NFL Secret Meeting a Smoke Signal or Smokescreen?

who justifiably labeled them all “idiots” if they don’t find a solution.

they know if they go to court they will lose and if they lose with no rules pro football will turn into MLB teams will buy all the best players with no salary cap and players will start to make trillions of dollars a year they will give the players what they want or they will lose

that’s a bit funny of a statement, considering we haven’t missed any actual football yet, as opposed to the two times in the 80s that games were lost in a season. So while it may be true that it’s the longest “work stoppage,” I’m not sure it’s the most significant work stoppage.

Maybe they got a cheaper rate to rent the space at night, this is a recession after all. Plus I mean, is it really a secret meeting if the press finds it before it even starts? Either way, I hope they made some progress.

NY Giants president and CEO is worth the read if you haven’t yet.

Here is a little bit of it.

“The solution lies at the bargaining table. Everyone should realize what is at stake, especially in this economy. Right now, fans are caught in the middle listening to rhetoric and legalese they don’t want to hear. That is why, as ownership and players, we must recognize our shared responsibility as stewards of the game to compromise and reach a fair agreement — one that highly compensates players, protects their health and safety, ensures the on-field competitiveness of 32 teams, helps retired players, and improves the fan experience and fan value. The best way to get there is to let both sides exercise their labor law rights.

The current ball of confusion needs to become a football season, pronto; the kind of football season that NFL fans have grown to love and that has made our sport so popular."

No joke dude! I’m so sick of this BS that it’s pathetic!

if thou art desirous but I prefer the term quixotic like this stud , but I believe something is in the works now, primarily because PFT asserts no lawyers (save De Smith) were present. My life is great because of faith, so I choose to believe!

XAMSports Scott Smith Tweeted
the plot thickens RT @MarkMaske: Mediator Arthur Boylan participated in Wednesday’s meeting between the league and players, a source said.

“The minnesota federal court has cancelled mediation set next week saying it is engaged in confidential settlement talks with the parties”

More pictures of rich old white guys in thousand dollar suits. Boring. back to sleep with me. Wake me when it’s over.

Since everything I’ve heard about the talks since this went to the courts is that the courts had ordered both sides to not talk about their discussions.

The list of owners and players present reads like a who’s who list of the true power brokers in this thing. There was a mediator, one with some power and clout from the court’s perspective. Both the NFL Commish and the Union President where there. The top players were present, and a very impressive collection of the top owners were present.

And the lawyers were left out.

For something to actually get done… for more than just progress, but real results… This is pretty much the Dream Team. These guys are the ones with the power to actually make decisions that the others will follow, IMO.

This is very encouraging news. Half the world still thinks nothing can get done until the court’s ruling in late June-ish. But I don’t at all buy that. The players are the underdogs in that decision, and they know it. And if the owners wait for it, they’ll likely be sacrificing some preseason and real money lost. More importantly, they’ll be risking pissing off the fans further, which will slow merchandise sales and the overall rate of growth to the game.