7:00 pm Owners pass resolution!!!!
To summarize up to day at 2PM this afternoon, DeMaurice Smith has organized some type of a player rep conference call to take place at 8PM. The owners are together in Atlanta, and it looks like they will be voting at 5:00PM EST, a few hours before the players. So everything looks like its set up to get voted on today, so that the owners can lift the lockout tomorrow, and get everyone in by Saturday. The players may have to recertify first.
The following will be updated until 4 PM est.
2:50 PM DeMaurice Smith in front of Building talked to reporters: There are issues left to resolve. Talking about the recerticication process. He emphasizes decertification process was a long one, because it was a big decision. Says Recertification process is extremely important.
2:19- More signs of an approval today, Rick Stroud reports the NFL is planning a rules seminar at a nearby hotel with team Execs 90 minutes after the vote.
2:04 PM DeMaurice Smith gets players ready for conference call. The NFLPA will have this call today, according to Michael Lombardi and Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Breer has reported that the Conference call should take place at 8PM, probably a few hours after the owners.
2:01 PM Albert Breer reports Steelers Pres Art Rooney and Packers CEO Mark Murphy walking by from lunch, with luggage. Would pack to leave unless your ready to get something overwith!
1:38 PM Albert Breer reports Owners breaking for lunch at 1:30 pm.
Don Banks says the situation no longer sounds tenuous.
Jason LaCanfora speaks on the issue of NFLPA recertification, saying it could only take HOURS not days to do. LaCanfora, who reports for NFL Network suspects most NFL owners will be departing Atlanta by this afternoon. They would not be doing that without approving terms.
Most likely, Owners will approve terms and hand it off to players to either approve or not. Seeing as players wanted to sign months ago, it should be a done deal.
1:00 PM Sal Paolantonio reports that owners have been told to expect to vote between 3:30-5:30 Pm today, and Players may be voting AT THE SAME TIME via conference video/call.
10:28 AM Arthur Blank, owner of Atlanta Falcons just plain came out and said YES he thinks the new CBA will be approved today. Its not often an owner will make a prediction on this. Blank straight out comes forward and says yes, he thinks it will, and he would be disapointed if its not.
Both sides reportedly worked into the night last night to clear up some last minute stuff.
Also, Alber Breer sticks by his report on NFL Network that Jackson and Mankins are holding to their requests for 10 million dollars to settle. To be fair, this could be quite normal for a Plaintiff. we have no idea how much money they put up to do this. Any time your involved with a class action suit, the plaintiffs ALWAYS get more than the class.
A new CBA will protect Veterans from being Cap Casualties. No word on exactly how it works, but PFT is reporting that the new CBA will be Veterans with big salaries-friendly.
Chris Mortensen reports over ESPN Radio that the deal may be approved by owners this afternoon.
The owners will get together and vote today, that is for sure, with a get together planned for 10 am according to this video of Jeff Pash, NFL Exec VP who quotes a Cautious level of optimism. Pash says there was dialogue between NFL player reps yesterday, which is a great sign.
Michael Davin Smith on Pro Football Talk posts that there is plenty of opitmism that today is the day the Lockout could be agreed upon to end. There is a report by Chester Pitts, Guard for the Seattle Seahawks, told Tony Bruno of Fox Sports Radio that it will take 2 full weeks for the situation to get resolved. This sounds more like frustration than news, nor do we know how much stock we should put in the Gaurd of a 7-9 division winner!
More realistically, Chris Mortensen tweets that NFLPA sources sounded UPBEAT. Indeed, nothing like Colts owner Jim Irsay quoting Lennon McCartney “we Can Work it Out” is a great sign!
Albert Breer is one of the closest people to the action in Atlanta, and he is on the scene as I write this. Breer reports Arthur Blank, Falcons owner expects the great majority to support the ratification. I personally Like Breer’s comment, that sometimes tough days are followed by Big Ones. Breer also reporting more media are in Atlanta than in DC yesterday.
Nothing like good old fashioned self promotion! Washington Post’s blog “The League” has some guy here on Bucstop.com that guest writes each week. Here is his piece where he talks about how this year preseason is going to be old school with starters playing more in week 4 than in years past.
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