NFL Loses Another Series, Locking Up

Minneapolis (AP)-NFL has promised to give his team instructions on what to do after another stinging rebuke of the same federal judge who lifted the lockout.

Whether that includes rules on free agency, NFL, which begins on Thursday evening, or simply because players can talk to their coach was anyone guess.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson on Wednesday denied the request for the NFL to lift the lockout pending further appeals. It rejected the argument that the NFL had no jurisdiction and that it faces irreparable harm because of his decision to end the lockout of 45 days at the request of the players.

"The world of" chaos "of the NFL says it has been pushed, the system essentially" free market "of this nation otherwise operates under a voluntary, not compelled by court order," wrote Nelson.

And yet there may be chaos, perhaps as early as Thursday, the first day of the NFL draft.

James Quinn, a lawyer for the players, free will, said the main immediate problem between owners and players should start immediately. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league is "evaluating a district court decision," and I would advise the teams on Thursday morning on how to proceed.

NFL Players Association, a trade group now, not a union, accused the league of stall.

"The advent of one of the biggest events in sports fans, the players moved a step closer to bringing fans of football," spokesman George Atallah said that the e-mail to The Associated Press. "The owners have decided to prevent this from happening. NFL owners do not try to protect the game. Protect the blocking process."

Nelson's decision was no surprise, given his questioning of the lawyer David Boies in the NFL during a hearing on April 6 and 89-page order to lift the blockade. He wrote another 20 pages in his refusal, saying that the public interest in the resumption of the league.

The judge acknowledged that his decision was appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Luis, Aiello said the action was taken immediately. The appellate court is considered a friendlier place for business, the league that the federal courts in Minnesota.

"We believe that there are strong legal and practical reasons supporting the stay and the appeal tribunal should have the opportunity to take the important legal issues that will be presented," said Aiello.

League rules are actually suspended in the collective agreement expired on March 11 and the first work stoppage in the NFL since 1987 began.

Nelson said he would not be the case.

She suggested that the NFL "to make a decision on how to proceed and accept the consequences" of such a choice. In telling the NFL to move forward on its business, Nelson said that the championship had already gone ahead and announced that a draft calendar 2011.

Nelson also said the equipment procurement contract awarded restricted free agents in March, before the lockout, "treating them as if the league is designed to work with the 2010 rules in place."

What the NFL will be on Thursday was an enigma, but the President and CEO Mark Murphy, Packers suggested earlier in 2010, the rules may be applied.

"What we could do if Judge Nelson and 8 Circuit has rejected our request for suspension would play by the same rules we had last year," Murphy said Tuesday. "It's the 2010 that the rules were approved by the actors of the collective agreement, I think that's probably the rules that make the most sense. "

Bears safety Chris Harris , put it in his Twitter feed: "the owners have opened the door and 'impossible to start a new league YR without free Agency"

And agent Drew Rosenhaus tweeted: "Time to get to work, let us work!"

NFL had claimed that Nelson was not competent and must make a decision, the appeal against the inconsistency of the negotiations between the players was still in the National Labor Relations Board. The League also said, should not apply to some of the requirements of competition law level players with a lot of collective bargaining is just finished.

The judge shot down, and they all said the ongoing antitrust issues has led to a complaint from Tom Brady
, Drew Brees and the other is not ventilated and are therefore not yet discussed.

"There is no order in place preventing the NFL from exercising, in the hope that the protection of labor law, to negotiate the terms and conditions of employment, such as self-referee," he writes. "The Eighth Circuit did not even address, much less power and restrictions on the player, free will, etc, for the simple reason that this court has not ruled on these issues."

The shape of the league in Nelson's stay was also based on an alleged fear that the immediate lifting of the blockade would mean a free for all the agency could create a mess that would be difficult to undo if a new collective agreement with benefit rules different.

Nelson called a "false premise." She insisted that its order was simply an end the lockout.

The parties have 16 days of negotiations, a mediator earlier this year, and four other federal judge who had ordered increased by Nelson. Little progress has been seen, and both sides will meet again on May 16.

AP Football Writer Barry Wilner and Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.