NFL owners won't allow players to work out
Not so fast folks, the NFL lockout is not over quite yet.
Players made their way back to their respective team's facilities today in light of the news Monday night that the NFL lockout had been lifted by Minnesota Federal Judge Susan Nelson, yet NFL owners won't open the doors.
Some players were allowed into the facilities but were not allowed to work out. In the case of Bills safety, Leodis McKelvin, he told ESPN that he was turned away at the front gate like a rabid fan trying to get a peek at his favorite team.
The Jets had several players check into their facility in Florham Park, NJ, including Jericho Cotchery and D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
"I took every opportunity to avail myself of a work out, but at this time, I wasn't afforded that opportunity," Ferguson told ESPN.
The NFL owners have to appeal the injunction if they hope to keep the players locked out. If their appeal is denied, then the league will open up business in a blitzkrieg off-season of free agency and training camp all at once.
This is a huge mistake by the owners. Just let the players into the facility. They are already being paid millions of dollars to play the game of football -- at some point, those who smartly negotiated guaranteed money in their contracts will have to get paid.
Let the players into the facilities. Not all of them are like walking up and down Washington D.C. and now Minneapolis in a three piece suit with a lawyer. Most, if not all, of the players just want to play the game.
It's ironic that this could be the first time that players say they look forward to training camp.
The owners know they are going to lose this battle whether in the courtroom or at the negotiating table; it's their own stuborness that has kept the lockout alive. Someone needs to wake up and let the players in, and allow player reps to negotiate with the owners.
Players made their way back to their respective team's facilities today in light of the news Monday night that the NFL lockout had been lifted by Minnesota Federal Judge Susan Nelson, yet NFL owners won't open the doors.
Some players were allowed into the facilities but were not allowed to work out. In the case of Bills safety, Leodis McKelvin, he told ESPN that he was turned away at the front gate like a rabid fan trying to get a peek at his favorite team.
The Jets had several players check into their facility in Florham Park, NJ, including Jericho Cotchery and D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
"I took every opportunity to avail myself of a work out, but at this time, I wasn't afforded that opportunity," Ferguson told ESPN.
The NFL owners have to appeal the injunction if they hope to keep the players locked out. If their appeal is denied, then the league will open up business in a blitzkrieg off-season of free agency and training camp all at once.
This is a huge mistake by the owners. Just let the players into the facility. They are already being paid millions of dollars to play the game of football -- at some point, those who smartly negotiated guaranteed money in their contracts will have to get paid.
Let the players into the facilities. Not all of them are like walking up and down Washington D.C. and now Minneapolis in a three piece suit with a lawyer. Most, if not all, of the players just want to play the game.
It's ironic that this could be the first time that players say they look forward to training camp.
The owners know they are going to lose this battle whether in the courtroom or at the negotiating table; it's their own stuborness that has kept the lockout alive. Someone needs to wake up and let the players in, and allow player reps to negotiate with the owners.
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