APWhen the league and the NFLPA submitted to mediation before George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Cohen requested the two sides to not talk about their talks.
And they complied.
For a while.
Eventually, all hell broke loose, with more leaks than the Orca after a couple of verses of Show Me The Way To Go Home. And Cohen could do nothing about it, since he had no power over the parties.
Sure, he could have threatened to quit if the two sides didn’t quit talking to the press. But that would have only magnified the extent to which Cohen had, as a practical matter, failed.
With Judge Susan Nelson instructing the parties during a Friday morning conference call to not talk about the situation, the involuntary code of silence carries with it real consequences. Defying the wishes of a federal judge can result in the entry of sanctions, or even worse in a finding of contempt. Likewise, angering the judge who could be entering multiple key rulings in the case will do nothing to help the interests of the party who failed to abide by the judge’s wishes.
And so there likely will be no further leaks. At some point, if mediation occurs, the fact that the parties are gathering in D.C. or Minnesota or somewhere in between will become known, but there won’t be dueling press conferences outside the place in which they’re meeting regarding the things that happened behind the closed doors of a conference room.
Thus, for now we wait. At least we’ve got the draft, which starts in only 20 days. Maybe, at some point, we’ll all get a pleasant surprise when the NFL and the players jointly announce that a new CBA has been negotiated.
Glad to know someone finally made these rich spoiled brats zip-it
I think we will find out just how serious Judge Nelson is. It shouldn’t take long.
Good. I’m tired of the PR war. Now if she could only get the rest of the owners and players to shut up…
It is the Mother of all Omerta’s.
This is the second time today you’ve posted pretty much the exact same article.
i get the feeling PFT doesnt want cohen to have anything to do with negotiating the new cba. and they love judge susan nelson. maybe i just feel that way cuz they called him a typewriter, i still dont get that one.
i keep hearing people say, “the owners want 2 billion off the top!, that is crazy”.
do these people realize that the owners are paying tons of expenses with that money. how much money do you think advertising and expenses are to run a football team. how can u want players to get filthy rich at the expense of the game.
The players have tons and tons of mouths to keep quiet (including jaw-flapping agents).
The owners don’t have that many people and they are used to being circumspect. I predict the players side will gab, probably without the intention too. There are just too many people involved on their side.
Just like the government shutdown situation, instead of pointing at each other and letting egos get in the way of an agreement, there has to be some negotiation and concession from both sides.
Until that happens, they’re ruining football for all of us.
do you think of this stuff alll by your self? enjoy the draft, because it might be the last of nfl football for quite some time….especially if the owners are dug in……
Good
$9,000,000,000 says the players open their fat mouths first… any takers?
(Loud Screech on chalkboard)
Y’all know me. Know how I earn a livin’. I’ll end this lockout for ya, but it ain’t gonna be easy. Bad fish. Not like going down the pond chasin’ Seahawks and Dolphins. This lockout, swallow you whole. Little shakin’, little tenderizin’, an’ down you go. And we gotta do it quick, that’ll bring back your tourists, put all your businesses on a payin’ basis. But it’s not gonna be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, Goodell. I’ll end it for three, but I’ll fix it, and make sure it sticks, for ten. But you’ve gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole summer and fall. I don’t want no volunteers, I don’t want no help, there’s just too many egos in this land. $10,000 for me by myself. For that you get the players, the owners, the whole damn thing.
So what happens if the federal government shuts down? Is the National Labor Relations Board an ‘essential function?’
George Cohen actually might not be ‘allowed’ to mediate.
“…more leaks than the Orca after a couple of verses of Show Me The Way To Go Home. ”
Classic.
They’re gonna need a bigger boat.
“And so there likely will be no further leaks. ”
Seriously, Mike? Did I miss the [sarcasm] tag in your post. I must have. If you believe that statement, I’ve got a sweet little bridge I’d like to sell you up in the Bay Area. With the tolls you’ll collect, you’ll earn your investment back in no time . . .
I am confident that Ownership can — and will — abide by this gag. The players? The guys that couldn’t manage to embrace the old adage that “when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging” when public opinion began to turn against them? The PR Masterminds who publicly equated playing in the NFL to slavery?
Ah, but now, you say, there will be legal consequences. Of course — because these guys are so good at understanding the principle of Cause and Effect. I seem to recall that there used to be a feature called the “Turd Watch” on this very site.
No further leaks? 1 moron with a twitter account + another moron with access to privileged info + beer = leak
Nelson has done something noone else can..shut the jets up..ravens too.
All the more justification why the players refuse to more mediation with George Cohen. They learned their lesson last time when there was very little negotiating but a lot of public posturing at the end of each day from league lawyers. Goodell, or owners.
The fact that a federal judge has any power whatsoever over a private matter between employers and employees is a sign of what is wrong with this situation, and, more broadly, what’s wrong with America.
Can’t get your way? Sue. Don’t have the facts of the matter on your side? Ask the government for help. That’s De Smith’s strategy and typical of union tactics.
I don’t care if it takes a long time, or if we miss games. As long as the owners protect and preserve what’s great about the NFL in the long term.
Good for the union = bad for the game and bad for fans. Union tactics = bad outcomes for all Americans.
thank you miss judge lady
i guarantee unnamed source will be busy talking to the media. i wonder if he is related to charlie from charlie’s angels or maybe harvey rabbit.
Leave it to a WOMAN to sack up and tell em’ to shut up. (and I have nads).
Put up and shut up.
Great message Lady.
You go girl !
@tednancy
They’re in court because the owners illegally locked out the players.
No lockout = no court.
I’m shocked, now does all of them feel like slaves to the judge?
Big momma said to shut up! Better be quiet or you’ll be placed in time out.
Unfortunately Antonia Cromartie is incapable of “zipping it up”.
Judge Nelson will be suing him for child support within 12 months.
tednancy, i agree with you….
what shocks me is how many people dont see what smith and in my opinion hiding behind smith, is the white house on this, are up too.
If they succeed with this….god help us all.
Maybe, at some point, we’ll all get a pleasant surprise when the NFL and the players jointly announce that a new CBA has been negotiated
This site has promoted false optimisim at every move made by the court, players or owners and we have seen nothing materialize in the form of a new cba. Given the hard heads both sides have, I would not count my chickens before the eggs hatch or we just set ourselves up for more frustration and disappointments. As this goes on and on more and more fans…just dont care !!
I can’t believe how many anti-union comments I’ve listened to and read both here and on Sirius NFL from the fans. It seems as though people in this country want their lives to be controlled by the “boss” and not collectively stand up to the uber-rich. Like lemmings over the cliff. We need MORE unions in this country, and more worker rights.
“The fact that a federal judge has any power whatsoever over a private matter between employers and employees is a sign of what is wrong with this situation, and, more broadly, what’s wrong with America.”
@tednancy: Have we been watching Animal House a few too many times?
philphan1,
SO you want to get paid the same as the guy who is a slacker?
that is what happens with unions.
Everybody gets the same thing….and when the union destroy the uber rich….the federal govt will step and replace the unions…..And guess what you have then?
COMMUNISM! SHARED WEALTH……and that wealth will be controlled by the elite few…think a couple 1000 deciding your life for you.