Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports tweeted:
NFLPA just applied for decertification. Antitrust lawsuit in Minnesota likely to follow. Fasten your seat belts.
The NFLPA has filed to dissolve their union followed likely by a antitrust lawsuit against the NFL in Minnesota federal court, the same court which Judge Doty presides over. The decertification of the NFLPA will also likely result in the NFL's owners locking out the players, preventing all off-season training activities, mini-camps, and training camps from occurring.
For the first time since 1987, the NFL has a work stoppage. To put it bluntly, they've killed the golden goose.
Though all contact between NFL teams and players has ceased, the 2011 NFL Draft will happen as planned. However, no trades or free agent signings can occur. This includes undrafted collegiate players not taken in the NFL Draft.
The news of the union decertifying is troubling in that the union offered to extend talks for another week as long as the NFL owners provided 10 years worth of financial information. It seems as if the owners scoffed at that request. Thus, the labor situation between the owners and players will be taken to court.
This is a sad day for the NFL, and for it's millions of fans.
Oddly, just as the news of the death of the NFL as we know it hit the Internet, Colts owner Jim Irsay inexplicably tweeted this:
OK, a contest 2b GUEST HOST of our TV show! GO here on Colts website..http://bit.ly/gKwJq5
Glad your priorities are in order, Jim.
Again, sad day for NFL fans. The NFL is not going to be the same.