NFL owners, players meet, may talk Friday
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, left, and National Football League Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, right, speak to the media outside of the Ritz-Carlton hotel after addressing players during the NFLPA rookie symposium. (June 29, 2011) Credit: AP
NFL owners, including Giants co-owner John Mara, and several players joined the two sides at the negotiating table in Minneapolis Thursday as the league and the players held a third straight day of talks aimed at ending the four-month lockout.
According to the NFL Network, Mara, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt joined commissioner Roger Goodell. On the players' side, Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, Chiefs guard Brian Waters and Cardinals special-teamer Sean Morey joined DeMaurice Smith for the talks.
According to The Associated Press, the players' negotiating team held a half-hour conference call to update players, and a source said the call contained "no big news."
Goodell, Smith and their respective negotiating teams met Tuesday and Wednesday under the guidance of U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, who was present yesterday.
Among the topics under discussion, according to the report, were the revenue split between owners and players and a rookie salary scale.
The two sides were not scheduled to meet Friday, but if Thursday's talks proved fruitful, they could continue into Friday before the holiday weekend begins.
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