Ryan downplays Ellis' departure, talks up Jets' young players

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan will miss Shaun Ellis, who recently signed with the New England Patriots. But Ryan isn't kept awake at night worrying about the defensive end providing an advantage to the Jets' AFC East rivals.

"I don't think he can bring secrets. He can bring mentality," Ryan said Tuesday in an interview with WEPN-AM. "He can talk about the way we are going to approach games against New England and things like that."

Ellis was selected by the Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft, and he was the longest-tenured player on the team in 2010. Despite that background, Ryan said Ellis wasn't exposed to playbook information that could compromise the Jets if it fell into the wrong hands.

"As far as the playbook, if that was (safety) Jim Leonhard going over there or somebody that was in the back end that knows the front coverage and all that (it would have an effect)," Ryan said. "Shaun's role was basically in a phone booth, so it was obvious he did a great job for us. I really don't worry about that."

Ryan wished Ellis health but not necessarily success. The coach believes his team will be able to compensate for the loss on the field.

"I think (Ellis) was an excellent football player, but just wait until everybody sees these young guys play," Ryan said. "I don't think you have to worry about our defense."

Ryan also touched on the Jets' reworked receiving corps. Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith all have moved on, and veteran Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason joined the fold.

Ryan said Mason plays nothing like the 37-year-old he is, and he also spoke of getting to know Burress, the former Giants Super Bowl hero who's making an NFL comeback following a 20-month prison sentence on gun charges.

"I do like him. He loves the game," Ryan said. "He's also a fan of baseball, basketball. He's kind of an interesting guy. You can tell he loves football just the way he talks. He fits right in."

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Lawyers: NFL, players settle antitrust suit, two other cases

The NFL and its players already had let the world know they worked out their differences. On Tuesday, they formally gave word of the settlement agreement to a pair of federal judges overseeing three pending court cases.

In separate conference calls Tuesday, lawyers for both sides in pro football's labor dispute spoke to U.S. District Judges Susan Richard Nelson and David Doty to say they've settled, contingent on a new collective bargaining agreement being finished by Aug. 4.

The leadership of the NFL Players Association voted unanimously Monday to agree to a deal to end the 4 1/2-month lockout. Owners OK'd an agreement last week.

Nelson was the judge in the federal class-action antitrust lawsuit filed by Tom Brady and nine other players March 11, the day that federally mediated negotiations in Washington broke down, allowing the old CBA to expire. The NFLPA said it was dissolving the union and becoming a trade association, which allowed players to sue under antitrust law.

Now, as part of Monday's deal, the NFLPA will re-establish the union this week. The sides then will negotiate areas that only a union can bargain in a CBA, including drug testing, player discipline and disability and pension programs.

The pact requires that those issues be resolved and a full CBA be done by Aug. 4; no one involved believes that will be a problem.

Doty has oversight for the "lockout insurance" case and a separate collusion claim by players.

On March 1, Doty ruled that the NFL failed to maximize TV revenues for the players, essentially leaving money on the table for the last two years to gain leverage in the labor fight. At a hearing in May, the players asked Doty to make $4 billion in disputed broadcast revenue off-limits to owners; the NFLPA also asked him to award players more than $700 million in damages.

In January, the union accused teams of conspiring to restrict players' salaries last offseason.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Team facilities to open Tuesday, pending vote by players

Negotiators for the NFL Players Association and the league finally came to an agreement on the terms of a new labor deal in the wee hours of Monday morning.

Sources involved in the talks told NFL Network and FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer that an agreement had been reached. The league's 32 player representatives and then all of its players still must vote to approve it, but at this point it appears a formality.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King said player reps have scheduled a conference call for 11 a.m. ET Monday.

According to Glazer's sources, under the new terms, team facilities will open as early as Tuesday and training camps will begin Thursday for 10 teams, Friday for another 10 and over the weekend for the remaining 12 teams.

Barring any unforeseen complications, players will begin arriving at team facilities Tuesday to vote to recertify the NFLPA as a union. Once the players reach a majority, the sides can negotiate terms for the league’s drug programs, player discipline fines, workers comp, and other issues.

Still unclear is the timeline for free agency. During the lockout, which began on March 12, teams have not negotiated with their draft picks and have not signed undrafted free agents. That is expected to produce an unprecedented period of frenzy once an agreement has been ratified by both sides.

Earlier Sunday, it was learned that the league no longer needed to worry about placating the named plaintiffs in the Brady antitrust lawsuit. Requests for concessions for numerous players -- including but not limited to San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson and New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins -- loomed earlier in the week. But Jackson and Mankins dropped their demands for $10 million to settle the suit against the league, leaving fewer obstacles to a new collective bargaining agreement that would end the lockout, which started March 12.

Owners approved their proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement at their meeting Thursday in Atlanta by a vote of 31-0 (the Oakland Raiders abstained). Owners wanted the NFLPA's 13-member executive committee to vote on that agreement Friday, but the players said they need more information, and took issue with portions of the proposal. That led to a long but productive weekend, with the committee meeting in Washington, D.C., to hash out the deal on their end.

The major economic framework for the 10-year deal was worked out a week ago. That included how the more than $9 billion in annual league revenues will be divided (about 53 percent to owners and 47 percent to players over the next decade; the old CBA resulted in nearly a 50-50 split); a per-club cap of about $120 million for salary and bonuses in 2011 -- and at least that in 2012 and 2013 -- plus about $22 million in benefits; a salary system to rein in spending on first-round draft picks; and unrestricted free agency for most players after four seasons.

A solution to the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987 would come too late to save the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 7. It was canceled last Thursday by the league.

However, no other cancellations would be needed if things are settled this week. The preseason is scheduled to begin Aug. 11 with Seattle at San Diego. Super Bowl champion Green Bay is set to host New Orleans in the regular-season kickoff on Sept. 8.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Retired players ask court to involve them more in labor talks

MINNEAPOLIS -- While NFL owners and players appear to be inching toward a resolution of the league's lengthy lockout, a group of retired players is clamoring to be more involved in the discussions.

The group filed a class-action complaint against the owners and current players in federal court Monday, saying they have been excluded from the mediation sessions taking place in an attempt to end the lockout.

With the scheduled opening of training camps and preseason games fast approaching, Albert Breer writes that owners and players feel pressure to strike a labor deal. More...

Named plaintiffs including Hall of Famers Carl Eller, Franco Harris, Marcus Allen and Paul Krause are asking U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson to put a halt to the mediation she ordered and declare that the current players cannot negotiate on behalf of those who are retired.

Owners and current players have met five times over the last few weeks as they work to put together a new collective bargaining agreement in time to avoid the loss of training camps and games. They met with U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur J. Boylan in Minneapolis last week, including for more than 15 hours Thursday, and will resume meetings Tuesday in New York.

The retired players say that NFL owners; the NFL Players Association and a group of current players, including star quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, are "conspiring to depress the amounts of pension and disability benefits to be paid to former NFL players in order to maximize the salaries and benefits to current NFL players."

