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I think today was another 'good news' day in terms of ending the NFL Lockout, as both the Players and Owners met in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. This is the appeal to Judge Susan Nelson's ruling in Minnesota that the lockout should be lifted, as it is causing too much harm to the Players.
Judge Kermit Bye presided over the arguments this morning, and the NFL Network's Albert Breer captured Judge Bye's message in less than 140 characters:
Court done. Bye says ruling in "due course", and decision will be one "that neither side will like." Encourages them to work it out on own.
The Players and Owners must have been being proactive the past two days while meeting in Chicago, or else they knew what was coming from Judge Bye. This is a signal to both sides that litigation is not the way to go, as we (the courts) will make your lives miserable if you continue to beat around the bush and hope we (the courts) side with you. When he uses the phrase "due course", that means "better get ready to miss games if you leave it in our hands." For everyone who wants football to be played in 2011, Judge Bye's comments should be music to your ears.
They aren't scheduled to meet the rest of the day, and as far as I know don't have any official mediation sessions scheduled. If they truly are working towards Colts Owner Jim Irsay's timeline of July 4, the time to bang out a deal is now. That's what everyone wants. It just seems so tiring having to wait for it.