Ongoing CBA discussions

I know, I do 2-3 mediations a month in DC (as an atty, not med). My point was, using loose language, that they need(ed) to bring a neutral party for an airrance of grievances since I assume each side thought they were talking to deaf ears. Just didnt feel like going all lawyer talk on a football message board.

over the mountain:

My apologies.

Like you, I have done some mediating and took your words literally since I had no idea you had been involved in the process yourself. Bad assumption on my part. Mea culpa.

As the saying goes, when you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME.

[goes and sits in the corner...]

7 days and this is what you get

The optimist in me remembers that things like franchise tags arose as creative solutions to impasses in previous negotiations. Maybe the few days off will lead to other creative solutions.

Nothing happens until the final hour is approaching. I would bet on them extending the deadline out a week or two.

Pretty much this. It's a staring contest to see who blinks first.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported tonight on NFL live that in the big Coaches and GM's meting today, they were told none of the coaching staffs or teams can do any class room work with their players until further notice. This really hurts the new coaches looking to implement a new system or playbook. No exceptions. They will be heavily fined. This is insane. There are something like 7 or 8 new head coaches or interim coaches that are now told they can not implement their new playbooks or schemes. They can not even meet with their player to talk about X's and O's.
There are also some teams like the Rams that have a new offensive coordinator and trying to install a new system and now can not.
What this tells me is the owners are set to have a work stopage. They want it and are preparing for it. It seems this closed doors meeting today where all of the coaches and GM's where in attendance, was about the possible work stoppage and to get them the ground rules.
Several of the panelists on the ESPn NFL Live show thought this was bordering on mean spirited by the owners and they are trying to stick it to the players.
The only thing the NFL will allow is rehab of injured players. That is it.
I am not sure why the owners would do this?
Maybe someone can give a good reason?
I am not sure how giving time to the weak teams with new coaches staffs to implement their new playbooks and do some class room work with the players is going to damage the labor talks for the owners? Anyone?

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported tonight on NFL live that in the big Coaches and GM's meting today, they were told none of the coaching staffs or teams can do any class room work with their players until further notice. This really hurts the new coaches looking to implement a new system or playbook. No exceptions. They will be heavily fined. This is insane. There are something like 7 or 8 new head coaches or interim coaches that are now told they can not implement their new playbooks or schemes. They can not even meet with their player to talk about X's and O's.
There are also some teams like the Rams that have a new offensive coordinator and trying to install a new system and now can not.
What this tells me is the owners are set to have a work stopage. They want it and are preparing for it. It seems this closed doors meeting today where all of the coaches and GM's where in attendance, was about the possible work stoppage and to get them the ground rules.
Several of the panelists on the ESPn NFL Live show thought this was bordering on mean spirited by the owners and they are trying to stick it to the players.
The only thing the NFL will allow is rehab of injured players. That is it.
I am not sure why the owners would do this?
Maybe someone can give a good reason?
I am not sure how giving time to the weak teams with new coaches staffs to implement their new playbooks and do some class room work with the players is going to damage the labor talks for the owners? Anyone?

With negotiations going on you don't want coaches & players meeting & potentially discussing things that might impact the negotiations for either side.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported tonight on NFL live that in the big Coaches and GM's meting today, they were told none of the coaching staffs or teams can do any class room work with their players until further notice. This really hurts the new coaches looking to implement a new system or playbook. No exceptions. They will be heavily fined. This is insane. There are something like 7 or 8 new head coaches or interim coaches that are now told they can not implement their new playbooks or schemes. They can not even meet with their player to talk about X's and O's.
There are also some teams like the Rams that have a new offensive coordinator and trying to install a new system and now can not.
What this tells me is the owners are set to have a work stopage. They want it and are preparing for it. It seems this closed doors meeting today where all of the coaches and GM's where in attendance, was about the possible work stoppage and to get them the ground rules.
Several of the panelists on the ESPn NFL Live show thought this was bordering on mean spirited by the owners and they are trying to stick it to the players.
The only thing the NFL will allow is rehab of injured players. That is it.
I am not sure why the owners would do this?
Maybe someone can give a good reason?
I am not sure how giving time to the weak teams with new coaches staffs to implement their new playbooks and do some class room work with the players is going to damage the labor talks for the owners? Anyone?

The greatest leverage that the owners have is a work stoppage where players do not get paid. The more players work, the more owners lose leverage. Therefore, mean spirited or not, the owners are motivated to cut off all forms of work including study time.

I'm not defending this practice, just sayin'.

At this point it's best to keep both sides as seperated as possible.

I think at this point it's best for everyone to get their heads out their butts and make a deal so we can play some freakin' football....

Source: 'We're Nowhere' on NFL CBA Talks -- NFL FanHouse (http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/25/source-were-nowhere-on-nfl-cba-talks/)

Sources: NFLPA to decertify by March 3 (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6161468)