The NFL declined comment on the complaint, which was first reported by The New York Times. The Associated Press left a message for an NFLPA spokesman seeking comment.

The complaint gets to the heart of an issue that has been building for quite some time. Retired players have felt marginalized in the dispute over how to divide more than $9 billion in revenue.

After the owners locked out the players in March, the NFLPA disbanded, and a group of them sued the league for antitrust violations. A small group of retired players, including Eller, Obafemi Ayanbadejo and Ryan Collins, filed their own lawsuit against the league seeking more help for medical treatments of former players and better pensions.

Nelson combined the two lawsuits, and several representatives of the retired players, including Eller and attorney Michael Hausfeld, were present at early mediation sessions in Minneapolis. But as talks have heated up and the venue has shifted from the Twin Cities to Maryland, Massachussetts, Illinois and back to Minneapolis again over the last month or so, the retired players haven't been present.

This hasn't sat well with them, and lawyers for the group have sent letters to Boylan, lobbied NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and held intense media briefings to make their feelings known.

The complaint said the players' decision to decertify their union makes it an antitrust violation for the owners and current players to negotiate for retired players.

It also alleges that the NFL had said it would tap revenue streams both from within and outside the salary cap to help retired players, but union representatives, including executive director DeMaurice Smith, want all the money delegated for the cap to be given to current players.

"Through the settlement they are forging, the Brady plaintiffs, the NFLPA and the NFL defendants are conspiring to set retiree benefits and pension levels at artificially low levels," the complaint alleged.

If Nelson rejects the motion for an injunction on the mediation, the retired players are asking for treble damages.

It wasn't immediately clear what kind of impact the filing would have on the continuing talks between the owners and current players. They were scheduled to resume Tuesday, with the open of training camp less than three weeks away and the preseason opener between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams slated for Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Changing how players hit will be tall task, documentary asserts

The NFL's crackdown on violent collisions has been a front-burner issue since a series of incidents during the 2010 season. The league upped the ante in late May, when it announced it would start fining teams next season if their players are punished for multiple infractions.

However, reviews of a forthcoming documentary by former NFL running back Dorsey Levens suggest old habits -- and mindsets -- will be hard to break.

Citing a CNN recap of the documentary, Philly.com reported Monday that the film includes unfiltered insight from Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ellis Hobbs, who has sustained season-ending neck injuries in each of the past two seasons. Hobbs talked about what it feels like to be hit by Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee and called out former Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.

"Even though this dude outweighs me by 50 pounds easily, get up. You better not stumble. You better not cry. You better not put your head down. Jog and act as if nothing happened," Hobbs said. "All you're thinking about is, 'Take it like a man.' "

The league issued an ultimatum about hits to the head after a string of injuries during Week 6 -- including a violent collision between Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson. Robinson was fined $50,000 for the hit, which left both players with concussions.

When the Eagles reconvened for practice the following Wednesday, Hobbs said they were shown a film about illegal hits that would result in fines and suspensions.

"Not 10 minutes after that film, we went into the defensive meeting and the D coordinator got up and said, 'Nothing changes about us. Nothing changes in your guys' mentality,' " Hobbs said. "I mean, we all knew that anyway because we want jobs. I don't really see anybody with a job who can't tackle."

As Philly.com points out, it's likely the Eagles hardly were the only team with that outlook, and that's the challenge the league faces in its crackdown.

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Players' appearance in porn event ad prompts NFL investigation

The NFL is investigating a porn event advertisement that features several active NFL players, as well as at least three 2011 draft choices, Chicago television station WLS reported Tuesday night.

"The NFL office works on behalf of the clubs to protect their intellectual property rights in matters such as this," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said after receiving a copy of an ad for last month's Exxxotica Expo 2011 in Miami that showed photos of five NFL players -- Chicago Bears safety Major Wright, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers and Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, Houston Texans defensive back Kareem Jackson and Oakland Raiders wide receiver/kick returner Jacoby Ford -- in their team uniforms.

"Our legal team is reviewing the ad," McCarthy said. "In general, companies not affiliated with the NFL or its clubs may not depict a player in his uniform."

Berry's agent, Chad Speck, told profootballtalk.com that his client not only didn't attend the event, he was in Kansas City at the time helping promote a book written by a friend.

"Eric did not attend and had no knowledge of this event, and he certainly did not approve the use of his name and image in connection with the party," Speck said.

Flowers, in a statement released by his management, said he "gave no authorization to any person to use my name or likeness in conjunction with this event.

"It was brought to my attention that the promoters at this club were planning to utilize my name and likeness. I immediately contacted the appropriate parties at (Club Play) and told them that they had no authority to use my name or likeness and they should remove me from any promotional materials. I will pursue any remedies I may possess against the parties responsible for the unauthorized use of my name and likeness.

"I would like to let the Kansas City Chiefs organization, my teammates, our fans, my family and friends know that I would never associate my name and likeness with the type of party held on that day."

In addition, the names of three draft picks -- San Diego Chargers first-rounder Corey Liuget, a defensive tackle; Miami Dolphins second-rounder Daniel Thomas, a running back; and Baltimore Ravens seventh-rounder Anthony Allen, a defensive back -- appear on posters promoting the Miami event. All eight of the players are listed as hosts for the event.

Wright, Allen, Liuget and Jackson all issued statements Wednesday expressing their disapproval for the use of their names and likeness.

"I want to set the record straight in reference to news reports on my involvement at an event that took place on May 20th in Miami, Florida at Club Play. I authorized my name and likeness to be used in conjunction with other NFL players at a party which I believed to be hosted by other NFL players," Wright said. "I had no knowledge and never would have give authority for my name or likeness to be associated with Exotica Expo 2011. I am deeply disappointed that my name and likeness was manipulated by the promoters of this event. The use of my picture in a Chicago Bears uniform was never discussed or approved.

"It is unfortunate that this incident has occurred and I would like to let the Bears organization, our fans, my teammates, family and friends know that I am truly sorry. I have learned a valuable lesson and will use more prudent judgement with people I associate myself with in the future."

On Wednesday, McCarthy told The Kansas City Star that the league's legal department would likely send a cease-and-desist letter to the nightclub that used players in their uniforms, which, he said, "usually ends it."

When asked whether players' involvement in a party featuring porn stars was also a concern, McCarthy said he would not comment.

Bears officials told the television station that they will keep an eye on the "love and sex expo," which is being held in suburban Chicago for the first time. In addition to the three-day event Miami, it previously has been held in Los Angeles and New Jersey.

"This is an improper use of team marks, and the Chicago Bears are not associated with this ad," Bears spokesman Jim Christman said. "Many times players themselves are unaware of the violations and the companies simply pull images and make ads not realizing they are in violation."

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Players 'know who won' 2004 BCS title, Carroll says

The decision to strip USC of its 2004 title was "unfortunate," according to Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, the man at the helm of the Trojans program when it committed NCAA violations, most involving current New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush.

