Judge Susan Nelson has issued an order ending the lockout, without any limitation or delay. The league plans to seek a stay of the ruling.
Until the stay is obtained, the lockout is, in theory, over.
So what if NFL players decide to report to their team facilities on Tuesday for offseason strength and conditioning? Any team that refuses to let the players inside possibly will be in violation of Judge Nelson’s order.
That’s precisely what could happen. “We do not intend to start the league year until we have had an opportunity to seek a stay,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells PFT via e-mail.
In other words, if they show up, they’re not getting in.
It seems like a reasonable position. But it’s a calculated risk. The lockout is, until further notice, over. Any team that fails to honor that order could be in trouble.
It’s all moot, unless players show up for work on Tuesday. With hundreds of them under contract for 2011, we can’t imagine that not a single one will try.