It appears as though the players are willing to head back to mediation under federal court, but but it remains to be seen if the owners are prepared to do the same thing.
A day after Judge Susan Nelson urged both parties to return to mediation as she takes a couple of weeks to decide a ruling on the lockout case, a lawyer representing the players wrote her a letter saying that their side is willing to do just that.
Two people “familiar with the case” also told the AP that the NFL sent its own letter to lawyers for the players, although the people spoke on condition of anonymity because “they were not authorized to reveal the letter’s contents.” However, one person did tell the AP that the letter proposed that the two sides resume talks with federal mediator George Cohen.
Once again, it looks like the two sides are prepared to butt heads. The players are willing to go back to mediation, but under federal court. The owners are willing to go back to mediation, but under George Cohen. The two sides can’t seem to agree on anything and we’re no closer to a resolution (or there being football next year) than we were when the players decertified on March 11.
It’s amazing that when the two sides can finally agree to something (mediation in this case), they disagree on something else and throw up another hurdle to overcome.