Carroll told 710 ESPN Los Angeles that the players on those teams still consider themselves champions.

"Just watch the comments of the players. They know. They know who won and who didn't," he said. "You've heard from (Matt) Leinart and Lofa Tatupu and those kinds of guys, they all know. The whole thing is so unfortunate. It's just so far off-base, it's just too bad."

USC was stripped of its title on Monday by The Bowl Championship Series after the Trojans were hit with heavy NCAA sanctions last year, when it ruled that Bush received improper extra benefits during the 2004 and 2005 seasons and was ineligible when he played. USC's appeal was denied on May 26.

When Pat Haden took over as athletic director last year, one of his first moves was to give back the school's copy of the Heisman Trophy that Bush won in 2005. The whereabouts of Bush's own Heisman, which he said he would relinquish, were briefly in question before the San Diego Hall of Champions announced that the trophy is part of the institution's collection.

The BCS waited until USC appealed the NCAA sanctions, which included a two-year ban from postseason play and a loss of 30 scholarships over three seasons, to make a decision about its championship.

Carroll, who led USC to an 83-19 record in nine seasons but saw 14 of those wins vacated, said he was not surprised by the move, but was disappointed.

"Nothing that's happened has changed my thoughts," he said. "It's unfortunate that kids, years after, are punished for something the NCAA is dealing with from years and years before. Kids that were in junior high at the time, or in grade school, are paying the price for it."

With Ohio State now in the spotlight for similar allegations of improper player benefits, Carroll would not compare the two situations but said any decision by the NCAA would be tricky.

"I think this is a major challenge for the NCAA because of what they have done in the past here recently. I don't know how they're going to possibly make sense out of all this," he said. "It's going to be very challenging and it'll be very interesting to see what happens."

Unofficial list of free agents

What he's most interested in, he says, is the outcome of the "not-so-secret" meetings between NFL owners and players, which are expected to continue on a more frequent basis.

"This was the time they had to work through all of these issues that have come up over the years and it is a long, hard process. ... I'm optimistic we'll get to camp and we'll get going. It's already been different in the preparation and the buildup to it, but ultimately no one wants to miss football. Everybody wants to play. The owners want to play, the players want to play, the coaches want to coach and all of that.

"The effort that you're seeing in these meetings is the urgency that they're sensing that they've got to work together and they have to come to conclusions so they can make the season available for everyone."

The Seahawks, who used their first two draft picks on Alabama OT James Carpenter (No. 25) and Wisconsin G John Moffitt (No. 75) in April's draft, will do the best they can to get ready once football activities resume. Carroll -- while staying mum on the team's plans at quarterback -- acknowledged it might be harder for younger teams to catch up.

"We're building a program," he said. "We've got issues across the board as we transition our approach and trying to put this team together. There's a lot of concerns. We really need free agency to help us. We love the draft as it came out, and got to put a lot of focus on the offensive line and some young skills guys to give us some speed and competitive players."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The time is now for NFL, players to get a deal done

In the three months since the federal mediation between the NFL and players broke off, it's been one court date after another, one deadline gone by with the next, and, as a result, a solution has proven elusive.

Skepticism has followed for much of the time being, with each party hesitant to move and wary of the others' intentions and the long-range impact of major decisions in these negotiations.

'Serious' negotiations continue The NFL and players resumed what were described as "very serious talks" on Tuesday in an attempt to build off last week's secret negotiations and work toward a resolution to end the three-month-old lockout, Albert Breer reports. More ...

It's been a relatively long wait, to be sure.

But the time has come, now, for a deal to be done.

The league and players met for a clandestine three-day summit in suburban Chicago last week, they are meeting now in Long Island, and the talks are expected to continue beyond this week's discussions, as the sides look to resolve the differences that led to the union's decertification and the subsequent lockout.

According to sources on each side of the talks, the NFL and players have come to an understanding that the time to bargain seriously is now. And as much as the ongoing litigation has set the calendar thus far, the calendar itself -- and the looming mid-summer start of training camps -- is starting to overtake the litigation as a motivator to move the talks along.

One league source estimated that it would take 4-6 weeks to go from serious negotiations to the drafting process, and a trade association source said the feeling is there is a 30-day window that's just now opening to get a deal done.

To understand how we got here is to understand the clashing points of view of the two parties. The owners are looking for a deal that will work for not just the next few years, but the next couple decades. The players are looking to set a tone that shows the owners that, from a business standpoint, they're not going to be pushed around in the future, particularly since perception holds that's what has happened in the past.

What this hasn't been is the melodrama some have seen it to be between the league and players. It's a business negotiation that each side hopes will reverberate for years to come. And those things take time. There is, of course, some roughhousing that's standard to these things.

To this point, the price each side has paid, in the larger scope, is relatively small. Players and coaches lose their offseason programs, while owners might have hit some small bumps in the road with sponsors and corporate partners. Both sides have taken a public relations hit with the fans.

So why is the urgency ratcheting up? Easy. The price to be paid is about to rise. Significantly.

League sources indicate that the cancellation of the preseason would cost the NFL approximately $1 billion, while a lack of resolution by August 1 would come at a price of $350 million. While those numbers are inexact, there's no question that the loss of revenue -- which will begin once the preseason games come off the schedule -- will make negotiations exponentially more difficult. The pie will shrink, resulting in less money to go around in a situation that, for both sides, is about making the finances right.

"That's by necessity," said one league source. "They get a percentage of the revenues, so if the revenues shrink, their share is less. It's automatic."

For a normal preseason to happen, most estimate an agreement must be reached by about July 15.

On the flip side, it's important for the players to have the growth of the game accounted for. While revenues are currently in the $9-10 billion range, the players association is working on the assumption that number could grow to about $11 billion in 2011, and they want to ensure its constituency is in line to get its share of that potential bump.

What the players are unwilling to do, though, is be pressured by the potential of lost revenue. As one NFLPA source said, "We are not in a rush to do a bad deal."

Both sides acknowledge there is a deal out there that will satisfy each side. And with the calendar providing one reason to do a deal now, last week, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals provided another. The three-judge panel -- hearing the NFL's appeal of a lockout-lifting injunction issued by the Minnesota district court -- telegraphed a potential ruling that would provide each side with leverage.

Most took this from the hearing: The 8th Circuit is likely to go with the logic in its stay ruling, giving the league the right to continue the lockout, though there were indications the judges wouldn't simply permit it go on indefinitely. And the panel also seemed content to allow the antitrust litigation to go forward, which would give the players a leverage point of their own, with the owners operating under damages liability.

The bottom line is that, for now, the playing field has been leveled, and all a ruling could possibly do at this point is screw that up, which is another reason why the window is open.

"You control your own destiny, and you always want that, you never want to put your business in someone else's hands," said an NFLPA source. Another players association source indicated that the owners were the ones who asked for last week's talks in Chicago, a positive sign because it indicates both sides are feeling the heat.

