Players and NFL will resume mediation by judicial order; jury still deliberating in Bonds' trial
April 12, 2011
Judge Susan Nelson ordered the NFL and NFLPA to start the mediation process again. Mediation will begin Thursday in a Minnesota court house before Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan. Additionally, Judge Nelson said she would consider the players' request for an injunction to lift the lockout.
Judge Nelson is new to this process, and it is admirable that she asking the two sides to start the mediation process again, but she may not fully understand the long history of the bad blood between the two sides. If we go back to 1987, and before that, it is easy to recall that nothing comes easily between these two groups. Sure, Paul Tagliabue and Gene Upshaw got things done when they were around, but now we have rookie DeMaurice Smith and newcomer Roger Goodell. Smith cannot put himself in a position to make a bad deal or even have people question him. The owners don't want to give up any more money than they were already shelling out to the players. So our hunch is that the mediation process for now will not get the job done. When the season gets closer to starting, the mediation process may then have some effect, but not until then.
Is no news good news for Bonds?
As of the close of Monday's session, the Barry Bonds perjury trial jury is still deliberating. Is it good news for Bonds that the jury did not come to an immediate finding of guilty on the four felony counts against him?
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