HARRISBURG -- Another day and still no end to the NFL lockout.
Negotiators met in New York until 6:30 p.m. (et) on Monday, and players joined in Washington ready to discuss terms of a potential deal.
Jason Reimer, a business & litigation lawyer from Post & Schell, P.C. in Harrisburg, believes the only stumbling block is the federal antitrust suit filed by a group of players against the league.
"The only real hiccup could be if one the ten players in the initial lawsuit, if they said, 'We don't like the deal -- we're going to step back and continue negotiations,'" said Reimer in a interview with CBS 21 News Sports Director Jason Bristol. "Otherwise, we're expecting to see this all wrapped up by the week's end."
Judge Arthur Boylan joined both sides in New York, and talks will continue Tuesday with an agreement supposedly on the horizon. If an agreement on a new CBA is reached by Wednesday, owners could vote on the deal when they meet Thursday in Atlanta.
The New York Times is reporting another issue at stake is a demand by the players' lawyers for $320 million that the owners didn't have to pay in benefits because the 2010 season was an uncapped year. Also, players are reportedly aiming for a rule on how often the franchise tag can be used.
Benefits for retired players is another sticking point in a new CBA. The Times reports, included in a new deal is close to $1 billion in additional benefits for retired players over 10 years.
The lockout, of course, began on March 12 after the sides failed to reach an agreement on how to split about $9 billion in revenue, among other issues like a rookie wage scale, the salary cap and retirement benefits.
In the four months since, they have battled each other in courts and during negotiating sessions that have become increasingly secretive.
Time is ticking for a new CBA to be reached. The preseason is supposed to start August 7 when the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams play the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The start of training camps, scheduled to begin the end of this week, are almost certain not to start on time.
Some information from The Sports Network was used in this report.
