It's Official: NFL Lockout BACK ON!

[Jon S.]

(CNN) -- A federal appeals court on Friday granted a temporary stay of an April 25 lower court order that had ruled that National Football League owners could not lock out their players.

The 2-1 ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis allows NFL owners to again suspend football operations, as they seek to revise the current system and negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the league's players.

"We are back to a lockout," said 8th Circuit court clerk Michael Gans, who confirmed the court's ruling.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said clubs were notified of the ruling Friday night.

"As a result, the clubs have been told that the prior lockout rules are reinstated effective immediately," he said.

The football league's owners imposed a lockout last month, after talks aimed at forging a new agreement broke down and the players officially disbanded their union.

Nine players -- including star quarterbacks Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning -- instigated a lawsuit filed against the owners, saying the owners had no legal right to impose a work stoppage that threatens the scheduled September 8 start of the upcoming season.

The players also want a future trial to determine if the NFL lockout is in violation of federal antitrust laws.

In her ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson said that the decision by the players to disband their union meant the case no longer came under federal labor law that prohibits injunctions, as claimed by the owners.

The NFL then asked the federal appeals court in St. Louis to lift Nelson's ruling. That led to Friday's announcement, which became public during the second round of the NFL Draft -- the last element covered under the previous agreement between the two sides.

Appeals court judges Duane Benton and Steven Colloton voted for the temporary stay, writing that they wanted to "give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the merits of the motion for a stay pending appeal."

The lone dissenting judge, Kermit Bye, said that the temporary stay shouldn't be granted -- arguing unsuccessfully that such an order should apply only to an "emergency situation."

If games don't start on time late this summer, it would be the first NFL work stoppage since 1987. This comes after several months already of testy labor and legal maneuvering that has left many fans confused about how arguably America's most popular sports league lacks enough money to satisfy everyone.

The heart of the issue between the players and the owners is how to divide the league's $9 billion in revenue.

Right now, NFL owners take $1 billion off the top of that revenue stream. After that, the players get about 60%.

The owners say that the current labor deal doesn't take into account the rising costs related to building stadiums and promoting the game. The players argue that the league has not sufficiently opened up its books to prove this.

In addition, the owners also want to increase the season by two games, which the players are against because it might increase the risk of injuries.

While star players earn millions of dollars each year, the median NFL salary is $790,000 and the average career lasts about four years.

Well gentlemen, as you can see, following an appeals court ruling, the NFL has made it official & the lockout is back in effect. Who knows how this will ultimately play out?

 

[squallumz]

who knows. what a buncha babies!

 

[Jon S.]

You're telling me! One would think everyone would be happy being that they are all millionaires.......but, ya know greed knows no bounds evidently! Ha ha ha! They (players and management) seem like they would rather have all of nothing as opposed to half of something.

 

[lurkingdirk]

Here's how it is going to work itself out:

They're not going to play this year. They're going to collect a lot of money on endorsements. They'll hold out so long that the clubs are forced to make concessions for the players. Then, next year, they'll come back with an extremely minor dent in the ratings which will last for only one year. They'll be right back up in the ratings a year later, as though they never said "fuck you, fans. I don't care that I'm screwing you for an entire season, I want to get more money and not play more games."

 

[Elwood70]

Don't care; too busy watching baseball.

 

[Zolf J. Kimbly]

Don't care; too busy watching the most boring sport on television after soccer.

Fixed

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

Canada has its own league, so I don't really care...

 

[STDiva]

Canada has its own league, so I don't really care...

I can't wait to play fantasy CFL. I wish more than 4 people could play.

I wonder who's going to win this year?? Montreal? Saskatchewan?

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

I can't wait to play fantasy CFL. I wish more than 4 people could play.

I wonder who's going to win this year?? Montreal? Saskatchewan?

My favourite thing about the CFL is that since there is only eight teams in the league (and three good ones), the odds of picking the winner of the Grey Cup are so good. Two years in a row I've collected on the Grey Cup (it is just so damn easy to take advantage of Roughrider fans).

 

[Elwood70]

Fixed

Not if you know what to watch for.

 

[gunslingingbird]

I'm sick of this game of greed. I would love it if while this greedy legal shitstorm is happening and the NFL is at a standstill another major professional football league would emerge and make the NFL and its greed obsolete. Unfortunately, other professional football leagues (USFL, arena football) don't have the pull that the NFL does.

 

[ralph furley]

i'm switching to arena football

 

[izabelplayer]

they need to figure something out. i don't know what life would be without football in the fall.

 

[STDiva]

Why isn't the USFL jumping all over this opportunity? How many free agents is there waiting for contracts?? Even the good free agents will be less desirable with an entire year off and an entire year older.

 

[TheOrangeCat]

Good. It's a shit game, played by the unsporting, greedy, overgrown babies for teams owned by greedy, unsporting dollar whores.

I hope they stay locked out forever. I also hope they get fungal infections in hard to reach places.

 

[D-rock]

I'm not rooting for any side to win in this, I want the integrity of the sport itself and competition to be the top priority.

 

[CptHa]

Why isn't the USFL jumping all over this opportunity? How many free agents is there waiting for contracts?? Even the good free agents will be less desirable with an entire year off and an entire year older.

That would be because the USFL no longer exists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Football_League

 

[squallumz]

i dont get why football is like the fucking king of sports here.

for guys so tough and burly they sure cry at any opportunity they can.

ill stick to basketball. more action, a shit load more games, far less fucking whining.

 

[STDiva]

That would be because the USFL no longer exists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Football_League

Sorry, UFL. My mistake.

 

[D-rock]

i dont get why football is like the fucking king of sports here.

for guys so tough and burly they sure cry at any opportunity they can.

ill stick to basketball. more action, a shit load more games, far less fucking whining.

At least we don't like sports like soccer. :1orglaugh