NFL Lockout: Roger Goodell, DeMaurice Smith Meet Secretly

by Brian Galliford on Jun 2, 2011 11:30 AM EDT in NFL News

On the eve of a hearing in front of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, the two major players in the NFL's labor dispute - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the players' trade association head, DeMaurice Smith - reportedly met in secret in Chicago to re-open long-dormant labor talks.

Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft and Jerry Richardson were reportedly present for the meeting on the owners' side, while Smith was joined by Kevin Mawae, Mike Vrabel, Jeff Saturday and others on the players' side of the ball.

No new labor deal is imminent, obviously, but the fact that the two sides were willing to meet without lawyers present is a sign that, at minimum, the two sides recognize that there's still plenty of time for football to be saved, and that dialogue needs to be occurring. ESPN reports that "some progress" was made in the meeting, and that there is a hope that a new deal could be agreed to by the end of June.

We'll see. With the appeals process beginning tomorrow - and expected to last for several weeks - any progress made last night will likely be halted. Still, a small amount of good news is better than no news, right?

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I wonder how involved all of the owners are. I keep hearing Jones and Richardson but haven’t heard a lick about Ralph or any other owner.

That’s got me concerned – I’d really like some of the smaller market teams owners to have a voice and be in all of the converstaions. Maybe they do – I just haven’t heard anything to suggest they do though.

When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts.

by J2 on Jun 2, 2011 11:33 AM EDT reply actions

Apparently, many owners didn’t even know that meeting was happening last night. I believe that answers your question. :)

Editor-in-Chief, BUFFALO RUMBLINGS®
@BrianGalliford

by Brian Galliford on Jun 2, 2011 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Also

Richardson is a small market owner.

by cjf4 on Jun 2, 2011 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Is this really true

I mean you are probably very correct but isn’t Carolina one of the more accessible teams in the area. Aren’t they located in an area that draw from miles and miles away like us but where the economy is much more stable. Not to mention his personal wealth.

YOU ARE OUT of you kuku fufu mine craker laker Flaber baber FUNKI chunki brain. WE want to winn every year -- abayarde

by VanScottM on Jun 2, 2011 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions

Charlotte’s growing but is still only about a 1.7 million metro area to Buffalo’s 1.2. Their interests are going to be much closer to Buffalo’s than New Yorks, Washington, Dallas, etc.

by cjf4 on Jun 2, 2011 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Corporate $$

Charlotte isn’t that small market. Lowe’s, Bank of America, huge pressence with Wells Fargo, etc….

by buffalosportsfan on Jun 2, 2011 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s for sure why they got the team in the first place, but it’s still a small market team.

by cjf4 on Jun 2, 2011 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions

They are part of the owners Management Council

Their are about 6-8 owners on the council and they have authority to speak for all of the owners in regards to negotiations.

It’s similar to the players and thier negotiating team which includes Jeff Saturday and Kevin Mawae. It just helps cut down on the number of people in the room.

by lonestar_ak on Jun 2, 2011 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions

gotcha – thanks I didn’t know that

When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts.

by J2 on Jun 3, 2011 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions

A prediction that I hope is 100% wrong:

Lockout ends in Late August, NFL won’t season won’t start till end of September early October.

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by Michael_Necci on Jun 2, 2011 11:33 AM EDT reply actions

This, The Resolution to the CBA conflict.

Is like waiting for the draft to begin. I despise the owners that were present, I realize that Ralph can’t do these things anymore, but the richest meet with the players doesn’t bode well for the smaller market teams.

YOU ARE OUT of you kuku fufu mine craker laker Flaber baber FUNKI chunki brain. WE want to winn every year -- abayarde

by VanScottM on Jun 2, 2011 11:45 AM EDT reply actions

How is this meeting a secret?

THAT is why i'm serious.

by Trashplate on Jun 2, 2011 12:52 PM EDT reply actions

Because it occurred last night, and nobody knew about it until this morning?

