With lockout looming, NFL labor talks continue

John Mara, owner of the New York Giants, joined the NFL group in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA in Washington today, according to ESPN. Mara is the first owner to participate in negotiations since a federal mediator began overseeing the process.

Mara, along with Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay and Washington Redskins GM Bruce Allen, joined NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in mediation today. The move comes as the current collective bargaining agreement expires in less than three days. When the clock hits Midnight on Friday, the NFL may be in a lockout.

The NFL and NFLPA (the NFL Players Association) have met for over 40 hours last week. Even though the two sides talked, there was still "very strong differences" between them, according to mediator George Cohen. There is no sign yet that today's talk made any progress.

When the CBA ends as Thursday turns to Friday, both sides can make moves for their own use. The NFL owners can lock out the players after the CBA expires. The players union can also decertify and let the players take the issue to court.

A lockout could cause the NFL to lose regular season games due to a work stoppage for the first time since 1987. The last time games were lost in the big four professional leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL) was the NHL lockout, which wiped away the 2004-05 season. If a lockout were to occur, everything but April's NFL Draft would be cancelled.

Major topics in negotiations include a rookie wage scale, a push to extend the regular season to 18 games (up from 16), and benefits for retired players.