NFL appears headed for work stoppage

WASHINGTON -- The doomsday scenario that the NFL and the NFL Players Association had hoped to avoid is now upon them. Barring a last-minute breakthrough Friday in labor talks, the league will have its first work stoppage since a month-long players strike in 1987.

Talks Thursday ended on the verge of collapse, and with both sides sniping publicly at each other, the stage is set for the union to decertify and dissolve itself in preparation for a legal battle against the league.

All NFL owners were briefed about the failed state of negotiations on a conference call, and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith planned to address players in a 2 p.m. conference call.

Talk are scheduled to resume Friday before federal mediator George Cohen, but unless there are dramatic breakthroughs, the decertification/lockout scenario is expected to unfold shortly before 5 p.m., the union's deadline to file decertification papers.

After a decertification, the owners are expected to institute a lockout, which could shut down the league for the foreseeable future. If that occurs, the union will ask Minnesota-based federal judge David Doty for a temporary injunction against a lockout.

There's still a chance for a 2011 season, but it may be several months before team executives and players will know when -- or whether -- games will be played.

Besides the legal machinations, star quarterbacks Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have agreed to act as plaintiffs in antitrust legislation against the NFL. The last time there was a similar lawsuit, future Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White won and helped create unrestricted free agency.

The sides met for a 15th day before Cohen but made no progress on the key issues, including how to share $9 billion in revenues, the establishment of an 18-game regular season and a rookie wage scale. If anything, they drifted farther apart.

Attorney Jeff Pash, the NFL's chief negotiator, and Smith accused each other of failing to show adequate resolve in negotiations. Said Pash: "I've said it many times. If both sides have an equal commitment to getting this deal done, it will get done. I don't know if both sides have an equal commitment."

Asked if the NFL had that commitment, Pash said, "No question about it."

And the union?

"I'm not suggesting anything about the other side,'' Pash said. "I'm saying if there's an equal commitment on both sides, there's a deal to be made."

Smith, on his way home when he heard Pash's comments, drove back to address reporters.

"I think it's important that everyone know the commitment of our players to this process," Smith said. "But for anyone to say they question that . . . I understand that there's probably some things Jeff Pash has to say. When someone wants to say he questions or doubts one party's commitment to the negotiation process, all I would ask is to stick to the facts."

Even the league and union spokesmen got into it Thursday night.

"If the owners continue to question players' commitment to negotiations, we are prepared to make public all of our unanswered proposals," the union's George Atallah told Newsday.

To which the NFL's Greg Aiello responded on Twitter: "That won't take long."