What we know right now is that the NFL has locked out the players and the players have responded by filing an injunction to block the lockout. That hearing will happen on April 6 but there have been some questions whether the two sides will return to the negotiating table before then.
NFL Lockout: Doesn’t Sound Like Any Negotiation Will Happen Before April 6
NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith said on Pro Football Talk Live on Monday that they sent a letter to the league indicating that they can contact class counsel -- essentially the players’ lawyers now that the union has decertified -- if they wish to negotiate.
But Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal reports the league won’t negotiate with class counsel.
I’m not sure what to make of this latest development. The league has said multiple times that they’re willing to negotiate anytime as long as the NFLPA tells them “when and where”. Given an opportunity to do so, they decline.
It’s hard to figure out the league’s angle on this one. Perhaps they feel confident Judge Susan Nelson, in a hearing on April 6, will rule in their favor.
As fans, we just want the two sides to put away the finger-pointing and get back to talking. It’s frustrating that both sides say they want this to happen but neither side will apparently make an effort to make it happen.
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