Just as important is that, in these talks, the sides have found a proper forum. A league source said, "We are not going to assert that they're in collective bargaining," an all-important piece for the players to maintain their negotiating position and a sign that what was said outside the courtroom in St. Louis was nothing more than legal rhetoric.

The good news for fans? The sides are working hard and earnestly now, with time to spare for all elements of the season to be saved. Another league source said on Tuesday night that the current talks are serious in format, timing and the makeup of the groups there.

Indeed, a players association source said a major stumbling block has not been having owners who players feel can carry a decision in the room, together. To that end, last week, Jerry Jones, Jerry Richardson, Robert Kraft, Art Rooney and John Mara were in the league's party. All five are on the labor committee. Richardson chairs it. Jones and Kraft are the most influential of the NFL's new breed of owners. And Rooney and Mara are part of two of the most invested and tenured families in the league's long history.

Additionally, a league source pointed out on Tuesday that Commissioner Roger Goodell said last Friday that "both sides are committed," whereas in the past, he's only said that the parties need to be committed to reaching an agreement.

"Both sides feel the pressure now," said another league source. "There's risk on both sides legally here. Neither side is completely comfortable with its legal position. So it's imperative to work now before one side or the other potentially gets the upper hand."

So at the very least, the stage is now set. What happens in the coming weeks should shape what form the 2011 season will take.

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Eagles owner talks about process of signing troubled players

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie isn't afraid to take a chance on a reclamation project, as proven by the franchise star he now has behind center.

But Lurie made it clear the signing of Michael Vick following the quarterback's 18-month prison stint came only after a long look at both physical skills and personality makeup.

"We've shown we'll take chances if it's warranted," Lurie told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Wednesday.

Which, of course, begs the question: Are the Eagles interested in signing soon-to-be free agent Plaxico Burress?

The former Giants star was released from prison on Monday after a 22-month term stemming from a weapons conviction. Burress exited prison wearing a throwback Philadelphia Phillies cap, a not-so-subtle nod to one of his potential landings spots.

Burress would appear to be a good fit with the Eagles, but Lurie said properly judging a player goes beyond game tape and bio information.

"You can evaluate his talent. You can evaluate his age. But you can't evaluate where his heart and his head are at the moment," Lurie said. "Until you can do that ... it's far from enough information."

That was the case when the team began its flirtation with Vick that led to their signing of the quarterback in 2009.

"We evaluate case by case. It involved a lot of research into Michael -- what kind of teammate he was," Lurie said. "What his motivations were. How much he cared for the game."

As for Burress' recent choices in headwear, Eagles coach Andy Reid isn't one to make much of it.

"He must be a Phillies fan," he told the Inquirer. "If he'd had an Eagles hat on, then we'd talk."

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NFL files motion to dismiss players' antitrust lawsuit

The NFL filed a "motion to dismiss" the Brady et al v. National Football League et al case with the district court in Minnesota on Monday, setting up a play to shut down the antitrust suit and take away the players' biggest piece of leverage in the ongoing labor fight.

Goodell: Recent talks 'a positive sign' NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell visited troops in North Carolina instead of judges in Missouri on Friday, but he expressed optimism that a labor deal can be reached. More...

The filing was largely a procedural matter, coming on the same day the league's response to the players' amended complaint was due. The NFL will still be responsible for filing an answer, but not until after the court rules on its motion.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson has scheduled a hearing on the motion for Sept. 12, which is four days after the scheduled start of the NFL regular season, a factor that could put more pressure on the owners and players to get a deal done outside of the courtroom.

Both sides hope that hearing never has to happen. The NFL and its players held settlement discussions in suburban Chicago last week, but there is no sign a new collective bargaining agreement is imminent.

The NFL's motion reads: "Defendants hereby move the Court ... for an order dismissing the Brady and Eller plaintiffs' Amended Complaints for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted (in whole or in part), or, in the alternative, for an order dismissing or staying the cases under the doctrine of primary jurisdiction."

The league is moving for the antitrust case to be dismissed because of the non-statutory labor exemption, and claiming that the National Labor Relations Board must rule on its unfair labor practices charge -- which asserts the NFLPA's decertification of the union was a sham -- before it moves forward on any antitrust complaint.

Nelson ruled in favor of the players on both the non-statutory labor exemption and the NLRB's jurisdiction in April.

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals is considering the league's case on both counts now, coming off last Friday's hearing in St. Louis, and Monday's motion sets up the league for when the case gets sent back to Nelson's court, should the appellate court rule in its favor. A ruling for the league on the non-statutory labor exemption with the 8th Circuit could prompt Nelson to dismiss the antitrust case, while a ruling for the league on the NLRB's jurisdiction could lead her to stay the case until the labor board rules.

The NLRB moved the case forward last week, pushing it from its New York office to the Division of Advice in Washington, D.C., which will consider the legal ramifications of the NFL's claims. A source with knowledge of the situation said a ruling in that matter from the NLRB is still "a ways off."

The NFL is now responsible for a more thorough explanation of its motion to dismiss, a brief that will be due August 1.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Players miss precious little things about offseason training

David Goldman / Associated PressThe lockout forced Jason Campbell to work out with fellow Raiders at an indoor pool in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud entered a high school practice field in suburban Atlanta for a seven-on-seven session a few weeks ago carrying the pink-highlighted cleats that many players wore to raise awareness for breast cancer research last season. He said those happened to be the only shoes he nabbed from his locker before the NFL lockout kicked in -- and kicked him out of the team facility in Flowery Branch, Ga.

p>San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers said he bought his own case of water for team workouts. I had to lend my hand towel to Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain to wipe his brow before he did an on-camera interview because he didn't have one. The Carolina Panthers hired a cop to keep the media way from their private sessions. The New England Patriots reportedly did the same.

Not since high school have NFL players had to fend so much for themselves -- even to get in a glorified game of touch football. Watching these players arrive to a workout with bags, balls -- their kids -- has been like witnessing soccer dads haul coolers of foil juice packs and granola bars to the recreation fields for a tournament.

For an NFL player, that's slumming.

Usually this time of year, players are at their respective facilities, getting stretched by trainers, having batting gloves brought to them and asking medical staffers to add another round of tape around their wrists. Fields are lined with jugs of water and bottles of flavored sports drinks. Machines zip balls to receivers and punt returners, and trainers are there for every muscle tweak.

There is no need for Jason Campbell or Matt Ryan to carry a playbook into the huddle because they've gone over scripts in meetings rooms and know the plan. Plus, coaches have the play sheets. When the workouts are over, lunch, showers, weight rooms, air conditioning and massage therapists await.

What a difference labor strife makes.

NFL players, Richard Seymour included, are training their own way during the lockout. (David Goldman/Associated Press)

When the Raiders gathered in suburban Atlanta recently for a three-day minicamp, Campbell went into the huddle with a folder filled with loose-leaf paper and the team's offensive plays. A wind gust could have sent his belongings awry and made some wayward observer some coin on eBay. Ryan and other quarterbacks, including Minnesota Vikings rookie Christian Ponder, have had playbooks, too, and spent time before workouts scripting drills.

