Three days and 20 total hours of court-ordered mediation between the NFL and its locked-out players have shown little signs that the two sides are making progress toward a settlement. So owners and players are headed back for a fourth day of negotiations. The league and attorneys representing current, former and future players are scheduled to resume mediation on Wednesday, with the federal judge who ordered them back to the table expected to decide soon on the players' request to half the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987.
The two sides resumed their meetings on Tuesday after a three-day break, with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seated at the table for the first time.
Some have questioned whether the two sides were committed to negotiating while awaiting U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson's ruling on the players' request to lift the lockout. Michael Hausfeld, the lead attorney for a group of retired players, said both sides are working hard to reach a settlement, as was Nelson's hope when she ordered the mediation on April 6.
Players including MVP quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning filed the request for the injunction along with the antitrust claim. The lawsuit has been combined with two other similar claims from retirees, former players and rookies-to-be, with Hall of Famer Carl Eller the lead plaintiff in that group.
Nelson said at the initial court hearing that she would take "a couple of weeks" to rule on the injunction request. Wednesday marks exactly two weeks from that statement, and the decision could significantly sway the leverage.
Jones joined Commissioner Roger Goodell, Packers CEO Mark Murphy, Falcons President Rich McKay and owners Pat Bowlen of Denver and Jerry Richardson of Carolina on the NFL side of the table on Tuesday.
Named plaintiffs Ben Leber, Mike Vrabel and Eller were there for the players on the same day the NFL released its regular season schedule for a 2011 year that is in jeopardy if the labor fight continues to drag on in the court system. Hopefully this all gets resolved so we can have or Sunday football next year.
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