Roger Goodell appeared to be seriously annoyed with the public relations battle that has taken place between both sides of the NFL's labor dispute, and Friday, the commissioner displayed a real desire to get to work at a negotiating table behind closed doors.
The owners and NFLPA have done enough arguing through the media, but Goodell knew they'd have to conduct extended face-to-face discussions to reach a new collective-bargaining agreement. Until that happens, there's no need to start the clock on a new CBA, because it will never reach that point.
"We need to have intensive round-the-clock negotiations to address the issues and find solutions," Goodell said at his annual state-of-the-league news conference. "If we're committed to doing that, I think we can be successful, but we have to demonstrate that commitment and get to work."
The current CBA expires March 4 — four weeks from Goodell's address — and if there's no agreement, the NFL would have its first work stoppage since the player strike in 1987.
The owners and NFLPA will meet Saturday, as well as two more days in the next week, which could set up the framework of a prolonged sit-down.
Depending on the progress on the negotiations, the two sides could extend the March 4 deadline, which appears to be the most likely scenario. It could allow teams to schedule offseason workouts and prepare coaches and players for the 2011 season. However, it sounds unlikely that an extension would permit free agency, as Goodell made it sound like free agency should cause the players to be more willing to reach a new CBA.
Goodell didn't say anything new Friday, but he enforced the same points he's been driving home all along. Since the NFL is a month away from a lockout, those words carry more meaning by the moment.
