NFL/NFLPA: secret meeting in Chicago

[Auggie]

How secret? The meetings were so secretive that, as of Wednesday night, there were other NFL owners who didn't know what was taking place.

The usual suspects: Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, who are making such huge sums on merchandise that it's raising the salary cap for small market teams that cannot share (or earn on their own) that revenue.

The story from espn.com (June 2, 2011):

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith, along with owners and players association officials met Wednesday and Thursday in Chicago with federal mediator U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan to try to bridge some of their significant differences.

Later Thursday, Boylan canceled mediation sessions scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday in Minneapolis as the court said both sides are engaged in "confidential settlement discussions."

SNIP

With the two sides needing to be in St. Louis on Friday, Chicago made sense as a logical meeting place. The Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones, the New England Patriots' Robert Kraft, the Carolina Panthers' Jerry Richardson, the New York Giants' John Mara and the Pittsburgh Steelers' Art Rooney were the owners present in Chicago along with Goodell.

SNIP

A source involved in the discussions told ESPN.com's John Clayton that the meeting was requested by the owners.

FULL STORY: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6618259

Very suspicious... "there were other NFL owners who didn't know what was taking place."

[bluedigger]

1. It's a cabal.

:hide:





:rofl:

[madinmaryland]

2. Heh! It must make Patsie fans feel honored to be in the same sentence as America's Team!

:evilgrin:

[bluedigger]

4. I just threw up a little in my mouth reading that.

As long as it isn't criminal court news...:rofl:

[Philippine expat]

3. I'm still rooting for the owners to extend the

lock out for the whole year and play the whole 2011 season with replacement players

[bluedigger]

5. Who coaches the Lion's again?

You can only hope to level the playing field so much.:shrug: