We just reported that the lockout has been officially “enjoined” (read: ended) by Judge Nelson denying a stay to the owners in light of her ruling in favor of the players.
I had written that this transfers the NFL’s current status from “lockout” to “holdout,” as the owners refuse to let the league function again, as if to enter a staring contest with the players to see whose checkbooks start hurting the most.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk has made the argument that this is actually contempt of court, which would mandate a court-imposed sanction to force the owners’ hands.
Basically, the league is no longer locked out, but the owners aren’t allowed to sit on their hands. However, there are currently no rules in the league right now, as a new CBA still has not been agreed to.
Welcome to crazy town.
There is really no telling what is going to happen next. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: For those interested, the next move is for a set of rules to be installed which must be agreed to by the owners and the NFLPA, a set of rules that doesn’t violate antitrust laws, per Judge Nelson. It could perhaps take the form of an interim agreement extending the rules of the last CBA until a new agreement is agreed to and officially replaces it.
The NFL might be able to drag its feet in such negotiations, but again, that does risk contempt (not just of the court, mind you!). At this point, as Chris Mortenson has tweeted, all of the NFL’s eggs are in the basket of the 8th Circuit Appeals Court, a friendly venue for them, but by no means a sure thing.
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