NFL, players reportedly making progress in labor talks
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There are all sorts of optimistic rumblings that an NFL deal, or at least the framework of one, could be reached in the next two to three weeks, thereby averting the possibility of games being canceled.
The league and players will continue their talks before a mediator Tuesday and Wednesday in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C., and indications are that the sides have gotten past the rhetoric and are gaining traction on real progress. Meanwhile, the lockout remains in place while the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals considers the NFL’s June 2 appeal of a district court ruling ordering the lockout be lifted.
NFL owners are scheduled to convene in Chicago next Tuesday to receive an update on the finer points of the negotiations. A person with familiarity about the talks said it’s important for ownership to “have a detailed conversation” about the progress.
Although the original plan called for a one-day meeting, the league has advised owners to pack for an overnight stay, a tidbit first reported by ESPN. That has tea-leaf readers reasoning it’s more fodder to believe a deal -- requiring a three-quarters-majority vote of ownership -- is on the horizon.
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-- Sam Farmer