The NFL got a big victory on Monday when the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to keep the lockout in placethrough the appeals process while indicating along the way that the league will likely win the ultimate appeal. That gives the owners the leverage over the players at the moment.
NFL Lockout: Mediation Concludes As We Await June 3 Court Date
The two sides met on Monday and Tuesday of this week but word comes that they’ve concluded their mediation sessions for the time being. Mediation was only scheduled for two days in the first place so this isn’t necessarily a sign of anything.
The two sides will meet again in early June -- after the June 3 appeal hearing -- to continue mediation.
There was some hope that the two sides would continue mediation with the idea of agreeing to a deal. With the NFL’s leverage right now, I thought the players may have been more prone to accepting a deal. I don’t particularly care who has the leverage -- I simply want to see a new collective bargaining agreement signed so we can see football this offseason.
But it looks like June 3 will indeed be an important date. The ruling that comes from that hearing will determine whether the lockout will be lifted or if it will remain in place.
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