UPDATE 4:01 p.m.: Lawyers for the NFL and union have asked for an additional week to submit written arguments to the Minnesota federal court pertaining to the antitrust suit filed by 10 players after the union decertified.
The NFL and its players seem very near to finding the combination to unlock the four-month old lockout.
The (decertified) NFL Players Association executive committee is convening today in Washington, perhaps in preparation to present a "global settlement" to its constituents Wednesday. The union will also need to recertify before approving a collective bargaining agreement.
"The grass is cut, but the hay is not in the barn yet. We've got a lot of work to do," NFLPA president Kevin Mawae said.
Lawyers from both sides are scheduled to meet in New York on Tuesday as language for a new CBA continues to be, presumably, finalized. Chief Magistrate Arthur Boylan, who has been serving as a mediator throughout most of the labor impasse, is expected to be present as well after attending Monday's session.
NFL Network reported Monday that benefits for retirees will increase by $1 billion, which would seem to provide relief to that facet of the negotiation.
Settlements of the players' antitrust suit and the case where owners were found to have negotiated their last TV deal in bad faith (creating their own lockout fund at the expense of maximizing revenue that could be enjoyed by players) likely also need resolution if the owners are to potentially ratify a new CBA at their meeting in Atlanta by Thursday.
See photos of: NFL
Source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/UsatodaycomSports-TopStories/~3/D1-K2mD9YiE/1
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