Finally, a ruling has been made in the players’ antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. The decision, which was highly anticipated, comes attached with both good and bad news.
The good news is the players scored a big victory as U.S. District Court Judge Susan Nelson ruled in their favor — the lockout imposed on them has been officially lifted after two months.
The bad news, however, is that the owners — being the “losing” party — are quickly putting the wheels in motion to appeal, as expected.
According to ESPN, Nelson said she was “swayed” by the players’ argument that the extended lockout and inactivity is causing “irreparable” harm to their playing careers.
The plaintiffs “have made a strong showing that allowing the League to continue their ‘lockout’ is presently inflicting, and will continue to inflict, irreparable harm upon them, particularly when weighed against the lack of any real injury that would be imposed on the NFL by issuing the preliminary injunction,” Nelson wrote.
One of the plaintiffs, Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, thinks we’re inching toward a season definitely taking place.
“Today’s ruling is a win for the players and for the fans that want to see a full NFL season in 2011. The lockout is bad for everyone and players will continue to fight it. We hope that this will bring us one step closer to playing the game we love.”
The NFL will seek an immediate stay on the ruling. Although Nelson wouldn’t grant it today in Minneapolis court, the league has asked for an expedited appeal to the Court of Appeals in St. Louis.
“We believe that federal law bars injunctions in labor disputes,” the league said. “We are confident that the Eighth Circuit will agree. But we also believe that this dispute will inevitably end with a collective bargaining agreement, which would be in the best interests of players, clubs and fans. We can reach a fair agreement only if we continue negotiations toward that goal.”
“We do not intend 2 start the league year until we have had an opportunity 2 seek a stay,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello added.
If neither court issues a stay, Nelson’s decision will remain, and the NFL will commence as it should. In this scenario, the season would play out similar to the 2010 campaign — no salary cap and free agency restrictions would apply.
Of course, the odds are that at least one court will rule for a stay, further complicating the issue and delaying a possible resolution until the summer.
So, while this seems like a huge step in the right direction, there are still many more legal battles to be had and arguments to be made before the 2011 season is on track. At least this is more fodder to discuss during Thursday’s start of the draft.
UPDATE: NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that things will remain “status quo” around the NFL — meaning no free agency and trades — until Judge Nelson or the St. Louis Appeals Court rules on the league’s stay. There will be much more to follow tomorrow, and the time leading up to the start of the Draft, so stay tuned for more.
