APThe owners took a break at the NFL owner’s meetings in Atlanta around 5 p.m. ET. At the time, NFL Network said they were told it would be a 10-15 minute break.
It has been 75 minutes and counting thus far, with a lot of very rich men milling about without much to do. (UPDATE: They are now eating dinner on NFL Network. Riveting stuff.)
The reason for the wait? ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that NFLPA* Chief DeMaurice Smith and Roger Goodell are on the horn trying to come up with a way to lift the lockout if both sides approve a deal Thursday night. The owners were scheduled to vote by 5:30 p.m. ET.
It’s anticipated that both the owners and players will approve a deal when they get a chance to vote. But that doesn’t completely ensure the lockout will be lifted.
The hanging question seems to be how the two sides will handle the issue of recertification by the former player’s union. The players reportedly want to do it at training camp or by mail. The owners sound uncomfortable lifting the lockout before the union recertifying.
And around and around we go.
UPDATE: Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters the owners hope to vote by 8 p.m. ET.
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I’m hope they are doing more than talking dirty to each other
Schefter also just tweeted that they could open facilities as soon as Friday so players could sign the re-certification cards then.
I hope the CBA gets shot down because I get paid by the hour!
In other news
Zygi Wilf ordered the fish and Jerry Jones the Steak.
FINISH HIMMMMMMMM
COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get it done today. No excuses.
just get this deal done, and lets roll ( with out Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins, let them join the UFL )
Screw D. Smith! Screw Goodell! Get the effing deal done! I’m sick of this BS! Get back to playing!!!!!!!!!!!
Write a rider that costs the players $100 Billion if they don’t recertify, that’ll make sure it happens as planned.
Let’s get this badboy done guys.
Here’s an idea, in the 21st century we have airplanes. You tell these overpaid players that they need to visit the stadium within 72 hours after an agreement to sign their cards.
Hopefully it’s a Horn Section James Brown would be proud of!!!
what are the owners eating?
in the words of De Smith, ” for those who dig our game”….
Looks like we will not be Digging it any time soon.
Roger is on the big, open, end of the horn, shouting loudly into it. Mo is on the other end, with the sharp pointed tip jammed into his ear. Actually it’s right through his ear, and into his brain. He isn’t saying anything, just convulsing.
DO THE DAMN THING
They should be able to get a general consensus from the players tonight on how they will vote. If they know that a majority will vote in favor of recertification then drop the lockout on condition that the cards get signed and submitted in 2 weeks time. Get this in writing and get the Player reps and executive committee to sign off on it. Have a clause in there that if they fail to deliver on recertification then they get locked back out. I’m sure they can think of something.
Simple: All the players of each team meet at a hotel close to each team’s training camp sites. Collect all the union cards, fax to the NFLPA HQ by noon tomorrow. NFLPA then files to whomever they file papers. Deal is then done.
One would think they would have already known how to quickly recertify rather than trying to figure it out at the end. JUST DO IT!!!
Please get this done tonight!!!
Make them sign a contract “We as players will rectify the union at training camp”….. BOOM done deal.
I found the video of a bunch of millionaires/billionaires standing around visiting and eating at a buffet humorous for some reason.
Man how things change. When the players decertified the owners called it a sham. Now, they seem worried about the decertification.
Let’s get this thing done players\owners. I’m looking forward to some free agency articles
I think that they are finally sitting down and talking about PFT’s idea of opening camps to provide a venue for a quick and easy vote. Of course, to do that, what do the owners want in return for taking the risk of opening camps before the CBA is approved. Nothing comes for free and if the NFLPA wants to play, they are going to have to pay. Of course, the owners, in fear of lost revenue, may just do it for free. Bisciotti already left and left his vote (a yes) back at the meeting, but Bisciotti is a players owner and was expected to be part of the 24. I think owners will open facilities only to provide a venue for the vote but no way will they be allowed to practice, lift weights, or do anything else that may cause an injury before all the documents are signed.
Do it!
We are at the goal line. Can we punch it it in today.
None of this would have been necessary if the players hadn’t decertified in the first place.
“It’s anticipated that both the owners and players will approve a deal when they get a chance to vote. But that doesn’t completely ensure the lockout will be lifted.”
Why did you have to add this? You want the “cold water”. The folks reporting from Atlanta (as I watch them) aren’t saying that. Why are you?
Which needs milk for your cereal with all this piss?
Will slamming my head against a wall over and over help?
Perhaps you could post a poll on PFT…the players could vote here…
C’mon man…..
Why not have the players print out the union re-certification papers, and have them bring them to the facility…
….Facility security collects the paperwork, and escorts the players to the”players lounge” while he faxes the paperwork to the NFLPA…
….When all paperwork has been collected and verified, the players have re-certified are free to leave the lounge. BAM!! The lockout is lifted.
….It might be a complicated matter, but there’s no reason to continue complicating things.
