Packers are telling players to be ready to show up on Saturday

[MJZiggy]

Agreed. Right now there is apparently a debate over electronic versus returning cards. This is all dancing trying to leverage one more concession.

For fuck's sake, they could have it done in 10 minutes on Zoomerang.

[pbmax]

Florio has both Goodell and Smith on the phone trying get support to approve the settlement, then lift the lockout. Then let NFLPA* collect the votes to recertify then approve the new CBA officially.

This latest delay brought to you by the respective lawyers, who are trying to preserve the right to decertify (and the right to challenge it) in 10 years.

[wpony]

hey PB I hope its true but yahoo sports is reporting the owners did their part http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl;_ylt=Akb...CPsAEXwGZ9t7l_

[pbmax]

Well, they did one of three parts. They have agreed to the settlement of the anti-trust case and the TV lockout payment case. Now we get to see if concessions were made sufficient to get the player reps and plaintiffs to agree to the same settlement. Player Rep conference at 8PM Eastern.

Then the lockout will need to be lifted.

Then the Union reforms and both sides vote on an actual CBA.

There is a good piece of news in the latest JSO Blog. Silverstein has the revised NFL offseason/preseason schedule. But there is something in there I haven't seen before in its previous incarnations.

July 27 Training Camps open for all clubs, provided NFLPA has ratified CBA. Day One activities limited to physicals, meetings, and conditioning. No pads permitted on Day Two or Day Three.

This gives the NFLPA* a week to meet and recertify, basically half of their previous estimate. And it follows both agreement on the settlement and the lifting of the lockout. These might be the concessions that solve the entire puzzle, especially the last few days of charges and counter-charges.