At 4:46pm The NFL Players Association representative DeMaurice Smith spoke to the media. “Significant differences remain”. Players are asking for detail records for 10 years from owners and they are awaiting an answer by 5pm Eastern Time.
The wordcame down from the Union that the NFLPA has filed for decertification. The case now goes to the courts.
The union is now a “trade association” and players are now free to file antitrust lawsuits. The players give up rights to collective bargining and if NFL locks out players, lawsuits can filed by individual players.
According to ESPN.com, The NFL has said the union was offered unprecedented financial data, including some the league doesn’t share with clubs. The league thought it was the first step in the beginning of financial transparency, but it was not transparent enough for the NFLPA.
“They refuse to give that information to us. They think we should just trust them. Would you?” tweeted New Orleans Quarterback Drew Brees, who joined talks for the first time Wednesday. “We have a responsibility to our players — past, present, and future, to advance this league forward, not take 3 steps back.”
It seems this will be a long fight between owners and players. The NFL fans are in the middle of an ugly fight.
