Players and owners will meet again this week in an effort to try and close the gap in their differences and get an agreement in place before impacting the start of the 2011 NFL season.
It has been several weeks now that both sides have been meeting under Judge Boylan’s supervision in an effort to reach a negotiated settlement. While progress on many fronts has reportedly been made, until all the “i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed” the business of football will continue to block the game of football.
NFLPA executive director, DeMaurice Smith has told the players not to buy into the hype that a deal with the league is imminent. Similarly at a joint press conference last week, both Smith and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said there was still work to be done.
Goodell said, “It’s complicated, it’s complex and we’re working hard. We understand the fans’ frustration, but both of us are continuing to work hard at it.”
“We know we’re talking about the right issues and we’re working hard to get it done. It is extremely complicated. It requires a lot of hard work by a lot of people but we’re going to keep working at it,” Smith said.
So as the NFLPA hosted symposium “The Business of Football” kicks of in Florida today, it’s still unclear when the games will actually begin.
