flgreen Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6396301 Report: Players to file for intervention There could be a rift opening in the NFL Players Association. A group consisting of as many as 70 players is close to signing with a law firm in order to intervene in the Tom Brady antitrust case, the Sports Business Daily reported on its website Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. The group of players isn't contesting the earlier lawsuit but wants a place at the mediation table, according to the report, so the group can explain its take on the labor dispute. With the lockout in its 40th day, the NFL and its players wrapped up their court-ordered talks Wednesday. An attorney for the team owners, Jeff Pash, says a federal judge told both sides Wednesday that they probably won't convene again until May 16 -- nearly a month away. Whereas the plaintiffs in the earlier lawsuit filed by 10 players consisted of some of the biggest names in the NFL -- Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning -- this new group comprises mid-tier players, according to the Sports Business Daily. The new group of players, which the Sports Business Daily said could not yet be identified -- is reportedly unhappy that earlier mediation talks ended in Washington last month before the NFLPA filed for decertification. DeMaurice Smith, the head of the players' trade association, said he was unaware of the report. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel, one of the plaintiffs in the Brady case, told ESPN's Ed Werder in Minneapolis during a break in Wednesday's mediation session -- ordered two weeks ago by a federal judge -- that he was unaware of the report but said everybody on the players side is unhappy with how the original mediation attempt ended in Washington. Vrabel said that abandoning the cause in this way would be the wrong way to demonstrate dissatisfaction. "We all have a seat at the table already. If they're unhappy, then we should get together and elect a new executive board," he said. Some things have to happen, however, before the intervention is filed, the Sports Business Daily reported. The law firm wants at least 75 players on board before filing the intervention, and the firm has to resolve a minor conflict, which was not identified in the report. If these issues are solved, the new group of players could file by the end of this week. It has been two weeks since U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered the Brady class and the NFL back to the negotiating table. She is expected to decide soon on the players' request to lift the lockout, which is the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987. Her decision almost certainly will be appealed. "That is the judge's decision," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a conference call Wednesday with New York Giants season-ticket holders during a break in the fourth day of mediation. "She will make that ruling when she is prepared to do it, and at that point in time we all will respect the ruling and we will get back to the point where we are negotiating." The two sides spent four days with U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, following 16 days of failed talks in front of a federal mediator in Washington. Some have questioned whether the two sides were committed to negotiating while awaiting Nelson's ruling. But Goodell said all parties involved remain committed to the process. "I think fans want solution. I want solutions," he said. "I think the players want solutions and I think the teams want solutions. That's why we have to be working at it in negotiations and figuring out how to get to that point." With appeals expected, there isn't a ton of time left when it comes to the 2011 season. The NFL released its regular-season schedule Tuesday night, announcing that the season will open Thursday, Sept. 8, with the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers hosting the New Orleans Saints. That's less than five months away, with free agency, trades and other roster decisions still up in the air while the lockout is in place. The announcement of the schedule came with a big if, of course. The longer the labor strife drags through the court system, the more danger is posed to actual games being canceled. "We have to identify the solutions and get it done," Goodell said. "It is tough for me to project. We're going to continue to make the preparations for the season and work as hard as we can to solve those issues in advance so we can play every game and every down of the season." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 This is very interesting. Not that 70 players is a major issue, but I’m wondering how many more mid, and low salary players will join in and challenge union leadership. Lets face it, players like Manning, and Brady aren’t affected one bit by a lock out. They have millions. The 70-80% of the league that doesn’t have those guaranteed million dollar contracts, and whose jobs are at risk every year. Hell, every week, might not be so happy with the way union leadership is behaving. I know I wouldn’t be.. A lot of lower tier players won’t get a chance to even compete for a job if this thing drags on into the summer. Teams won’t have enough time to look at them. Right now 70 players don’t mean much, but as time goes on if it grows to 10 or 20% this think could end quickly. I don't care who wins. I just want football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoFlaJets Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 and so it continues: Worst. Off-season. Ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I'm sure that a splinter group of 70 Antonio Cromarties will only help matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 I'm sure that a splinter group of 70 Antonio Cromarties will only help matters. If it stays at 70 your right. It doesn’t help anything. If it grows to 140 or 300, it helps a lot. I think it might. There has to be a lot of mid and lower level players who are going to be getting very worried during the latest shutdown in talks. I honestly don’t see why what Cromartie said is stupid. Both sides are fools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 If it stays at 70 your right. It doesn’t help anything. If it grows to 140 or 300, it helps a lot. I think it might. There has to be a lot of mid and lower level players who are going to be getting very worried during the latest shutdown in talks. I honestly don’t see why what Cromartie said is stupid. Both sides are fools If the goal is to break the players, then adding more Cromarties is the right way to go about it. Otherwise, it's players like Cromartie who will sabotage whatever stronghold the Brady/Manning consortium has established in order to make his next child support payment. And it's also Cromartie who will whine and complain about the evils of the NFL when he eventually dings up his knee and is thrown out on the street with a torn up contract stuffed in his mouth. These 70 players need to take the pain to guarantee a better deal for the future because they've already been enjoying the fruits of the prior NFLPA agreement that others took the pain to get put in place. If they miss a couple of payments on their leased Escalades, so be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 IMO The majority of the players are like Cromartie. Most of them don’t even have his money. He was the 19th pick I believe in the draft. Got a fat contract. The vast majority of the players in the NFL are hanging on year to year. They want to play, and get paid while they can. Right now there is no players union. If a lot of these border line players decide to get an attorney and form another union that is interested in playing football. So be it. Personally I could care less about the stronghold the consortium has established. I want to watch football in September. I don’t care who wins and who looses the labor dispute . Play football. They have a small window to do it. A year out for the consortium means nothing. A year out for about 80% of these guys is devastating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelticwizard Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I want to watch football in September. I don’t care who wins and who looses the labor dispute . Play football. They have a small window to do it. So tell the owners to quit locking out the players!! Simple, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 So tell the owners to quit locking out the players!! Simple, isn't it? Tried that. They didn't listen. As I said I don't care who wins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelticwizard Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Tried that. They didn't listen. I'm sorry, I think you have things confused. You see, it is the players who are suing to get the lockout lifted. Court adjourned in lockout hearing ST. PAUL, Minn. -- As she wrapped up the five-hour hearing on the legality of the NFL lockout, the federal judge overseeing the case said she'd take "a couple of weeks" to rule on the players' request to return to work. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6301016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 I'm sorry, I think you have things confused. You see, it is the players who are suing to get the lockout lifted. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6301016 No I don’t think I’m confused at all. The CBA that expired was negotiated in 1993, and extended in 2006, was intended as a temporary stop gap so that there would be no cancellation of games until a final agreement was reached . That is why the owners installed an opt-out clause in case the NFLPA didn’t, in their opinion, negotiate in good faith. In the owners opinion the NFLPA wouldn’t negotiate at all. So they exercised the opt-out clause. Hence the lock out. As I have stated I don’t care about the owners or the players. They are both greedy. If Woody Johnson and Crazy Al Davis came out tomorrow and said screw the other 30 guys, we’re letting the players back in the building I would be just as thrilled as if another 700 players would take a stance against the union position of no concessions. This is going to be a very complicated issue to resolve, and I am getting very concerned about the upcoming season. The teams can’t even sign UDFA. Theses guys are going to come into camp not in football shape and only a few weeks to resolve all kinds of issues. They'll be tons of early season injuries Time is running short for a true season to get under way. The NFL is much more complicated then it was in 1986. This is stupid on both sides part. For me at least this isn’t a Labor Vs management issue. I just want football and don’t care who wins. If other individuals have a vested interest in who wins the dispute, so be it. I don’t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelticwizard Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 No I don’t think I’m confused at all. The CBA that expired was negotiated in 1993, and extended in 2006, was intended as a temporary stop gap so that there would be no cancellation of games until a final agreement was reached . That is why the owners installed an opt-out clause in case the NFLPA didn’t, in their opinion, negotiate in good faith. In the owners opinion the NFLPA wouldn’t negotiate at all. So they exercised the opt-out clause. Hence the lock out. (Bolding mine). Okay, so you agree it is the owners who are choosing to lock out the players. This goes right back to what I said before-if you care about football and don't care about the issues, there is only one thing to do-tell the owners to stop locking out the players! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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