The NFL's team owners have unanimously agreed to a proposed 10 year contract with the recertified NFLPA which should result in an end to the lockout and teams practicing by the week-end. New Orleans player representative Heath Evans cautions, the players' agreement is not certain. While it appears the economic issues are settled - the owners will not take a slice off the top anymore - Evans claims there are things included in the owners approved deal that the players have never discussed. Also yesterday the August 7 Hall of Fame game was cancelled.

The NFL and the players are in court today for oral argument on the lockout injunction case.

The Eighth Circuit has handed the owners an encouraging win by granting a stay of the injunction of the owner's lockout. In so doing the court does a pretty good job of explaining how the Norris-LaGuardia Act prohibits injunctions of labor disputes. A labor dispute can occur even in the absence of a certified union, thus the player's decertification, in the court's view, did not make the Norris-LaGuardia Act's prohibitions on injunctions inapplicable.

Roger Goodell says its possible. Players association representative says "no comment." You can take the other side of this bet and give the points, plenty of points.

DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) says a lockout is a near certainty. Far less clear is who wins if there is one. One interesting follow is the extent to which the professional union haters will go to trash the players, the other is what will be the public reaction to any shutdown of the secular religion that is professional football.

Mike Florio analyzes the ten questions the players union has posed to the NFL.

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) has taken another step in preparation for a 2011 lock out. It has announced full affiliation with the AFL-CIO state labor organizations in states where teams are located.

Mike Triplett has a great piece in the Times Picayune about the Saint's players comments on  the breakdown in negotiations for the new CBA. Saint's quarterback Drew Brees is quoted as are many others. The PR war has already started, but these Saints provide an articulate defense to the players position. A word of caution to the fan following this issue. Network reports on the lockout have every reason to be biased in favor of the owners. Not only do they owe the owners $4 billion if the games are not played, they have to negotiate television rights with those same owners. Expect the owners to get better than even treatment and coverage.

The clock is ticking on the expiration of the extended collective bargaining agreement between the National Football League (NFL) and the National Football League Players Association(NFLPA). Current deadline is tonight at 11:59 p.m. USA Today has an interesting, if bare bones assessment of what could happen. My bet is on another extension. The players have signaled their willingness to talk - there has been no talk of a strike. The owners have rattled the lockout saber thereby assuming the roll of the party willing to walk, but really? This labor/management dispute plays to labor's strengths. Highly skilled athletes bargaining for more. Billionaire owners wanting to increase their guaranteed slice of the estimated 9 billion dollar golden goose that is the NFL. It does not hurt the players position that the owners want a $100% increase in their guaranteed slice off the top. This dispute plays out against the backdrop of the fans. Who will they blame if Sundays from August to February (and a few Mondays, Saturdays and Thursdays too) are devoid of action, or if the only action is by replacement players? I think thats an easy call if the owners lockout the players. Nevertheless a lockout has the same potential economic consequences for the players as a strike, and they are all adverse. No pay, no benefits, and potentially a lost season for players who have precious few years to play anyway. The owners should be gleeful the players threaten to decertify the union (actually a disclaimer of interest that would lead to decertification). It allows the owners to back off the lockout position and continue negotiations, at least at this point. Decertification likely will likely place all of this in a courtroom, a consequence which should be feared more by the defendant, because the teams, as defendants in an antitrust action have a potential dreadful downside. I think the owners should be very concerned about American Needle v. NFL, which rejected the owners argument that the league by necessity had to act jointly in marketing decisions. Yeah, that may be a simplistic analysis, but the case firmly rejected the NFL's broad interpretation of the anti-trust exemption.

Looks like the NFL/NFLPA mediation is getting serious. Here is the statement from the mediator. Also now he says we ain't commenting anymore. Sounds like progress otherwise everybody would be posturing talking.

The NFL signaled, again, its intention to play hardball. NFL Commissioner Goodell says the NFL's decision is a good reason for the NFLPA to come to the bargaining table and reach a new deal with the league.

The NFL is big business and the collateral damage from a lockout would hurt more than just the players and the owners.

NFLPA warns players to prepare for a possible lockout in 2011. One reason - - the TV deal pays the NFL $5 Billion even if no games are played according to Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell promises to reduce his $9,760,000.00 annual salary to $1.00 if there is a work stoppage in 2011.

Redskins, Colts and Philadelphia unanimously vote to authorize decertification of the NFLPA.

More on the issues between the NFL and the NFLPA, and the possible 2011 lockout. Former Saint Rickey Jackson makes a poignant assessment.

Mike Florio does a good job on digging behind the headlines on the looming NFL lockout.