Today, in the most unsurprising news ever, there was no official agreement reached in the ongoing NFL lock-out negotiations. But, they are apparently even closer than they were last night, which was apparently pretty close. There is hope that they can knock this thing out over the weekend. Then of course the players have to ratify the agreement. Also, it should be noted that both sides are under a gag order from mediator Arthur Boyle, so I’m not sure where all the information is coming from anyway. Regardless, there appears to be tangible progress. (more…)

The big lock-out news from yesterday was a decision handed down by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In it, the court overturned a U.S. District Court’s ruling to lift the lock-out. It wasn’t exactly a landmark ruling. Basically, it means absolutely nothing. For one, there was already a stay on the lock-out anyway. Secondly, very few thought that this lawsuit would see the light of day in the first place. It’s mostly a formality. Hopefully, the new CBA will be agreed upon at the negotiation table, not in a court room. Of course, if De Smith and Roger Goodell were to start throwing hay-makers at each other today and the negotiations broke down, this court decision might end up actually meaning something. (more…)

Reportedly, the negotiations between the owners and the NFLPA are slowly progressing and a deal could be reached as soon as tomorrow afternoon. Interestingly, if they don’t wrap up the talks by tomorrow, they’ll have to proceed without the mediator for the next week. He’s going on vacation. The good news for the owners is that Jerry is at the table, giving DeMaurice Smith hell.

Apparently, one of the biggest hang-ups in the deal revolves around the owners’ desire to maintain first right of refusal on up to three free agents for each team. I can understand why the NFLPA would reject something like that. It kind of defeats the purpose of free agency to begin with. (more…)