Quiet from both NFL owners and players ruled the afternoon on
Thursday after an outburst of public attacks and counterattacks
Tuesday and Wednesday.
By Jonathan Tamari – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Quiet from both NFL owners and players ruled the afternoon on Thursday after an outburst of public attacks and counterattacks Tuesday and Wednesday.
As Friday’s midnight deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement neared, owners and players gathered in Washington for another round of last-ditch talks to avert a legal battle and perhaps extend their negotiations again.
NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith wrote on Twitter, “Players stay strong! Stay informed, update by 2pm tomorrow,” hinting that some resolution – either another extension or a long-expected owners’ lockout and union decertification, could arrive by then. The NFLPA has until the end of business day, Central Time, to file for decertification if it chooses that tactic. It must file its papers with judge David Doty in Minnesota.
Despite the looming deadline, though, the sides had not met by early evening. “Waiting. Waiting. Waiting,” NFLPA spokesman George Atallah tweeted around 5:40 p.m. EST. Owners and league executives, including Eagles president Joe Banner, had been at a federal mediators’ office since early in the day. Mediator George H. Cohen has often met with the two sides separately.
Multiple reports said the revenue divide between the players and owners had slimmed to below $700 million – down from the $1 billion in added money owners had originally sought – indicating some progress in talks, but still leaving a large gap to close. The Washington Post and website ProFootballTalk.com both reported on the financial figures. The primary issue in negotiations is how to divide $9 billion in league revenue.
Neither the union nor the league was saying much publicly Thursday afternoon.
There were conflicting reports about whether the union has completely dismissed the idea of an 18-game season. On Thursday, multiple reports said the expanded schedule has not been taken off the table, countering a report Wednesday on SI.com that the union considered the issue dead.
The NFLPA has long opposed the expanded season but always with caveats, opening the door to playing more games if they got something back – such as improved health benefits, perhaps larger rosters, and fewer offseason practices.
The longer season could bring in more money for both owners and players and could be a key piece of a new collective bargaining agreement.
A new deal appeared unlikely by the end of Friday, given the heated comments earlier in the week, though another extension seemed possible.
