This is just one more non-story before he flood gates open.

Those aforementioned are absolutely terrific players and it was the stubborness of their teams and not the players that lead to their holdouts. They deserved more.

The leader on top in order to stay smiling must have a hatchet man in the shadows who plays the bad guy. It gives the leader plausible deniability and the ability to separate himself or herself if things go sideways.

Kessler is the hatchet man for the NFLPA. His role is bad guy, he is not there to make friends and he is not there to have fans like him. He is there to get the best possible deal for his clients and he is the attack dog for the NFLPA. It is his role.

To suggest that Kessler has an agenda that is not known to the rest of the NFLPA I think is a bit far fetched. It makes sense now that there is so much pressure to close this deal that someone try to get some last minute concessions. I do not like it, but I understand it. He is doing what high powered lawyers do when negotiating a multi billion dollar deal. I think he stinks and should stop, but that is because I am a fan.

I hope this whole thing gets derailed just to annoy NFL fans, I’ll just gamble on college football instead.
___________________________________Me too, Slim. Getting the odds and laying/taking the points is all the same, whether it’s baseball, football, or just what color tie is worn by the next man coming into the bar. I don’t care. I’ve had my days in the sun with the NFL; but after reading this article I don’t give a damn if the NFL signs a deal with the NFLPA* or not.

Greed is cancer of the mind and soul. I wonder where Mankins and Jackson will be playing next season.

Lawyers feast on human misery, misery which they help create.

It boggles the mind how guys who play football professionally and make millions in ONE year with the franchise tag, would rather cut their noses off to spite their face. Unreal. They can come sit in my cubicle and make $55,000/year and I’ll go play football for $10 million for a year.

Freaking ‘gloids.

Mankins = Ok guard, and Idiot

Jackson = ok receiver, idiot, showboat, and going to be out of the NFL after this stunt.

He hates the anti-trust exemptions given to pro sports leagues on principal and his goal is to eradicate them through the court system.

This deal is the worst thing that can happen for him. His goal is not to get the NFL back this season, it’s bring back a professional football league in a completely different form without an anti-trust exemption.

And he doesn’t care how long it takes, because like I mentioned at the top, he doesn’t care about the sports themselves.

All of that said, I don’t believe he is going to be able to stop this settlement. If this weak a** claim is the best shot he’s got left, he’s finished.

And when he inevitably loses here, he is going to turn right around and attempt to do the same thing to the NBA.

Kessler is like a rabid dog that needs to be put down. DeMo needs to take him out back and return alone.

Regarding the named plaintiffs, they should get nothing extra and like it. Reggie White and those plaintiffs took a bold step and gained countless new rights for every player; they deserved a little extra for their risk as it was a huge risk at the time. Mankins and Jackson didn’t know when and where the two sides were meeting on most days…they don’t deserve sh@t!

Now stop holding this thing up and let’s get’er done!

Again, bobwhitequail, take a bow my friend.

Get rid of the poison.

The class action hasn’t been certified. In order for it to be certified, there would need to be a showing that the named plaintiffs do not have any interests adverse to the class as a whole. This is clearly an interest adverse to the class.

Any settlement of the proposed class action would require judicial approval at this point. I wonder whether they can present a settlement to Judge Nelson without the signatures of all the plaintiffs. I believe this would require Mankins/Jackson to sever their claims from those of the rest of the named plaintiffs and obtain their own counsel (kessler?).

The problem for them becomes the fact that the remaining named plaintiffs with interests that are aligned with the class can enter into a class action settlement (where the judge certifies the class). This would likely settle Mankins/Jacksons claims right out from under them. They could opt-out of the settlement class but once the settlement is approved and the union is reconstituted, Mankins and Jackson are SOL. They can either abide by the settlement – which wouldnt include their $10 million – or opt-out of the union and not play again. Enjoying the $10 million and not playing again seems stupid when they could get $11 million to play.