NFL players, owners, appear close to deal

NFL players, owners, appear close to deal

NFL players, owners, appear close to deal

NFL players and owners were reviewing progress and working out remaining issues as they appeared to be closing in on a settlement to the league's labor dispute.
ESPN reported on Wednesday that NFL Players Association player representatives gave chief DeMaurice Smith and the executive committee a "vote of confidence" to finish the remaining deal points in a proposed contract.
Once a proposed deal is finalized, it must be voted on by both players and owners.
A meeting at the NFL Players Association headquarters lasted nearly 10 hours and included the group's executive committee and team representatives.
The owners' labor committee met in Atlanta, where general counsel Jeff Pash said the sides still hoped to have a final agreement ready to review on Thursday.
"It's obviously a complicated agreement, but I think both sides are at the point where they can close, they should close, and we should be in a position to take votes," Pash, the owners' lead negotiator, said.
Issues still to be resolved are thought to include how to resolve three pending court cases: The players' antitrust lawsuit against the NFL in federal court in Minnesota, a suit over television network revenue in which the players accused owners of setting up $4 billion in "lockout insurance," and a collusion case, in which players said owners conspired to restrict salaries during the last off-season.
"I think that's the healthy outcome: to have a complete, comprehensive, global agreement that settles all the disputes and puts us on a path where we are going forward together as business partners, the way it should be, rather that going forward with one hand and fighting over something that should be in the past," Pash said.
The four-month lockout is the NFL's first work stoppage since a 1987 players' strike.
It's almost certain that if the dispute doesn't end this week, the pre-season will be affected.
The St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears are scheduled to open the pre-season August 7. The regular season is scheduled to start on September 8.
"It's getting tight," Pash acknowledged. "It would be pretty challenging. That's one of the things we'll have to focus on."
NFLPA president Kevin Mawae insisted that his group was "not tied" to a deadline.
"We want to go back to work, but we will not agree to a deal unless it's the best deal for the players," Mawae said early Wednesday.