NFL labor talks adjourned
After nearly a week of sleepy talks headed nowhere, the NFL’s labor situation abruptly took a series of twists and turns yesterday.
Amid the revelation that a Los Angeles law firm with a tie to the NFL is trying to create a schism between the players, the sides had their mediated negotiations in Minneapolis adjourned until May 16 while they await a pair of court rulings.
The sudden adjournment came just hours after it was revealed the unspecified firm — one of whose partners is a former NFL attorney — is soliciting “mid-tier” players to demand a seat at the negotiating table separate from the 10 players suing the owners on behalf of the decertified NFL Players Association.
The union, which revealed the firm’s solicitation on its website last night, said no players have formally registered their displeasure with the NFLPA.
If the law firm is successful in getting enough disgruntled members to sign on, it would mark a surprisingly quick split in the players’ resolve less than six weeks after the lockout was announced — especially with their side thought to be on the verge of two favorable court rulings.
The first of those rulings — from federal judge Susan Nelson on an injunction request that likely would lift the lockout while the owners appeal — is expected any day now.
Another federal judge, David Doty, also is scheduled to rule May 12 on how many millions of dollars in damages the players will be awarded after Doty decided last month that the owners had wrongfully negotiated nearly $5 billion in “lockout insurance” in their deal with the TV networks.
Federal magistrate Arthur Boylan, perhaps realizing no progress would be made until those two rulings come down, adjourned the mediation for almost a month.
“There are a lot of uncertainties right now,” NFL attorney Jeff Pash said afterward. “When we’re back together, we’ll know more.”
Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel — one of the 10 plaintiffs in the antitrust case — told NFL Network the logic behind the law firm’s backdoor move was puzzling because “mid-tier” players already are represented in the talks by himself and Vikings linebacker Ben Leber.
“I think if they’re unhappy with that seat, we have to vote in a new executive committee and a new board of reps,” Vrabel said.
