NFL Lockout Now Longest Work Stoppage In League History

Today we have reached a dubious landmark. The NFL lockout is now 58 days old, which has just surpassed the length of the 1982 work stoppage, making the current situation the longest NFL work stoppage in its history. There is an outside chance that the 8th Circuit of Appeals offers a ruling that could lift the lockout, but considering the "temporary" stay of Judge Nelson's injunction that ended the lockout has reached the week and a half mark, there is no reason to expect a ruling before the court hears arguments to the actual appeal in June.

I have given up on thinking about which side holds more blame. The truth of the matter is that this is crazy. There are literally BILLIONS of dollars to be made. The only thing this lockout is doing alienating the fans. Sure when football comes back, we will likely all go back to attending games and watching TV broadcasts in droves, but that is how we are. 

However, if we are to lose a game of even the preseason, the NFL and the players will have crossed a line that will begin to actually hurt the league's popularity. The NBA, NHL and MLB suffered after losing actual games. I suspect the same would happen if we lose actual football. 

Hopefully (but not terribly likely at this point) when mediation begins again next week both sides can let cooler heads prevail and strike a deal that works for both sides. 

In a time where people and businesses alone are having to live with less money, both the players and owners need to consider actually making concessions without ultimatums. This is the only way the situation gets remedied.