The news just keeps getting better.
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling on Monday granting the NFL a stay, allowing the lockout to remain in place until a decision by the court on the Brady v. NFL antitrust lawsuit is rendered. The case will be heard June 3 and a decision isn’t expected before the end of the month.
The stay is an extension of an emergency stay the same court granted in April, allowing owners to shut the league down again after U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson ruled the lockout illegal.
Monday’s ruling wasn’t unexpected. The 8th Circuit is seen largely as a conservative, pro-business body.
“The district court reasoned that this case does not involve or grow out of a labor dispute because the players no longer are represented by a union,” the majority wrote. “We have considerable doubt about this interpretation … (the Norris-La Guardia Act) does not specify that the employees must be members of a union for the case to involve or grow out of a labor dispute.”
Things are beginning to look extremely grim for the possibility of offseason activities beginning anytime soon.
If Monday’s ruling is an indication, the league seems to have a good chance to win their appeal in the 8th Circuit. That would push the possibility of the NFL’s offseason beginning back even further.
Soon we’ll be talking about whether the season will start on time.
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This is good news for the fans and for the prospect of reaching a new CBA. The players have already made it clear that they will agree to nothing other than “business as usual.” The owners have already made it clear that they will NOT enter another season under the current agreement. The lockout is the only thing providing incentive for either side to compromise.
Immediately after this ruling, the owners offered another deal to the players. Of course, the players won’t agree to anything until at least after the June 3rd ruling. Obviously, the players won’t compromise a single dollar until every ruling has gone against them.
Unless either side is willing to compromise (and that will never happen ) whatever decision is made the an appeal process will probably overturn it and drag things out until mid-season.
But we’re not gonna be the ones losing billions of dollars over this shit show. However, I do feel for the local businesses and stadium employees. They are really the ones getting screwed over.
I hope the players and owners get this resolved in June. I don’t think either side will let this drag out past June. Either side cannot afford to miss any season games.