Judge Sides with NFL Players, Owners Appeal

Written by Pat's Papers | Tuesday, 26 April 2011 6:58 AM

NFL fans, after sighing a quick sigh of relief, are holding their breath again. Yesterday, a federal judge ordered the NFL to lift its injunction and allow players to return to work reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In her ruling, the judge said she worried that the lockout could “irreparably harm them and their often-short careers.” The owners quickly filed an appeal, claiming it was against federal law for a judge to interfere in a labor dispute. Now, players are in a waiting for word on whether they can resume practice while the appeal works its way through the system. Labor experts say the judge’s initial ruling in favor of the players could help the two sides resolve their dispute.

The ruling, “a decision [that] may endanger one of the most popular and successful sports leagues in history,” prompted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to write an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal this morning. With NFL fans in his scope, Goodell argues strongly in favor of collective bargaining, outlining a laundry list of potential outcomes that would ruin the game.