In the battle between NFL players and owners, the players are currently ahead in the game. On April 25, 2011, US District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson granted a preliminary injunction request by the NFL Players Association to end the lockout that was started by NFL owners this March.
NFL owners filed a notice of appeal with the court the night that the preliminary injunction was granted. The NFL is most likely going to request a stay in the implementation of Nelson’s ruling because of the chaos that will be caused if the lockout remains stopped. If Nelson declines to issue a stay, the NFL will then go to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
After the ruling was issued, some players and agents stated that they were intending to show up at their respective team facilities, in order to earn offseason workout bonuses that are part of their contract. The reason that this could cause chaos is that the NFL is not open for business yet for this season. This means that the rules haven’t been set in place yet for this season by league owners. Most players are planning on waiting to see what happens before they decide what to do next.
According to Greg Aiello, league spokesman, “We do not intend to start the league year until we have had an opportunity to seek a stay.”
The NFL owners hope to be able to reach a collective bargaining agreement by the end of this dispute. We’ll keep you posted on what happens next in this ongoing battle.