Minneapolis (AP)-Negotiators for the NFL and its players locked out wrapped another day in court has ordered the talks on Friday with no sign of significant progress. They intend to sit again next week.
The parties have left the federal court in Minneapolis in about four hours of talks after nine hours of meetings on Thursday. They will meet again on Tuesday.
Hall of Famer Carl Eller, representing the retired players of the competition for the continuation of the league, said he thinks the parties are "forward", but the process "slowed down a little 'on Friday.
"There is progress, but it was as if we were just around the corner," said Eller. "We could resolve whether he had met over the weekend, but maybe not."
U.S. Judge Judge Arthur Boylan, who controls the sessions provides some homework over the weekend that Michael Hausfeld, a lawyer for the players.
"The judge asked us to give answers to questions about a half dozen asked," Hausfeld said, without elaborating. "There are a lot of work."
With the 2011 season in jeopardy, Boylan is the monitoring of the round after 16 days of mediation in Washington did not get a new labor pact.
"We need to be productive," said Eller. "We've got to come out with something here, and I think there is a sense of realism is part of the court. It's not just talk. It 'is not productive to talk."
U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who ordered mediation is still considering a request for players to lift the lockout imposed by owners. After a hearing on April 6, she said she intended to rule on the injunction application in a few weeks, which would mean next week.
Players like MVP quarterback Tom Brady (notes) and Peyton Manning (notes) filed an application with an antitrust lawsuit against the league. The lawsuit was combined with two other similar requests for retirees, former players and recruits to be, with the lead plaintiff in this group Eller.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, four team owners and league executives and several lawyers have left the building without speaking to reporters. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, email, declined comment.
DeMaurice Smith, the NFL players association executive director, also declined to talk. He left the courthouse with lawyers and linebackers Ben Leber (notes) and Mike Vrabel (notes), two other plaintiffs in the antitrust action filed on March 11, when the last collective agreement expired, the union dissolved and lock- out began.
At least the mood seemed light.
Reporters visiting the closed meeting was greeted with smiles and farewell dealers and lawyers, they are gone. In a packed elevator on the way down the hall, needled by Smith Vrabel deadpanning members of the media, "Okay, seriously, Mike will have an explanation. Are you ready?"
Silence.
Then laughter.
stop work before the 1987 NFL strike, of course, is not a joke or half-especially the fans who pay to stay in a place of sparkling new stadiums, buy replica jerseys to show their support and watch the games out of television market satellite.
"I am a fan, too," Eller said earlier this week. "We want to ease your mind. We can not tell you the result, but we are very keen to have a football season."
It is a goal shared by both parties. With the dispute now in the court, public relations is an important part of the effort of each side through press releases, links and comments on Twitter, and report directly to the public in the effort to pass the message.
"We want to make sure that we have the football, and on it," Goodell said in a conference call this week, the Cleveland Browns subscribers.
Smith said after April 6 court hearing of Nelson: "Keep cheering on the players and keep rooting for football."
Spin and the rhetoric has been intense at times of the two corners, but Aiello said the league does not consider this as a public relations battle with the players.
"Our mission is to keep fans of" Aiello said. "This is what we do in that situation."
George Atallah NFLPA spokesman did not return messages this week.
Players have a website, nfllockout.com, highlighting the efforts of community outreach and charitable players and includes discussion points on their side.
The nfllabor.com site of the NFL, is a similar version for the league. The chief negotiator Jeff Pash recently wrote an opinion column in the Chicago Tribune, noting the grant of the NFL gave a list of the highlights of their last offer before talks broke down.
Eller sounded optimistic, not only for development but the possibility of representing his fellow players retired, who have called for better care and treatment in the league for years.
"We do not drive it. We need both," Eller said, referring to the players and the owners of the league. "We need to depend on both. It is not an either-or situation for us. ..
"What I want pensioners to understand is that we are carving a unique situation. ... We are on the table, and I think that's something you should be able to rejoice at an early stage, because we do here will be a big step. "
