Mediation conference call over, Judge orders both sides to stay quiet

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on April 8, 2011, 12:23 PM EDT
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Judge Susan Nelson’s Friday conference call with lawyers from the NFL and NFLPA* has concluded, but we may not hear much about it for a while.

NFL Network’s Albert Breer says Nelson ordered that the substance of the discussion “be kept in strict confidence.”

The conference call lasted more than an hour and wrapped up sometime after 11 a.m. ET.   That means that both sides have managed to not leak out any significant information for another hour.

If nothing else, that shows the two sides show more respect for Nelson’s media edict than they did for federal mediator George Cohen last month.

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25 responses to “Mediation conference call over, Judge orders both sides to stay quiet”

  1. Well, if an agreement can’t be found…I guess a gag order would be the second best outcome!!!

    Now, if Judge Nelson could just apply that same lorder to Congress and the budget negotiations!!!!!!!

  3. “If nothing else, that shows the two sides show more respect for Nelson’s media edict than they did for federal mediator George Cohen last month.”

    Not really.
    Cohen has no real authority whatsoever, remember, “non-binding” arbitration.
    All he could really ever do was to make suggestions, he doesn’t have the power to make anything happen.

  5. Is it at all possible that, just this one time, that no news is good news? Maybe this judge is the “real deal” of a motivator. Let’s all hope so.

  6. “If nothing else, that shows the two sides show more respect for Nelson’s media edict than they did for federal mediator George Cohen last month.”

    That’s because violating an order by a judge carries a worse consequence than one from mediator, right?

  7. “Judge orders both sides to stay quiet” and to go to their rooms without dinner.

  9. What? Oh, No! I am dying to hear any scrap of information or even rumors of a scrap of information.

    With no real football information to sustain me, all I have is this stuff.

    If you can’t find any real info, make something up.

    Please, please, please… I am dying here… Agh… gasp… thud [Sound of person falling to ground]

  11. Can the gag order be applied to the jets and the ravens players and coaches for the upcoming season??

  12. chapnastier says:
    Apr 8, 2011 12:22 PM
    Imagine if they players had been told to do this all along.
    ================

    The players and owners were both told “to do this all along” during mediation, and both sides ignored it.

  13. If their is a gag order on the content of the conference call, and the content of the conference call put a gag order on talking to each through the media…..M-flo and company are going to have to make up stories…and like the rest of us, will be flying blind.

  14. I believe she’s eventually going to order them to mediation with George Cohen as the appointed mediator that reports back to her once she rules in about 2 weeks. It’s what makes the most sense.

    I don’t think the owners will get what they’re looking for as far as where the talks will take place. I believe those talks will take place in Minnesota.

    That way each side get one thing that they want, & each side has to concede one thing as well.

  16. Respect comes in many forms.

    I would suggest that the owners and players both respect the fact that a judge can hold them in contempt and jail them for blabbing.

    I respect this particular judge for telling everyone to shut the hell up and try to work something out like grown-ups.

  17. I’ll believe it when I see it. Both sides kept pretty quiet the first week of mediation too.

    A leak is coming… and I would love to see Judge Nelson order the responsible party jailed overnight for contempt of court.

    They might get the message then, but owners and players are both pretty stubborn and a self-important.

  18. Even though two weeks for a decision was what came out of the hearing, she might be looking to speed up her decision . . . maybe a monday announcement. only basis for this speculation is that she might have decided being at the epicenter of this fiasco is a no win situation . . . make a ruling and pass it on . . .

  19. If nothing else, that shows the two sides show more respect for Nelson’s media edict than they did for federal mediator George Cohen last month.

    And it’s a good indicator that judicial oversight might have more success in helping the parties reach agreement than another federal mediator would have.

  21. commoncents says:
    Apr 8, 2011 12:42 PM
    Can the gag order be applied to the jets and the ravens players and coaches for the upcoming season??

    Hardest I have laughed all day…but so true…You know how bad I want to strap ball gag onto Rexy????..amongst other things

    jetties must be real down right now…no FA..you know, that one player who will bring them their 43rd April SB trophy in a row.

    I want more Ben & bride stories though…just sounded so ROMANTIC…saving themselves…Like Clinton said..rape doesn’t count.

  22. ’bout time. But who was in on the conference call? If it’s just a bunch of lawyers on both sides, it’ll only result in MORE legal fees. The owners and players need a conference call and get the ball rolling.

  24. I agree with Deb.

    This PROVES that the best chance of a negotiated agreement lies with the judge forcing the owners to negotiate with the players under her guidance.

    Because the players have already agreed to that.

    My guess is that she took most of the hour to tell both sides to shut the eff up and stop the non-stop media blitzing.

    Good news for those of us that want football in the Fall.

  25. If the Federal Government shuts down this weekend, as expected, who will mediate the discussions? Is the NLRB considered essential personnel? If not, its actually illegal for George Cohen to work.

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