This would be done if the players would stop dragging their feet. It doesn’t take days to recertify.
In this day of high tech they could use email, phones,fax machines, oh what the hell just yell it out the window.
Just get it done.
D.Smith is eating colored greens and constantly sayiog hmmm,hmmm uhmmm, ok the union is uhmmm re-cerified uhmmmm! Screw the uhmmm owners!
chester pitts on espn again. this guy is a joke
So the NFLPA spends months not negotiating and stalling and suing and litigating and talking s*** in the press.
Then they spend a couple of months in negotiations carefully crafting documents….then spend the last couple of weeks introducing last minute “must have” stipulations (which the owners cave on) and after the presentation and what was supposed to be a vote…….the players simply say please approve this CBA and “trust us”.
OK…..riiiiight.
Someone probably already said this, but why the hell didn’t DeMo and crew have a game plan for this????
We have known a deal was in the works for weeks now and they probably knew longer. They should have had this figured out.
I could see why the NFL would not feel comfortable with a gentleman’s agreement, although if the NFLPA* dumped Kessler that might put them at ease. A simple lack of technology and preparedness better not hold this thing up!
Seriously?! After all this time… with the vast amount of available resources at their fingertips… no one thought of this issue beforehand and had a contingency plan for it??!!
SMH…
Kick the lawers out…shake hands…play ball!
I better not see another picture of Goodell and Smith together unless their shaking hands on a signed deal. This is ridiculous.
rambo08 says:
Jul 21, 2011 6:23 PM
Let’s get this badboy done guys
———————————–
that’s what she said
The players are demanding that the owners bring them……. A SHRUBBERY!!
After all the bickering, complaining and whining we have done past two weeks, it looks like this thing will get done, ultimately, the exact day they said it would. Sure the ups and downs were frustrating, but who do we really have to blame for that? The media grasping and any opportunity to “break” news would be the first team I’d point the finger at. The reality is that they (owners and players) gave us a date and all indications are that they are finishing it up exactly on that date.
hey…
here’s an original comment:
something along the lines of…
“just do it!”
or
“do the damn thing!”
or
“get it done!”
There…now I feel better.
Lifting the lock out comes after the recertification and approval of the new CBA. Did the players (or their rep) not realize this important detail might stand in the way? Why in this age of modern communication is it imposible for the players to get this stuff done quickly? Didn’t they see the agreement coming like everyone else? Couldn’t they do the recert by email, or by phone? Couldn’t the cards already have been distributed so each of them could sign and have it over-nighted to where-ever they need to go? What a bunch of screw-ups.
Couple of solid ideas:
1.) TWITTER VOTE: … come on we know the players like to talk about everything and anything publicy.
2.)THE VOTING DECISION: …a boys & girls club, raise some money, 1 hr ESPN special, have Gruden open the voting envelopes (repeating players name first
“______ _______man i love this guy, i would want him on my team.”
Randy Moss wouldn’t feed what the owners had tonight to his mf dog!
If the 1100 players making close to or the minimum could, theyd sign their damn cards in a nanosecond, which would be over half.
I think we should have ‘em arm wrestle these last few issues out. Oh, how ’bout Sumo ? (sorry for the visual) 2 out of 3 falls wins the point.
6:59 eastern breer reports that voting is done and it passed.
GOOD! Now go back in there and start working on the next one, so this sh*% doesn’t happen again!
7:05 peter king says owners don’t have to pay the $320 million
Owners ratify!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Now it is all up to the players.
Don’t eff this up you stupid effers!
One way or another they’ll get the deal done.
Both sides have way too much to lose.
hobartbaker says:
Jul 21, 2011 6:24 PM
Roger is on the big, open, end of the horn, shouting loudly into it. Mo is on the other end, with the sharp pointed tip jammed into his ear. Actually it’s right through his ear, and into his brain. He isn’t saying anything, just convulsing.
Sorry, but I really must ask. What?
I am sure this could make sense, but it went right over my head.
On topic: Let’s freak out until a new CBA is ratified. Does anyone know how many pages a CBA agreement would have? I doubt more than 5% of the players have any idea of the full scope, so they are pretty much bound to relying on DeMaurice Smith, and I think he, and Roger Goodell have done the job they were hired to do.
We do expect the season to be played. If no games are lost, then they were successful. No?
The owners voted for the new CBA. Now the ball is on the players side of the field. Do the right thing gentlemen.
Here’s what happened:
RG: “If we ratify this and go public with our approval you damn well better have the votes on your end to seal the deal”
DS: “I’ll deliver the votes”
RG: “Cool, we’ll announce in a few…”
Now DS has to go LBJ and quash any dissent. You don’t hold votes you aren’t going to carry (at least that’s the way it used to be).
hey, are all the players outta jail now that training camp is fixing to crank up?
It’s obvious the players can’t trust the owners. Dealing in bad faith. Form your own league. Don’t put up with them. We watch footbal because of the players; not the owner.