At least the Raiders had personal trainers from Competitive Edge Sports run their sessions. Staffers filmed positional workouts. They provided ice and water bottles and lugged dummies, balls and other training gear in trailers. Other players might not even know where to go to buy cones to run through since they probably haven't had to in years. That leads to another subject: cost.

Players -- or their agents -- have to pay to train. The cost could range upwards of $2,000 or $3,000 per player per month if players don't live where they train and have to rent apartments. Top-shelf facilities such as CES, Athletes Performance and Tom Shaw's camp in Orlando aren't cheap. Some agents have told me they've put the onus on the players because the agents have to feed their families, too.

Travelle Gaines, who runs AP's training staff and is based in Los Angeles, along with CES founder Chip Smith, told me the lockout has been good for business. Usually they'd be training high school or college athletes this time of year or in Gaines' case, "this is when I'd usually be fishing in Louisiana." Now they have dozens of professionals coming in nearly every day looking for help.

There's a flip side, though. Some players have retreated from those workouts or not come at all because they're sticking to a tight budget in case of a lengthy lockout. Gaines, Smith and other trainers have said they're worried that those players who aren't training might not be disciplined enough to train on their own and, when football starts, resort to crash diets or diuretics to cut weight.

There's also another face to this: the undrafted free agents. Most of these guys don't have deep-pocketed agents to front them money to train or eat properly. They'll also have a much shorter window to catch coaches' attention once football resumes. Keep in mind, they're also the guys who are worked the hardest in training camp because they're the ones spelling the veterans who get to rest one of the twice daily workouts.

They can't miss a snap. These are the guys desperate to train.

At least one of these guys is quite resourceful -- and there probably are plenty of others. A rookie free agent who shall remain unnamed is one of 30 or so players who trains daily with Smith at CES. In lieu of payment, Smith has allowed him to work at the facility in the afternoons and evenings behind the front desk, cleaning up the weight room.

Whatever needs to be done.

An added benefit: The player also gets free beverages, snack bars and locker-room facilities. He also gets to train, which could make the difference between him playing football or working at one of the facilities full time in the fall.

Follow Steve Wyche on Twitter @wyche89

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Retired players don't wince words when it comes to benefits

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NFL, players state lockout cases; court to rule in 'due course'

ST. LOUIS -- Lawyers for the NFL and its players met before a three-judge panel Friday at the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, with the judges considering the league's appeal of an injunction lifting the nearly three-month lockout.

Kermit Bye, the presiding judge in the hearing -- and the lone dissenter in the appeals court's previous decisions to stay U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson Nelson's April 25 ruling -- said after the 90-minute hearing that the judges would rule "in due course."

Bye added that the panel "wouldn't be all that hurt if you go out and settle that case" and warned the decision will be one that neither party likes. That decision likely will come in 2 to 6 weeks.

Paul Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general representing the league, opened oral arguments by attacking the validity of the NFL Players Association's March 11 decertification. He maintained that, because of the non-statutory labor exemption, the league should have the right to lock out its players for at least one year. He also said the fact that this is the second time the NFLPA has decertified "ought to be a problem for them."

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If the union's decertification is ruled invalid, the Brady et al antitrust lawsuit against the NFL would disintegrate and cost the players almost all leverage they have in the labor fight.

Players counsel Ted Olson, Clement's predecessor as U.S. solicitor general, defended the union's decertification by emphasizing it only recertified in 1993 at the league's request.

Judges Steven Colloton and William Duane Benton repeatedly referenced the Norris-LaGuardia Act, which bars injunctions in cases arising from a labor dispute, in asking Olson why the law wouldn't make Nelson's judgment wrong.

Olson responded: "The union is not in existence anymore. The players cannot engage in collective bargaining because it's against the law." Olson also defended the validity of the Brady suit by saying the league had been found in violation of antitrust law "15 times."

Friday's hearing followed three days of clandestine talks in suburban Chicago between the league and players, who met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith in attendance, but without lawyers.

Clement was asked if those negotiations could hurt the validity of the union's decertification.

"I think what that underscores is that the union has not disappeared forever," Clement said. "Obviously, everyone can make their own judgment, but the problem with the argument on the other side is it assumes that the union is gone forever. I don't think many people who are a student of this game or a student of this industry really believe that's a fact."

Olson contended that the players' actions only were prompted by those of the owners, going back to their 2008 decision to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement that expired in March.

"We don't have much to say, other than to remind everybody that the National Football League cancelled the collective bargaining agreement that they negotiated and entered into," Olson said. "They prematurely and unilaterally cancelled the collective bargaining agreement. And then they unilaterally called a lockout, stopping football in its tracks. The players didn't do that. The National Football League did that."

Goodell was in Fort Bragg, N.C., visiting troops during the hearing, and a league spokesman tweeted that the commissioner isn't a lawyer and "wouldn't have added much to the legal proceedings." NFL general counsel Jeff Pash also didn't attend.

Feldman breaks down Friday's events Lawyers representing the league and its players met before a three-judge panel in St. Louis, but what transpired and what does it mean? NFL Network legal analyst Gabe Feldman cuts through the legalese to answer that and other questions. More...

No NFL team owners were scheduled to be there, but the New York Jets' Woody Johnson came on his own accord.

Conversely, the contingent of active and retired players was over 20 deep. The active players included Jon Beason, Jordan Black, Matt Bryant, Tyson Clabo, Craig Dahl, Adam Goldberg, Cullen Jenkins, Brandon Moore, Jon McGraw, Rudy Niswanger, Chester Pitts, Tony Richardson, Brian Robison, Orlando Scandrick, Jake Scott, (Carolina's) Steve Smith, Andy Studebaker, Osi Umenyiora and Brian Waters.

"I think it was a great turnout because it shows where our jobs are right now, not caused by the players, but caused by the owners," said Smith, the Panthers' wide receiver. "It was important to them, important to myself, important to other players who couldn't be here that have a responsibility as a player rep.

"Maybe a guy couldn't come because his wife just had a baby, or his wife was sick, and we'll relay the message and the information that we observed. That's our responsibility and our job as reps, and also our job as teammates to inform and give each other's input on what's going on."

Spokesmen for both parties declined to comment on the negotiations earlier in the week, citing a court-ordered confidentiality agreement, and a federal magistrate canceled scheduled mediation sessions for next week in Minneapolis because of the "confidential settlement negotiations."

But George Atallah of the NFLPA was adamant that the ongoing legal battle shouldn't stop the parties from attempting to find a long-term solution, which was the aim of the Chicago summit.

"Anybody that believed with litigation or a settlement, that there was a choice between the two, those people are wrong," Atallah said. "We're here today to try and lift the lockout so players can play football. At the same time, that doesn't mean the settlement negotiations couldn't continue. You saw that over the past couple days."

The NFL, in defending its right to lock out the players, maintained that any deal has to happen through face-to-face negotiation, not litigation.

