By Breanna Jacobs
“This is the season to get something done, this is the time to get something done,” Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said. Irsay, of course, was speaking in regard to the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and lockout.
32 representatives, one from each NFL team, are scheduled to meet today to discuss what has been going on in the talks between the players and the owners. This meeting is the first labor-specific meeting since the lockout began. Sources say that this meeting should only last for one day, although representatives had been cautioned that the meeting may stretch into Wednesday.
As promising as talks between owners and players have seemed recently, there is not yet a definite end in sight to the NFL lockout. The lockout, which began in March, is threatening the start of training camps in late July, and the preseason, which is scheduled to start on August 7.
While many owners, coaches, and players are ready to finalize a deal, some coaches have been resistant to compromise. These coaches, at least 2 of whom are from AFC teams, fear that the original issues are not being addressed and that finalizing a deal now would lead the league back into this same situation again in a few years.
However, the goal of each side is to get a deal together before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis votes on the NFL’s request to block the injunction that previously “lifted” the lockout. This vote would permanently block the injunction. Currently, the injunction is on hold while a panel takes into consideration the league’s case.
If players and owners cannot come to a compromise by this time, the start of the NFL season will be in jeopardy. Training camps, which take place in late July, may not be held and the preseason may be eliminated. Some owners are even preparing for the possibility of a shortened, 8-game season. In order to prevent these things from happening, the players and owners need to compromise on a solution that will bring an end to the lockout.
As Irsay stated, this is the season to get something done.
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