As you all know, yesterday began the hearing for the Brady vs. NFL antitrust lawsuit. Presiding Judge, Susan Nelson suggested the two sides settle their conflict themselves and offered to mediate further Labor Talks between the NFLPA* and the League.The problem is, the NFL wants federal mediator George Cohen, the arbitrator who presided over the last 2 weeks of negotiations before the Lockout/Decertification occurred.
Now this isn't just posturing. The two sides are resuming the chess match. The League wants another marble in their pile with Cohen because he doesn't have a history of siding with the players. And while the honorable Judge Nelson doesn't have that history either, Minnesota is a Pro-Union state and it's courts are well versed in Labor laws. There are some who believe Judge Doty, who presided over past victorious decisions for the Players, is involved in the background of this case.
So the Player's response here is just another pawn moving across the board. They took the advice given to them during Wednesday’s hearing that the two sides should not delay to meet.
Here is the letter to Judge Nelson:
"Dear Judge Nelson:
We are writing in response to the Court’s suggestion that the parties engage the services of the federal court in Minnesota in an effort to mediate and settled the current litigation. We take your comments regarding protecting the parties positions to heart. As class counsel on behalf of the Brady class, we think this is an excellent suggestion and are prepared to engage in such mediation without delay.
Our agreement is, of course, contingent on the NFL defendants’ agreement that they will not attempt to use this, our willingness to mediate, against the Brady class in some way, for example by arguing that such mediation efforts constitute ‘collective bargaining’ or otherwise arise out of a ‘labor relationship’."
So the pendulum swings once more towards the owners...and the fans couldn't care less.
They only want their Football.