Well, there’s some good news regarding the failure of the league and the NFLPA to resume their talks before 3:00 p.m. ET. Judy Battista of the New York Times reports (and we’ve confirmed) that the two sides plan to work into the evening after taking a dinner break.
So, basically, they’re going from bankers’ hours to bloggers’ hours.
Yes, bloggers’ hours. And any full-time blogger will agree. We work whenever we’re awake, with the only exceptions coming from family obligations, the occasional errand, and a periodic workout. (Hey, we’ve got to stay in shape -- even if as Jay Glazer would say it’s the shape of a pear.)
We suggest that the two sides commit to spending every waking moment at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Coaches do it when preparing for a regular-season game, and the stakes this week are much, much higher.
Also, more time spent negotiating would result in less time violating George Cohen’s silence mandate, which has been compromised significantly over the past few days.
UPDATE: Also, and for what it’s worth, we’re hearing that the union asked to start today’s session at 3:00 p.m. ET, given the travel schedules of the various members of the NFLPA bargaining team. As long as they’re fully committed to staying late, we don’t mind as much if they arrive late.