On Friday, football had its day in court, as lawyers representing NFL owners and players took part in a short hearing in front of the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. When the hearing was over, both sides of the NFL's labor battle had a stern warning in hand: if no settlement is reached, neither side will like the court's ruling.
Opinions have been mixed regarding yesterday's goings-on. Some, such as Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com, believe that the lawyers in the case are slowing down the settlement talks that began last week. In particular, Marvez believes a comment made by the NFL's chief litigator, Tom Clement, in which he claimed that the player involvement in settlement talks underscored the fact that the players were still operating as a union, could hinder the progress of negotiations.
Meanwhile, others - including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell - believe that both sides are committed to negotiating and reaching a settlement. Goodell made his comments on Friday, as well, but he was not present in St. Louis for the proceedings.
The waiting game continues.