"What we tried to make clear in there is that we think the lockout is actually the best way to get players back on the field," Clement said. "And you might say, 'Why do you think that?' We think that because that's what all the labor laws say, the way you get labor peace is you allow the sides to use the tools that labor laws give them. That means employees get the right to strike and, in certain situation, employers get to lock people out.

"There are other tools available to both sides. The idea is using those tools will accomplish labor peace."

At the very least, the league and players wanted to show the seriousness of their respective approaches Friday.

"Really, our only purpose here today was to show it's important to us, and to represent our players and to show both the court and the public that it's important to us," said Goldberg, the St. Louis Rams' offensive tackle. "We want to get back to work. We want to play. We want to get back to work doing what it is we're trained to do, to put out a great product for you guys on Sundays."

Now the parties wait for the appeals court's ruling, with not much time to lose. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said last week that he believed some decisions on opening training camps in late July needed to be made by July 4.

"We can't just go from where we are now and jump into games," free-agent offensive tackle Damien Woody, who last played for the New York Jets, told The Associated Press. "There has to at least be an abbreviated training camp to get us somewhat prepared for the season. If not, there are going to be a lot of injuries. ... Training camp usually starts in late July, and time is running out because it's already June. I think we have to get a deal done by late July at the latest."

Free-agent linebacker Ben Leber, one of 10 plaintiffs in the antitrust suit against the league, said the players haven't discussed a specific drop-dead date for reaching an agreement.

"Both sides have a day, whether they want to make it public or not," said Leber, who played for the Minnesota Vikings last season. "The biggest challenge is going to lie with whose day is going to come up first."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bengals players putting together plans for full-squad workouts

Cincinnati Bengals players have gathered for specific position workouts this offseason. Now, two players plan to bring the whole team together.

The workouts are being organized by offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and defensive tackle Domata Peko, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday. The plan is to hold the workouts in the Cincinnati area over four days, mimicking an organized team activity.

"A lot of the players will be there, including the draft picks," Whitworth said. "We're just getting a final schedule together right now."

Quarterback Andy Dalton, a second-round draft pick, will stay with Whitworth during the workouts, according to The Enquirer. Last month, Dalton attended Whitworth's golf tournament, which raised $150,000 for the lineman's charitable foundation.

The Bengals are the latest NFL team to announce plans for a full-squad workout. The Patriots were the most recent team to do it, reportedly gathering more than 40 players for a workout at Boston College.

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Former NFL players gather at forum to discuss head injuries

When Eric Hipple was on the wrong end of bone-crushing hits during his NFL career, he wore it like a badge of courage.

Hipple knows better now. After a post-NFL life marked by pain, depression and personal tragedy, the former Detroit Lions quarterback is speaking out.

The 53-year-old was one of about 20 former players who shared their stories during an NFL-sponsored forum Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Detroit. "NFL Community Huddle: Taking a goal line stand for your mind & body" addressed head injuries and mental disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia.

The risk of memory-related diseases for former players, including Alzheimer's, is 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49, according to an NFL-commissioned study in 2009.

"Took a lickin' and kept on tickin'," Hipple told The Detroit News, referencing the nickname that he earned during a playing career that lasted from 1980 to 1989. "I actually took pride in that name."

Hipple's body is a walking cautionary tale of the realities of an extended career in professional football. He underwent seven surgeries in his 10 seasons and battled severe depression after his career was done. He was in denial about his head injuries for years, and he dealt with the suicide of his 15-year-old son in 2000.

"Even the best health care in the world doesn't do you any good if you don't use it," Hipple said. "That's the problem with stigma. It stops people from getting the services they need."

The forum featured panelists Dr. David Satcher, a former U.S. surgeon general, former Buffalo Bills safety Mark Kelso, and Sylvia Mackey, wife of Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey.

Sylvia Mackey belives her 69-year-old husband wouldn't have developed dementia had he been better protected during a 10-year career in which the Colts great missed only one game.

Mackey's story prompted the NFL and NFL Player's Association to create the "88 Plan" in 2007 to help support players with dementia and their families. More than $7 million has been distributed through the initiative.

One of the forum's goals is to erase the "tough guy" thinking that leads to long-term issues for pro football players.

"There was a saying, 'You can't make the club if you're in the tub' and you're hurt," former Lions linebacker George Jamison said. "I always tried to get back out there and play."

Satcher believes there has to be a new way of thinking when it comes to protecting the players.

"People take protection of the brain for granted," he said. "Hopefully that will change."

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League, players hold three-day summit; Friday court date next

ST. LOUIS -- The NFL's labor situation has been on hold for weeks while Friday's lockout-injunction hearing at the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals loomed.

It seems the league and players grew a little restless.

The parties secretly met Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in suburban Chicago in an effort to break the nearly three-month-long stalemate in negotiations.

Owners Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys), Robert Kraft (New England Patriots), Jerry Richardson (Carolina Panthers), Art Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers) and John Mara (New York Giants) -- all members of the NFL's labor committee -- were in attendance, as were active players Mike Vrabel, Brian Dawkins, Tony Richardson and Jeff Saturday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae.

Four key issues in Friday's hearings NFL Network reporter Albert Breer and legal analyst Gabe Feldman explain what could happen when the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hears the league's request to keep its lockout of players in effect. More...

The league and players issued a joint statement confirming they had met, but they said they would honor a court-ordered confidentiality agreement.

Smith and Goodell declined to comment to the Chicago Tribune on Thursday when seen leaving Hotel Baker in St. Charles, Ill. All Jones would say about the meeting is: "We can't make a comment about it at all, but we're trying. We're trying. I think the fact that we're meeting is good."

One player, whom the Tribune didn't identify, said the point of the get-together was for the parties to talk without lawyers present.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan also attended the three-day summit, but sources said it was in a different role than he served in leading court-ordered mediation in April and May. After three days of what Boylan called "confidential settlement discussions," he canceled mediation scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday in Minneapolis in an effort to keep the sensitive talks private.

Friday's appeals-court hearing will go on, though, and a large player presence is expected. While Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning -- superstar plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit against the league -- likely won't make the trip because of prior engagements, between 20 and 30 active players are expected to attended, including other named plaintiffs such as New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora and Minnesota Vikings defensive end Brian Robison.

Among those already in town Thursday were a four-man contingent from the Kansas City Chiefs -- Rudy Niswanger, Brian Waters, Jon McGraw and Andy Studebaker -- as well as New York Jets teammates Richardson and Brandon Moore and Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith.

Conversely, Goodell and general counsel Jeff Pash aren't expected to attend the hearing, nor are any owners. The league's contingent was made up entirely of lawyers for the last two big court dates, April 6 in St. Paul and May 12 in Minneapolis.

The appeal court's ruling is expected to create major leverage points and help push along negotiations.

The players want the lockout-lifting injunction, issued by U.S. District Judge Susan Nelson, upheld. That seems unlikely based on the opinion written by the appeals court's three-judge panel in its late April issuance of a stay of Nelson's decision, which preserved the owners' right to lock out the players.

