APThe NFL and NFLPA* negotiations will reportedly break Friday without any champagne popping, but it appears we’re inching ever closer to a deal.
The two sides released a joint statement Friday. Here it goes, from Albert Breer of NFL.com:
“The discussions this week have been constructive and progress has been made on a wide range of issues. Our legal and financial teams will continue to work throughout the weekend.
“We will continue to respect the confidentiality orders of Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan and will therefore refrain from commenting on specific issues or aspects of the negotiations. We will provide additional information as developments in the process continue,” the statement reads.
Breer writes that only two real issues remain: The settlement details of the litigation, and player safety issues related to the offseason. (We’re uncertain what happened to the right of first refusal idea.) The Legacy Fund for retired players is reportedly no longer seen as a stumbling block.
NFLPA* chief DeMaurice Smith said he will continue to talk or meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell through the weekend. The player and owners are scheduled to meet with Boylan Tuesday. The owners meet Thursday the 21st, and the goal will be to have them vote on a CBA then.
There is no cold water in sight.
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This will be over in less than a week. No training camp and no games will be missed. After all the anger we’ve expressed, this lockout will really have had a minimal effect on the season. I’m not sure anyone could have expected a better resolution than this when it all began.
A nice touch would be that two-headed snake that is all over the news reading the ‘joint statement’ from the podium. He kinda represents both sides…
They are working thru the weekend? Well that’s as close to an agreement as you are going to get without actually agreeing. Looks like Sunday the 17th it is.
Lazy bastards. Guys, you’re in NYC and not LA. There’s no carmageddon out there, so work over the damn weekend and get a deal done.
So what are the chances of deal on the 21st?
The cold water is the deal not getting done today… Why not stay 1 more day and get this deal done. Would that make to much sense ?
Also Mike, since we know what the cap will be set at. Can we get a break down of each teams approximate cap space this year ? Slackiing Mike Damn…
Everytime Mo steps out of the building in that suit, police call center lines are jammed with “possible drug activity” reports.
On Minday both sides will walk away mad again! No deal until September!
LAME! LET’s GO, BROSEPHS! “Close” is “better” than “not close,” but it’s all just conjecture and mularkey until “DEAL DONE!”
I ain’t believeing any of this crap til it reads ” A DEAL IS DONE! SIGNED! SEALED! DELIVERED!
I’m still not counting my chickens. It’s not a done deal until it’s done.
No NFL in 2011.
Are you kidding me? These people don’t want to get things done, they are high priced jokes. This could have been settled along time ago. We have been getting the ” deals almost in place” for months now. I will believe it when I see it.
just let me know when its all over, tiered of these reports about how talks are over for the day or week. just update me when a deal is done and signed.
I’ll be happier when the deal is official.
If they want my money then they better not miss games. Fingers Crossed.
“We have agreed, in principal, that an agreement could potentially be agreed upon in principal with additional agreements. In principal.”
So they are *this* close but they feel the need to break off talks today? I guess I will be waiting until thursday.
This is like running 4 consecutive dive plays inside the 1 yard line…you just know eventually somebody is going to punch it in.
we are out of “touch”