WASHINGTON -- "Hoping for the best,'' said Saints quarterback and NFL Players Association board member Drew Brees as he walked into a crucial, and perhaps final, mediation session with ownership this morning at 10 a.m.
The sense around the talks is decidedly ominous this morning. Odds are that the day will end with the union decertifying, the owners moving to lock them out of team facilities, the players filing an injunction to stop it, and the 2011 season -- at least the start of it -- in peril.
But it's not hopeless inside the Federal Mediation of Conciliation Service building at the corner of 21st and K St. in the heart of the nation's capital. One NFL source said that on a conference call with owners Thursday, commissioner Roger Goodell was given the freedom to move drastically, if need be, to make a deal with players. There were indications Goodell would present a last, best offer to the players this morning, one that might have a significant concession about financial transparency in the 32 NFL teams' audited financial statements, which is the sticking point with players in these talks.
Finally, there were some indications that there were talks into the night Thursday by some in the negotiations, trying to figure out some way to find common ground. If some progress could be made, those close to the talks said this morning, there might be reason for the two sides to agree to another extension that could keep the two sides talking into next week.......................
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Originally Posted by Texasteel
