The NFL lockout meetings reportedly took a step backwards on Thursday after the owners and players disagreed on how to split the revenue. Throughout the collective bargaining agreement negotiations, the NFL and NFLPA have argued over the percentages of revenue each side would take under a new deal, with the owners lobbying for a credit off the top before a split takes place. After the expense seemed to have been a thing of the past, it reared its ugly head again on Thursday.
That's not to say either side got up and walked away in disgust. In fact, Thursday's meeting was a marathon, with negotiations taking place over the course of a 15-hour day. The two sides came together early Thursday and stayed until early morning hours on Friday. After a few hours of rest, the owners and players got back at it on Friday, meeting in a shortened session before calling it quits for the holiday weekend.
According to a report from ESPN, the mood appeared to be light as Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith left the meetings. The negotiations will move from Minneapolis to New York City on Tuesday, as well.
Several people familiar with the situation said the talks would resume Tuesday in New York City. The people all spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because Boylan has ordered the details of the talks to be kept confidential.
Goodell, Smith, their colleagues and constituents all appeared in good spirits as they left the office building where they met and either walked away or climbed into black cars waiting by the doors.
It's anyone's guess whether a deal will get done in the near-future or if we're still weeks away. But it is clear the NFL lockout negotiations are at a critical point and the details being hammered-out are key to any agreement. It's crunch-time for the NFL with the scheduled start of training camp nearing, and a deal must be reached in the near-future to ensure football starts on time.
For the latest news and updates on the ongoing labor battle, stay with our NFL lockout StoryStream. Head over to Field Gulls for a breakdown of the lockout.