DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2013 NFL Season NFL Draft (2013) Some NFL players seek representation other than the NFLPA at the table

From Fox Sports: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/NFL-p...ntitrust-042011

this is the start of a very messy situation.

The owners are going to sit back and laugh as the players fight each other.

makes sense... they aren't a union any longer, why lock yourself into being represented by them? Why let your representation be a group that passes up on a very good deal just to chase a knock-down, drag-out fight?

Your link does not return for me.

Where is captain copy & paste win you need'em ?

Here ya go...

Report: NFL players' unity in trouble

Updated Apr 20, 2011 9:39 PM ET
A breakaway group of NFL players are close to hiring a law firm to intervene in the antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, the Sports Business Daily reported Wednesday.

According to the report, as many as 70 mid-tier players want to be represented separately at mediation, which was being conducted between the NFL and the players in a federal courtroom in Minneapolis.

The motion, expected to be filed by the end of the week, would not contest the Brady v. NFL lawsuit, but would demand the other group of players have their own seat at the negotiations.

Most of the 10 plaintiffs — especially Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning — have earned far more than the average NFL player.

On the players' lockout website, an alleged copy of the law firm's solicitation letter was posted Wednesday evening under the headline "Another Attempt to Divide Players".

The letter on the website said the intention of the unnamed law firm was to represent 70 or more people — mainly "typical" players. The purported letter also hinted that the firm would be more cooperative to working with the owners on reaching an agreement.

The law firm set to represent the group of players must first resolve a minor conflict of interest before moving forward, according to the Sports Business Daily report.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered the sides to resume mediation before a federal magistrate, and the new round of talks ended with little — if any progress made.

Nelson said two weeks ago that she would take a "couple of weeks" before ruling on the players' request for an injunction against the owners' lockout. The players argue the lockout, which went into effect March 11, is causing them irreparable harm.

An appeal to the Eighth Circuit is expected regardless of which way Nelson rules on the injunction.

The breakaway group of players is reportedly unhappy that the NFL Players Association walked out on federally-mediated talks in Washington, D.C., before decertifying the union and filing the antitrust lawsuit.

Thank you.

I felt all along that there must be some players who could not of been happy with the union for walking out of the CBA talks as this act more then any of the rhetoric and posturing by both sides left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

Just a thought, but could the players develop competing unions from all this? Not a unified union, but competing ones, each vying for the membership of the players (and future players). This really could get very, very interesting.