Mike Freeman

the players just need to hold out a few more months and the greedy owners will cave in and pay what the union is demanding.  the owners can just jack up prices on tickets, PSLs, parking, concessions, etc. to pay for the higher salaries and benefits--no big deal.  The fans will pay whatever it takes to attend the games and buy all that stuff.

 you stinking idiot. 

 Well put. Freeman is a fraud and race baiter. He's Al Sharpton minus the hair.

The ruling is what the decertified association(they're not a union anymore) has wanted all along. If she rules against them, they're cooked. If she rules in their favor, their gamble paid off. Imo, it's just pathetic and shows that DeMaurice Smith is no leader, but rather simply a paper pusher. Incredibly, more and more we are understanding Gene Upshaw really was someone to respect and admire as Union head.

Goodell has also showed himself to be far from a strong leader. He's left himself open to pot shots and his responses have been far from strong. If the NFL loses in court, his power with the owners may be curtailed and his ability to keep his position could be in jeopardy.

It's just pathetic, a judge will decide the fate of a sport. It shows how entrenched both sides are and how they lacked the diplomacy or acumen to solve their own problems.

can we retitle this to 'Freeman has failed'? Great article Mike, Im shocked race wasnt brought up at some point not to mention it mustve taken you weeks to write such an extensive, intuitive article. just curious Mike, if this was a Warren Moon story would you have spent as little time as you did here? Nicely done keep up the crap work

And I think there has been a warpedmind sighting, still got my favorite avatar I see

please go to facebook and search for " NFL Fans that wont support a lockout"..click on like..we need disgruntled fans everywhere to band together and show solidarity in that enough is enough!...please go to fb and tell all your friends as well!

For once, I hope Mike Freeman is right and we don't get a settlement any time soon.  The NHL playoffs are on now, and suddenly I see that league's wisdom in having a 16 team playoff that guarantees sports fans a cornucopia of pro hockey all the way through June.

C'mon, Mikey, say it with me:  Goodbye NFL, helllloooooo NHL!

This is ridiculous. Why dont they do to the NFL what theyre doing to us in the military? Listen, were not going to pay you, but youre still going to go to work till we get this thing sorted out. I have no problem with that. I signed up right? How much do they love football and the fans?

A fair and honest report, Mike. I appreciate your acknowledging the potential for an absence of personal grievance in a report of an occurrence. Your race has often been far too weighty of a factor in your motivations for the expression of your thoughts. It is important to remember that an ideology is involved. Things are not solely focused on a battle between the races. This is a fight for the freedom of the individual mind! You must not fall into the trap of grievance warfare.

A prolonged battle favors neither side. It says as much in "The Art of War" which is the greatest book ever written next to the Holy Bible. That very same principle is playing out in this "negotiation" between the players and the owners. It would actually be nice if the judge ruled to maintain the status quo or something relatively close to it. The owners were adamant about 18 games until they realized that the players would never agree to it and the fans didn't want it. Their will be a rookie salary cap and hopefully it will happen this season. Supposedly the money saved from the rookie salaries will go to the veteran players. That's an excellent idea because there's no way that a kid whose never played a down in the NFL should make more than a veteran pro-bowler or even a veteran journeyman for that matter. I honestly believe this will get ironed out soon because both sides are way too greedy to lose that money at the gate or from the TV deals. This year's schedule looks to be the best ever so I sincerely hope those games aren't squandered due to millionaires and billionaires not being able to split what is an insane amount of money between them. That doesn't sit too well with the rank and file that have to scrape nickels and dimes together just to eat or put money in the gas tank. The very same people who manage to scrounge up enough money to buy tickets to the games, jerseys, hats and cable.