Court ordered mediation between the players and the owners began again this week in Minneapolis before Judge Arthur Boylan. This is the first time both sides have returned to the negotiating table since April 20.
The mediation was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Nelson who was has since ruled to enjoin the lockout. A stay granted by the Appeals Court is keeping the lockout in place until the court decides on whether to make the stay permanent. The hearing on that matter is scheduled for June 3.
We caught up with the Executive Director of the NFLPA DeMaurice Smith at the Rookie Premiere Events during draft week in NYC who said that while there are many legal steps in the process, a win is when players can play football and fans can enjoy the game they love.
Players are also waiting on a ruling from U.S. District Judge David Doty on the amount of damages owed to them from the league. On March 1, Judge Doty held that the NFL had violated its agreement with the players and left money on the table by failing to maximize revenues for the players during its television contract negotiations.
The players say that the league illegally secured a “war chest” of $4 billion by renegotiating TV deals for the 2011 season. The players believe that the portion due to them is at least $707 million.
Judge Doty took arguments under advisement and is not expected to issue a ruling until this week at the earliest.
