The Facts:
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. 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.
Reported by NFL.com
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
According to Breer, 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 told Breer it would take an estimated 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. ... So why is the urgency ratcheting up? League sources tell Breer that 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. For a normal preseason to happen, most estimate an agreement must be reached by about July 15. ... So, as Breer summed up: "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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