NFL owners, players meet again

The NFL lockout persists, but so does the dialogue between owners and players. They met again Tuesday in New York, according to a league source, after having "secret" face-to-face discussions in Chicago last week. According to ESPN, commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith and select owners and players were present at Tuesday's meeting along with Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan. The league source also confirmed that Giants owner John Mara was present.

Boylan publicly had canceled the court-ordered mediation set to begin Tuesday in Minneapolis.

The two sides presented their arguments before the Eighth Circuit on Friday. The federal appeals court has said it will rule in "due course." At the closing, Judge Kermit Bye advised the two sides to continue negotiating on their own, saying the court's decision likely will be "something both sides aren't going to like."