The owners want the injunction lifted and also have made overtures at having the antitrust suit dismissed.

Of the three judges on the panel, two -- William Duane Benton and Steven Colloton -- were appointed by George W. Bush. The other, Clinton appointee Kermit Bye, will run the hearing as the senior judge presiding. He was the lone dissenter on the court's decision to grant the league's request for the stay.

Ben Leber, one of 10 plaintiffs in the antitrust case against the league, said the players haven't discussed a specific drop-dead date for reaching an agreement to ensure the on-time start of training camps, which normally would open in about seven weeks. But he said it's necessary to have one in order to reach a deal.

"Both sides have a day, whether they want to make it public or not," Leber told The Associated Press. "The biggest challenge is going to lie with whose day is going to come up first. Once it got to this point, I think it was just a good guess based on most corporate labor disputes that nothing was going to get done until the 11th hour. Now it depends on which 11th hour gets here first."

New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper told The AP that he hasn't heard of specific drop-dead dates being discussed, but he believes by start of August, "something has to be etched in stone," as far a new agreement.

"It looks bleak right now, but I'm thinking that something has to get worked out because too many people will be affected negatively if it does not get worked out," Sharper said.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said last week at the NFL Spring Meeting that he believed some decisions on opening training camps in late July needed to be made by July 4.

NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Citing job security, coaches side with players in labor dispute

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NFL Coaches Association filed an amicus brief with the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, supporting the players' cause as the league appeals an injunction granted to lift the lockout.

The NFLCA's contention, as stated in the brief, is that the NFL "is attempting an end-run around a unanimous Supreme Court," saying that the court clearly stated the league is subject to the Sherman Act in the American Needle case last year and held it responsible for subsequent antitrust violations.

"To me, this is a real simple deal: Coaches are opposed to the lockout because it's negatively affecting coaches," said Larry Kennan, director of the NFL Coaches Association. "If it were a strike, we would be against the strike, like we were in '87. This just happens to be the owners, and we're opposed to them, because they're locking out. But if it was a strike, we'd be against the players."

Carucci: Coaches tweaking plans Coaches like Bill Belichick are accustomed to having control, but the lockout is forcing everyone to alter how training camps will be run, Vic Carucci writes.
More ...

The brief does not have the names of any current coaches attached to it.

"It's not something you need names to do," Kennan said. "We are by definition a friend of the court, we're telling the court we're doing this because we'd like the strike to end. It was never a requirement to put names on it."

Kennan confirmed that the association filed an AMICUS on American Needle. He also said that his belief is 10 to 12 teams have cut salary/benefits of coaches already.

The trade association representing the coaches went on to say that its members are suffering irreparable harm as part the lockout, now in its third month.

The brief reads: "Coaches who cannot produce immediate results suffer irreparable harm. They must uproot their families to seek employment elsewhere, and they have difficulty overcoming the perception of failure. The hours and effort demanded of assistant coaches are justified only by the prospect of lucrative and stable employment that follows proven success. Failure at an early stage of one's career, however, can falter career aspirations for many subsequent years."

In particular, the brief cited the NFL's eight new head coaches -- two of whom were promoted from positions as interim coaches -- as being in a particularly precarious situation.

Of those eight, only John Fox has previously been an NFL head coach, something that was also raised in the brief.

"To me, it's simple: The league mandated new coaches get an extra minicamp, because they realize they need extra time to get everything taught," Kennan said. "This is not the NFL of 20 years ago, where coaches have five years to get the program up and running. They have two or three years max, and then they're fired."

Kennan acknowledges there will be some "mixed emotions" among coaches regarding the association's decision.

"Some coaches will get nervous about it, most of them will probably be on teams not having salaries and benefits cut," Kennan said. "And those who are having those things cut will probably be more for us than against us. The reason we formed the coaches association is so we could speak with one voice, and guys didn't have to do that themselves."

The brief reads: "The lockout, if left in force, will prevent the coaches from meaningfully preparing and readying themselves for the season. While all coaches will be exposed to greater risk of failure, the eight teams with new coaching staffs are at particular risk. Since unforgiving expectations for immediate results will persist regardless of any lack of opportunity to prepare, these eight coaching staffs are losing irreplaceable time to prepare for a job that demands success.

"Thus, a lockout that prevents coaches from preparing their players for the season will inflict irreparable harm on all coaches; coaches on the eight new staffs -- especially the new assistant coaches on those staffs -- will suffer even greater harm that will be even more impossible to repair."

The coaches' brief also included charts showing an uptick in coaches fired after two and three years in an effort to show how important a single year with players can be.

From a legal standpoint, the NFLCA used the irreparable harm argument, as well as its stance on the Sherman Act and also the Norris-LaGuardia Act, to seek protection for its members as "nonunion employees."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello released a statement making it clear the league wasn't caught off guard by the Coaches Association's stance.

"The Coaches Association offices with the Players Association in Washington. So this comes as no surprise."

Kennan made it clear coaches just want to get back on the field.

"We want to get back to coaching; If there's a normalcy to coaching, we'd like that to return."

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Players appeal for end to NFL lockout in late-night court filing

MINNEAPOLIS -- Players who sued the NFL for alleged antitrust violations liken the league to a "cartel" in their latest court filing, again urging an appeals court to lift the lockout.

In arguments filed in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, just minutes before Friday's midnight deadline, attorneys for the players reiterated their argument that the NFL has violated antitrust laws. They also argued the lockout has imposed immediate, career-ending threatening harm on players and could deprive the public of the 2011 NFL season.

Carucci: Lockout hits training camps

"The players face immediate, continuing, severe irreparable injury from unlawful conduct orchestrated to force them to re-unionize against their will and make immense financial concessions," the players' attorneys wrote. "The NFL, by contrast, claims only a temporary loss of leverage by members of a cartel that is no longer entitled to any exemption from the antitrust laws."

The longer the fight over how to divvy up $9 billion in annual revenue drags on, the closer the league and players come to missing games. The first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 7, and the regular-season opener between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers is set for Sept. 8.

In Friday's filing, the players reiterated that the decision to dissolve their union was their lawful right, and the absence of a collective bargaining agreement shouldn't stop the NFL's ability to "conduct professional football." And, the players argued, the harm they would suffer isn't comparable to the league's argument that it would suffer an "intangible blow to their 'negotiating position' and 'leverage.' "

"The overwhelming inequity in that imbalance is patently obvious," the players' attorneys wrote.

The players have argued all along that their careers are being harmed by the work stoppage -- they can't work out, or sign contracts with any of the 32 teams while the lockout persists. A federal judge in Minnesota agreed and lifted the lockout April 25, but the league appealed.

The appeals court reversed U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson's decision just four days later. And on Monday, the appellate court ruled the lockout can stay in place until a full appeal is heard on whether it is legal. That hearing is set for June 3.

The players received some support Friday from other professional players and fans. The unions for baseball, basketball and hockey players filed a legal brief saying the lockout should be lifted because athletes' careers are short, and the loss of even part of a season causes personal and professional injuries for which they can't be compensated.

