Judge grants motion, lifts lockout; owners' appeal coming

Well the 2011 draft was agreed upon as part of the last CBA.

Ryan Clark to Steelers: Show up for work tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/04/25/ryan-clark-to-steelers-show-up-for-work-tomorrow-at-800-a-m/)

this is gonna get wacky!

edit:

Forgot to post this first

NFL won’t start league year without chance to seek a stay | ProFootballTalk (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/04/25/nfl-wont-start-league-year-without-chance-to-seek-a-stay/)

“We do not intend to start the league year until we have had an opportunity to seek a stay,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells PFT via e-mail.

In other words, if they show up, they’re not getting in.

It seems like a reasonable position. But it’s a calculated risk. The lockout is, until further notice, over. Any team that fails to honor that order could be in trouble.

Yes!!

DeAngelo Hall talks lockout, reflects on making $1M a game, calls Cutler a clown | ProFootballTalk (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/04/25/deangelo-hall-talks-lockout-reflects-on-making-1m-a-game-calls-cutler-a-clown/)

Okay well now I'm not sure if I was right or not about what happens after the judge lifts the lockout. On one hand I got the obvious part right in that the NFL would appeal. However I wonder if what I was told (mini-camps and free agency in June at the earliest assuming the NFL looses on appeal) will hold up.

At the very least it looks like existing players will be allowed to use the facilities again to workout and train.

Mort just mentioned on "On the Clock" that if the appeal is denied we could very well see FA and Trading starting on Draft day. That would be so epic!

Okay well now I'm not sure if I was right or not about what happens after the judge lifts the lockout. On one hand I got the obvious part right in that the NFL would appeal. However I wonder if what I was told (mini-camps and free agency in June at the earliest assuming the NFL looses on appeal) will hold up.

At the very least it looks like existing players will be allowed to use the facilities again to workout and train.

The owners have the right under existing labor law to set work standard rules. Even if you belong to a union, the company you work for has certain basic standards that have to apply to all workers.

So, what are the chances that the owners will come up with a set of basic work rules that the players will willingly work under? My guess is the probability is zero.

In that case, it goes back to the courts/the mediators/the NLRB/the Society of People Pre-disposed To Be Pissed Off By Everything.

This is not nearly over until there is a CBA. And there is not going to be a CBA in the next week or so...

Well the 2011 draft was agreed upon as part of the last CBA.

But last year's player movement rules were also agreed upon within a CBA so re-imposing them should be somewhat uncontroversial. Not beyond antitrust law - again I agree with you there - but acceptable as part of a kind of gentleman's agreement.

The players (aside from lawyer Kessler) are not complaining about everything that they could complain about under antitrust law. If they did, we might as well kiss the 2011 season goodbye now, because those antitrust issues (such as unrestricted free agency for everyone not under contract or no draft) could not be resolved any time soon.

So when does FA start??

So when does FA start??

Thats what i want to know. God that could make draft day so much simpler.