from the Eighth Circuit court of Appeals. Or, free-agency could start tomorrow. Who knows?

Developing...

4/28/2011 4:46:40 AM

This is great news for the Panthers to try and deal Smitty to get back in the 2nd round

4/28/2011 5:58:30 AM

Lockout is back on...was just overruled by some other judge

4/29/2011 6:56:07 PM

Quote :

"MINNEAPOLIS -- Its players again barred from coming to work, the NFL told a federal appeals court Monday it believes the appeal over whether the lockout is legal can "readily be resolved" during the offseason. The NFL filed a brief with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, arguing that the lockout should remain on hold permanently while the two sides hash things out in court. A three-judge panel of the appeals court put U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson's order lifting the 45-day lockout on hold temporarily last week. The owners reinstated the lockout a few hours later and they want Nelson's order eventually overturned altogether. In an 18-page brief, the NFL again argued that Nelson shouldn't have jurisdiction in the labor fight. The league's attorneys have repeatedly cited the Norris-LaGuardia Act, a Depression-era law they say bars federal courts from interfering in labor disputes on either side. They again argued that lifting the lockout would result in the irreparable harm necessary to deserve a stay of Nelson's order. The absence of a stay "would irreparably harm the NFL by undercutting its labor law rights and irreversibly scrambling the eggs of player-club transactions," the NFL's attorneys wrote. "Absent a stay, there will be trades, player signings, players cut under existing contracts, and a host of other changes in employment relationships" between hundreds of players and the 32 NFL teams. The filing is the latest salvo in the bitter fight over the $9 billion business. Hours after NFL players started to pick up playbooks and talk with coaches for the first time in nearly two months on Friday, the lockout was reinstated when the appeals court granted a temporary stay of Nelson's April 25 order. The appeals court must now decide whether to declare a more permanent stay until the appeals process is completed. Breer: The lowdown on labor With the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling on a full stay expected soon, Albert Breer provides five need-to-knows entering the next stage of the labor dispute: More... Though the players have argued there is no guarantee that can be wrapped up in time for the regular season, the NFL said the process -- thanks to a request for an expedited hearing -- is more a matter of weeks than months. Players have argued their own irreparable harm, which Nelson agreed with, by the postponement or cancellation of free agency, offseason workouts and the like. The NFL said that's an exaggerated claim. Players, the league said, would not lose their opportunity to play for the team of their choice once the league year begins, even if that's in late June or early July instead of early May. That process usually starts in early March. The NFL complained that Nelson ignored evidence that many players, including two of the 10 plaintiffs, Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins, skip team-organized workouts in the offseason. Jackson and Mankins both held out well into the start of the 2010 season, the league noted, "indicating that missing time in the offseason is not irreparable harm." The NFL also cited comments by players Ray Lewis and Wes Walker about their appreciation of extra free time now with the lockout in place and no mandatory minicamps or other offseason activities allowed to take place. Welker said, "Let's do a lockout every year," according to the league's court filing. The Top 100: Players of 2011 "The Top 100: Players of 2011" countdown continues on NFL Network on Sunday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for a reaction show after players Nos. 81-90 are revealed. » Cast your votes for the "Top 100" Attorneys for the players argued last week against a stay of Nelson's order, suggesting that the public and the players, with their short careers, are at far more risk when the business is stalled. "Professional football is part of the fabric of American life," the attorneys wrote. "Because the uncontroverted record of evidence shows that the 2011 season could be canceled or significantly curtailed without an injunction in place, a stay may deprive the public of professional football altogether." Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press "

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81fa2ae5/article/nfl-argues-for-lockout-to-remain-while-sides-hash-it-out?module=HP_headlines

[Edited on May 2, 2011 at 12:22 PM. Reason : lockout resumed]

[Edited on May 2, 2011 at 12:22 PM. Reason : .]

5/2/2011 12:21:53 PM

if i was rashard mendenhall, i'd be fearing for my life whenever they play in NY. pretty ballsy to question killing bin laden a day after it happened

5/3/2011 5:27:33 PM

wake me when it's over, i couldn't care less about the issues over which they are bickering

i just want to watch professional football, and the UFL doesn't count. as put eloquently by Derrick Locke,

Quote :

"“I’m not going to that shit.”"

-after being drafted 43rd by some team with a ridiculous name

5/3/2011 5:57:53 PM

The owners might be getting a little butthurt and out of hand if they literally go out of business to avoid a court's decision.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/08/rumors-fly-of-a-complete-nfl-shutdown/

[Edited on May 8, 2011 at 4:03 PM. Reason : notice the stadium pic]

5/8/2011 4:00:07 PM

Ok, if these are for real (Nike gets the NFL apparel license in 2012), then I hope the lockout goes on forever:

http://s927.photobucket.com/albums/ad120/thehusker/Nike%20Authentic%20NFL/?start=all

6/20/2011 9:58:00 AM

the redskins was terrible, just terrible.

i hate the fucking 'skins, but jeezus

6/20/2011 11:28:21 AM

^^I, too, watch the NFL for the uniforms

6/20/2011 11:55:28 AM

Those will never see the light of day. That is truly some Arena League Shit.

6/20/2011 12:11:35 PM

wouldnt mind seeing a black panther helmet one day as an alternate

and im not talking about

6/20/2011 12:55:30 PM