In their filing, the unions for Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League wrote, "there is no off-season in professional sports -- only the portion of the work year during which no games are played." The unions said that part of the year brings opportunities -- such as the option to change cities, teams or the trajectory of one's career.

Also Friday, a nonprofit group that has been fighting sport work stoppages said the lockout should be lifted. The Sports Fans Coalition, which says it gives fans a voice on public policy issues and fights for fan access to games, said in a legal brief that the lockout isn't in the best interest of fans, who pay billions of dollars to see their teams perform.

The players' attorneys argued: "The NFL does not suffer irreparable harm from operating the game of football -- especially at a profit."

"Here, there is no question that the interest of the public -- the fans, stadium workers, parking lot attendants, sports bars and restaurants, and local governments -- favors an injunction to allow football to proceed on whatever lawful terms the NFL Defendants collectively impose," the players' attorneys wrote.

The group of players suing the league -- including star quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees -- have said the lockout is inflicting irreparable harm on their brief playing careers by preventing them from working out at team headquarters, holding full practices with teammates and coaches and jeopardizing games.

Their attorneys wrote that suggesting monetary damages, even triple damages, would fully redress the harm to players "ignores the reality of the game."

The NFL has argued in its appeal that lifting the labor lockout without a new contract in place would allow better-off teams to sign the best players, tipping the NFL's competitive balance and damaging the league.

The league also said that lifting the lockout with no labor deal in place would cause chaos, with teams trying to make decisions on signing free agents and making trades under a set of rules that could change drastically under a new agreement.

The league says the union's move to decertify after the initial bargaining talks broke down is a sham; that Nelson doesn't have the jurisdiction to lift the lockout; and that she should have waited for a decision from the National Labor Relations Board before issuing that ruling.

The players disagree with all those points.

They argued that by decertifying, every player gave up many rights, including having union representation at grievances, and the right to collectively bargain and strike. Now, players seek the protections of federal antitrust laws that limit monopolies.

The players also have a federal antitrust lawsuit against the league pending before Nelson. And attorneys for the players filed documents in U.S. District Court on Friday, opposing a league request for more time to respond to the claim. The league has argued that it shouldn't have to respond to the lawsuit until the appeal over the lockout is resolved.

But the players say the lawsuit will go forward whether or not the lockout is lifted and that the NFL's request for an extension is "yet another deliberate step in their campaign to crush the players by extending the lockout for as long as they can."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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League, players hold conference call to discuss mediation

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Rodgers, Charles voted FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year

NFL.com

DALLAS -- FedEx and the NFL announced Wednesday the winners of the eighth annual FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year awards at a press conference in North Texas, site of Super Bowl XLV.

» Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers was named the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year.

Rodgers, unable to attend Wednesday's press conference due to his preparation for Super Bowl XLV, prepared a video to accept the honor.

"I'm truly honored to accept this award from FedEx as the NFL Air player of the year," Rodgers said. "I want to thank FedEx for their generous donation to Green Bay to help improve our communities. I'd like to thank my teammates and coaches and, most importantly, the fans that voted for me."

Packers legend and winner of Super Bowl I MVP Bart Starr also accepted the award on Rodgers' behalf.

"Obviously I'm very biased, but I've had the pleasure of getting to know (Rodgers). He's a superb gentleman," Starr said. "Aaron is a stand up guy, in my opinion. I know he means business on the field, you can see it. You can sense it, feel it. I really enjoy watching him because of that."

» Running back Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs was named the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year.

"I'd like to thank the fans for voting for me and I'd like to thank FedEx," Charles said. "Without my teammates and offensive line I wouldn't be able to do this."

In honor of the winners' outstanding play, FedEx is donating $25,000 to the Safe Kids USA coalitions in Green Bay and Kansas City, the local organizations in each player's market.

As part of the program during the season, FedEx supported local Safe Kids coalitions by making weekly $2,000 donations in each of the winning players' names to their communities. The funding was used for pedestrian safety improvements throughout the year, from upgraded crosswalks and safety signs to traffic barriers and educational training for children.

A closer look at the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Player of the Year finalists:

Brady finished the season completing 65.9 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,900 yards and 36 touchdowns. Brady threw only four interceptions in his 492 passes (0.81 percent), marking the third-best interception percentage in NFL history. He owns an active streak of 335 consecutive passes without an interception, the longest streak in NFL history, and passed for at least two touchdowns with no interceptions in the last nine games, the longest streak in league annals. In addition, he became only the seventh player to throw a TD pass in all 16 games of a season. Brady was nominated for five FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week awards in 2010, winning once.Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs Charles rushed for 1,467 yards and averaged 6.38 yards per carry (230 carries), helping the Kansas City Chiefs win the AFC West title and reach the playoffs. Charles joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (291 attempts, 1,863 yards, 6.40 yards per carry in 1963) as the only players in NFL history to have at least 1,400 rushing yards and average more than 6.30 yards per carry in a single season. Charles played in all 16 games and had five rushing touchdowns including a 56-yard touchdown in Week 1. He was nominated for four FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week awards in 2010, winning once. Rivers led the NFL in passing with 4,710 yards, the 10th-most in a single season. With 2,649 passing yards through Week 8, Rivers set an NFL record for the most passing yards through a quarterback's first eight games of a season. His 1,562 passing yards during October set an NFL record for the most passing yards in the month. Rivers completed an NFL-leading 66 passes of at least 20 yards. Twelve of those went for touchdowns, second-most in the league. And he set a career high with six 300-yard games. Rivers was nominated for three FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week awards in 2010. Foster led the NFL in rushing with 1,616 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. During Week 1, Foster scored three touchdowns and rushed for a team-record 231 yards, a total that marks the second-best Kickoff Weekend rushing performance since 1933. He became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 200 yards and three touchdowns on Kickoff Weekend. Foster was nominated for three FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week awards in 2010, winning twice.Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers Rodgers finished in the top 10 in nearly every major passing category this season, posting a 101.2 passer rating (third-highest), passing for 3,922 yards (seventh-highest), throwing 28 touchdowns (tied for sixth), posting a 65.7 completion percentage (sixth), and throwing 40 25-yard passes (second). Rodgers' 3,922 passing yards this season brought his total in three seasons as a starter to 12,394, ranking second in NFL history behind only Kurt Warner (12,612, 1999-2001)for the most passing yards by a quarterback in his first three seasons as a starter. Rodgers posted a passer rating of at least 110.0 during Week 9 and Weeks 11-13, making him him the only quarterback since 1970 to post a passer rating of at least 110.0 in four consecutive games in back-to-back seasons. Rodgers was nominated for three FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week awards in 2010, winning twice. Turner led the NFC in rushing with 1,371 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed 334 times, the most in the NFL in 2010. Turner played in all 16 games, starting 15 of them, helping the Falcons win the NFC South and lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the Playoffs. In Week 14, he had 28 carries for 112 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Turner was nominated for four FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week awards in 2010.

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