Editor-in-Chief, BUFFALO RUMBLINGS®
@BrianGalliford

by Brian Galliford on Jun 2, 2011 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

It was reported yesterday that owners were meeting right? Just not that players were involved

by buffalosportsfan on Jun 2, 2011 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Okay, Goodell DOES say negotiation is the only thing that'll work

And I really, really hope that Smith is coming around to that. Because it really is the only thing that will start the season on time, them talking constantly. (This is an issue I have with Judge Nelson, as a matter of fact — she assigns a judge to oversee talks that seems to be able to convene for two days out of each month with the parties, when the mediator in NY saw both sides four or five days a week for three weeks?)

Seriously hope they’ll come out with something even sooner than that, though. I’d like to see Stevie in his #13 at the uniform unveiling, no doubt. (AND see Ryan practice from the playbook, but there’s my priorities.)

"Why so serious?... so raise your glass if you are wrong/in all the right ways..." -- P!nk

by Orlando John on Jun 2, 2011 1:10 PM EDT reply actions

This looks like the worst secret ever.

No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.

by sireric on Jun 2, 2011 1:16 PM EDT reply actions

A priori.

by cjf4 on Jun 2, 2011 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

No lawyers present -- ?

Smith is a lawyer. If they made him sit in hall, they may have made progress.

by zipper on Jun 2, 2011 1:40 PM EDT reply actions

Correct. No lawyers aside from Smith.

Editor-in-Chief, BUFFALO RUMBLINGS®
@BrianGalliford

by Brian Galliford on Jun 2, 2011 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

In that sense, Goodell is a lawyer as well.

by cjf4 on Jun 2, 2011 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

well except for the fact that de smith is actually, you know, a lawyer

by boomsauce on Jun 2, 2011 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

For some reason I thought Goodell was a lawyer as well, I must have attributed Taglibue’s credentials to Roger.

by cjf4 on Jun 2, 2011 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Question

If they do come to an agreement, does all the litigation just end right then and there?

by The Adam Bomb on Jun 2, 2011 2:02 PM EDT reply actions

More or less yes

The new CBA would almost certainly have a clause stipulating that the players would drop their antitrust suit against the league. There might be some minor legal matters that would still need to be cleaned up in the courts, but nothing we should be concerned about.

by Macktruck on Jun 2, 2011 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

DeMaurice Smith

Consider me skeptical of a person who’s neutral facial expression is a frown.

"Being a Bills Fan is a Tough Job for Tough People…" – Luther6

by Montel on Jun 2, 2011 2:05 PM EDT reply actions

I’m more skeptical of people whose default expressions are smiles.

"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.

by stetzwebs on Jun 2, 2011 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

An interesting development

It’s interesting because the NFLPA in meeting with the owners was acting like a union engaged in collective bargaining, which in turn will weaken their argument that they have completely decerified and disbanded the union. As a result, this meeting may well signal a decision on the part of the union to give up on the antitrust case in the courts and attempt to reach a new CBA directly with the owners. However, my guess is that they would not be doing that (since it means overthrowing their main strategy) unless the owners have informed them quietly in advance that they are willing to make a number of concessions that the players want.

So it could indeed be a positive sign — although in this hard-nosed business nothing means anything until there is an agreement signed on the bottom line (or at least initialed).

by Macktruck on Jun 2, 2011 2:29 PM EDT reply actions

I think this means absolutely nothing. With the legal proceedings set to start they got together so that both sides could mention to the judge that they have had meetings and continued dialogue. Nothing is going to happen until the court is done with this now. The NFLPA (and I’m not blaming them) has put their hat on the legal system and are at least going to see what happens.

by buffalosportsfan on Jun 2, 2011 2:42 PM EDT reply actions

Settlement Is Not Done By Lawyers Nor the Courts

These guys have to keep the dialogue going because it is they who have to strike a deal. The court only determines the environment in which a deal will occur. They can call the whole thing off at any time if they can get concessions that mutually work.

Go big or go home.

by jackkemp15 on Jun 2, 2011 4:34 PM EDT reply actions

i was excited about this until seeing that they are brought here again by the mediator, and that the mediation session next week is cancelled. if the players lose this appeal i feel like this lockouts gonna go on a long time. and either way it doesnt seem like theres an end in sight for the labor mess

by boomsauce on Jun 2, 2011 6:01 PM EDT reply actions