And now there’s another reason for the principals in the labor dispute to roll up their sleeves, pack a lunch, and focus on the task at hand.
According to ESPN.com, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan is scheduled to start a vacation on Saturday. As a result, ESPN.com reports that the parties “hope to achieve a true framework for a new CBA by the close of business on Friday.”
Maybe they will, and maybe they won’t. But the fact that Boylan starts a vacation reinforces the reality that the two sides should have kept at it over the Fourth of July weekend.
Instead, the key figures will be renewing acquaintances on Thursday, with only two days to get something done before Boylan, who played a key role last week in averting an implosion of the talks, becomes unavailable.
The time for talking about working hard is over. If the NFL and the players intend to save the preseason and the cash that comes from it, they need to truly work hard.