The NFL and its players went back to court Friday for a pivotal hearing before a federal appeals court on the legality of the lockout, now nearly three months old with no sign of a new collective bargaining agreement that would save the 2011 season. NFL Network's Albert Breer reported that at the conclusion of Friday's session, Judge Kermit Bye told both sides that a ruling would come in "due course," adding that the decision will be one "that neither side will like." With that in mind, Bye encouraged both sides to work it out on their own.
The two sides each got 30 minutes before a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. The NFL contends the lockout imposed by owners after labor talks fell apart on March 11 is legal, while the players do not, and the arguments at times were dense. The panel has twice decided to keep the lockout in place pending the full appeal. It did not issue an immediate decision and Bye smiled as he told the attorneys before they left the courtroom: "We wouldn't be all that hurt if you go out and settle that case."
CARRY ON
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