Crisis of Faith? How the 49ers Faithful Can Fight the Power of the Mighty NFL

March 13, 2011   ·   Patrick Goulding II   ·   Jump to comments

Despite two extensions and use of a federal mediator, the two sides in the NFL labor dispute could not completely bridge a $1 billion gap. The NFL Players Association has decertified, the owners have locked the players out, and the players have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league.

There are plenty of people to blame, but ultimately the exercise is pointless. When all is said and done, Roger Goodell presided over a horribly mismanaged kangaroo court that has led to the first work stoppage in nearly a quarter century—something unthinkable just a few years ago, when Paul Tagliabue turned the keys of the US's most powerful sports league over to his successor.

Now the fate of the league rests in the hands of a Minnesota appellate court judge. Even if the judge rules in favor of the players, forcing the league owners to allow the 2011 season to play out under last year's rules, it will do nothing more than delay this stare down another year.

In the ...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com