The NFL thread

[cook]

Tony Romo got married last night.I don`t know if that will have any effect on his game.Probably not.

[Goodfellas]

too much sex on saturday night?

[cook]

too much sex on saturday night?

Give it a year.

[Sandpig]

League, players hold three-day summit; Friday court date next

ST. LOUIS -- The NFL's labor situation has been on hold for weeks while Friday's lockout-injunction hearing at the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals loomed.

It seems the league and players grew a little restless.

The parties secretly met Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in suburban Chicago in an effort to break the nearly three-month-long stalemate in negotiations.

Owners Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys), Robert Kraft (New England Patriots), Jerry Richardson (Carolina Panthers), Art Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers) and John Mara (New York Giants) -- all members of the NFL's labor committee -- were in attendance, as were active players Mike Vrabel, Brian Dawkins, Tony Richardson and Jeff Saturday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae.

The league and players issued a joint statement confirming they had met, but they said they would honor a court-ordered confidentiality agreement.

Smith and Goodell declined to comment to the Chicago Tribune on Thursday when seen leaving Hotel Baker in St. Charles, Ill. All Jones would say about the meeting is: "We can't make a comment about it at all, but we're trying. We're trying. I think the fact that we're meeting is good."

[Goodfellas]

yeah they are accomplishing so much with their meetings. great strides.

[toddbz]

I wonder how pissed all the endorsement companies are right about now?
Paying out contracts with no face time.

On a different note. You guys catch that NCAA rugby tournament this weekend? More staples in guys heads than...well...Staples.

[Sandpig]

NFL deal 'not close' but calendar driving urgency

FOXBORO - A source close to negotiations told me Thursday night that players and owners are "not close" to ending the NFL lockout but that "good progress" has been made.

That jives well with the comments earlier Thursday by Patriots owner Robert Kraft who acknowledged progress as well but cautioned, "It would be misleading to say anything that would not make it crystal clear that there's a lot of hard work still to be done."

The fact that we're into June and that training camps and the preseason are now in some jeopardy seems to be a motivating force.

"I want football back," Kraft said. "I think we're getting close to having to put this thing to bed so we don't miss any events. I know that's the intent on both sides. ... The good news is, we're talking. I think we went 34 days without talking and the lawyers on each side were doing stuff. That, to me, isn't progress."

One of the looming post-lockout issues to be confronted is how free agency will be initiated when this is all over.

Does free agency begin immediately? Is there a short grace period?

"There are people discussing this but this is part of how we do this and that's something I'm going to let the league office speak about," answered Kraft when asked about free agency's start.

While it hasn't yielded an agreement, the two rounds of talks without litigators have significantly changed the tenor of these negotiations -- as Kraft insisted all along they would.

"We've had the head of the union and five players and a mix of different owners and the commissioner all focused on the issues and what's good for the game and trying to solve that and I think that's positive," he pointed out. "I hope progress keeps happening . . . The good news is [both sides] care about the health of this game long term. That's our sole focus. Building on that is very positive."

[Goodfellas]

ever notice good progress is in every story?

[Sandpig]

Optimism over new deal emerging from latest round of talks

Promise has sprung from the latest round of talks between the NFL and players, who resumed clandestine face-to-face negotiations Tuesday on Maryland's eastern shore, the third such set of talks they've staged this month.

According to sources, both the NFL and NFL Players Association are evaluating and strongly considering concessions on all fronts, and that has led to a belief that a deal could be done in two to four weeks. In a sign of the progress made, the legal teams on both sides have returned to the meetings, after sitting out the sessions in suburban Chicago and Long Island. N.Y. the past two weeks.

The talks are expected to continue into Wednesday.


A person with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the two sides are headed in the right direction. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the meeting are not being made public.

Two other people familiar with the talks told The AP a framework for a new collective bargaining agreement could be in place before the owners' meetings next Tuesday in suburban Chicago. A memo went out to owners asking that they keep their schedules for next week flexible, in case the June 21 meeting spills into Tuesday night or even Wednesday.

Both sides entered the negotiations seeing a “window of opportunity” of roughly 30 days to resolve the labor situation. The owners are planning to meet once a month until the situation is resolved.

People familiar with the talks told The AP it would be premature to predict an imminent end to the lockout, but the atmosphere of negotiations has been more positive than it was previously, creating "a sense of movement."

Washington Redskins player representative Vonnie Holliday, appearing on NFL.com's "Cover Two Podcast" Tuesday, told hosts Steve Wyche and Bucky Brooks that he foresees an agreement that would allow for football to continue on schedule.

“All along we just needed to sit down together,” Whitworth said. “

[Sandpig]

Favre enjoying post-NFL life, hasn't decided next move

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Brett Favre says while his playing days are definitely over, he hasn't decided what he's going to do with himself in the coming years.

The three-time NFL Most Valuable Player hosted the "Brett Favre 7 on 7 at The Rock" football camp on the campus of Southern Miss, his alma mater, on Tuesday. He mingled with players and coaches in the nearly 100-degree heat, and occasionally squads would gather around the 41-year-old for a pep talk.


"I'm just one of the guys," Favre said. "And I enjoy it that way. If anything, that's what I want these kids to take away from this."

The 24-team camp for high school players was used to raise money for the quarterback's "Favre 4 Hope Foundation" and his "USM Brett Favre Scholarship" endowment.

Favre says he likes dealing with young players, citing their willingness to learn, but didn't want to be tied down by a full-time coaching commitment. He says he has enjoyed staying around Southern Miss but has "no plans right now and we'll see where that takes me."

Favre has made occasional appearances in his home state during the spring, including throwing out the first pitch before a game during the Conference USA baseball tournament in Pearl.

[Goodfellas]

not sure whether i hate brett favre or the nba more..

[Sandpig]

not sure whether i hate brett favre or the nba more..

Favre

[Sandpig]

Giants, Pats, Lions atop LB Bulluck's wish list next season

Keith Bulluck would like to extend his NFL career to a 12th season, and the pending free agent has a list of teams in mind as potential landing spots.

The linebacker returned from a serious knee injury to play in 13 games with the Giants last season, finishing with 31 tackles and two interceptions. It was New York's faith in him that puts the team on the top of his wish list in 2011. The Detroit Lions and New England Patriots are also suitable homes for the veteran, for different reasons.


“First and foremost, New York because they gave me an opportunity to come and continue my career, really get healthy, where I needed to be,” Bulluck told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. “Detroit. I like what (Lions coach Jim) Schwartz is doing up there. Last year, I wasn’t prepared physically to play and do the things that they would need me to do, but now I feel I am. New England is always veteran-friendly, and I know,

[cook]

Get the work stoppage done you meatheads!!!!
Rangers went to the world series last year and now the Mavericks just won the world championship so you just know the Cowboys are going to the Super Bowl this year....right?

[Sandpig]

Get the work stoppage done you meatheads!!!!
Rangers went to the world series last year and now the Mavericks just won the world championship so you just know the Cowboys are going to the Super Bowl this year....right?

They better if dallas wants to keep up with Boston.