An actual sign of progress on the labor front

By Sean Jensen on June 29, 2011 12:38 pm

There’s been a lot of speculation on dates, locations and meetings, as the owners and players work toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

But a real tangible sign of progress came today, when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell accepted an invitation from NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and addressed the incoming rookie class.

This doesn’t mean a deal is necessarily imminent. But, it was a gesture of goodwill from both Smith and Goodell.

While lawyers are meeting in the Twin Cities, Smith and Goodell jetted to Florida, for the Business of Football Symposium for rookies. They were expected to fly back to the Twin Cities today to rejoin discussions toward a new deal.

“We’re continuing to work hard,” Smith told reporters today. “Both of us felt that it was important to come down for this event. Obviously, what we are doing on the business of football on a macro scale is about getting a fair deal done and trying to get back to the game and business of football as quickly as possible.

“This event was important to ensure that our young men appreciated how important we think these few days are. I’m thrilled that Roger could come down with us and talk to the rookies in a very good, direct way.”

Goodell called it a “great opportunity” to visit with the rookies.

“They obviously have lots of questions. We answered the questions as best we could. But you all know that we’re under certain restrictions,” he said. “We’re taking a break because we felt it was important to be down here with the players. We both have great respect, obviously, for the players. This is an important few days. We’re going to get back to work.”

Neither fielded questions from reporters.

To me the only thing meaningful right now will be some signatures on a new CBA agreement. I'm not sure it shows any progress at all. It's simply an accomodation by Smith for the benefit of the rookies who he will also represent. The writers are so starved for stories right now that even this makes news.

Perhaps we can start a pool on when this is going to end or pick fantasy negotiators lol.

I'm tired of all this mularkey. We have gone long enough without football to see where this is all leading to. We're nearing the July 4 deadline that Jim Irsay symbolically set as the date by which the negotiations needed to be wrapped up. Before they ever get a deal worked out, the courts will have had their say, and then we're still stuck with a damn lockout. It's sickening to think that as loyal as the fans have been to league for 91 years, they would risk losing parts of, if not the whole, season to the greed of players and owners a like. Now I admit that I tend to side with the players since for decades they have lived under the thumbs of owners, but when it gets to be a battle between billionaires and millionaires and the issue you're trying to dissect is how to divide up a revenue pie of approximately $9 billion, I just can't relate to that. I'm sorry, but I just can't. Ditka was right about that one thing.