Judge Nelson rules in favor of players in lockout battle
Photo by AP (File) Judge Susan Nelson. This undated photo courtesy of the U.S. District Court in Minnesota shows U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.
U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson lifted the NFL’s lockout of its players on Monday, ruling in a 89-page decision that players are suffering irreparable harm by being barred from playing football.
Nelson granted the players a preliminary injunction that ends the lockout which was invoked in early March. The league immediately announce that it was appealing the decision.
“We are pleased with the ruling granting the plaintiffs preliminary injunction to lift the NFL owners’ illegal lockout issued this afternoon by Judge Susan Richard Nelson,” said NFLPA attorney James W. Quinn in a statement. “We believe that this 89-page well-reasoned decision is totally consistent with prior precedent, governing caselaw as well as administrative rulings on all the issues raised by the NFL Defendants. We are confident that this ruling will withstand any appeals.”
The union was elated by the ruling.
“I’m happy for our players and for our fans,” said DeMaurice Smith, co-class counsel and executive director of the NFLPA in a statement. “Today, those who love football are the winners.”
New York Giants defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora is one of the plaintiffs in the case.
“Today’s ruling is a win for the players and for the fans that want to see a full NFL season in 2011,” Umenyiora said in a statement. “The lockout is bad for everyone and players will continue to fight it. We hope that this will bring us one step closer to playing the game we love.”
The victory doesn’t mean a quick return to football. The NFL plans to immediately appeal the decision.
The league issued a statement: “We will promptly seek a stay from Judge Nelson pending an expedited appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. We believe that federal law bars injunctions in labor disputes. We are confident that the Eighth Circuit will agree. But we also believe that this dispute will inevitably end with a collective bargaining agreement, which would be in the best interests of players, clubs and fans. We can reach a fair agreement only if we continue negotiations toward that goal.”
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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62 comments Add your comment
Sid
April 26th, 2011
9:07 am
JSS
April 26th, 2011
8:53 am
Excuse, Judge “Richard” Nelson
*********************************************************
Better get another cup of coffee there JSS.
FrontRow
April 26th, 2011
9:56 am
Football back on? Hey does that mean I can blog again until another judge makes a ruling?
These guys need to get serious. All of the teams have already been payed; pay the players and lets get the nonesense over.
I’ll be back when they really get this settled.
JSS
April 26th, 2011
10:28 am
tim
April 26th, 2011
9:05 am
“If a court allow this negotiation charade for the nfl players, it would be obliged to allow it in other circumstance. It invites negotiation chaos, not market forces to prevail.”
As silly of statement as has ever been made on a form. This is not a “charade” and the Court filled with Nixon and Reagan appointees in 1987 who put the point that Nelson is citing into their opinion when they ruled in the players favor way back at that time regarding “union decertification.” The NFL owners were so greedy that opened themselves up to another entirely new anti-trust attack when they foolishly did not settle the “American Needle Case.”
The NFL keeps trying to rewrite settled law. They are just foolish. I may have disliked Upshaw and Tagliabue; but they were not idiot enough to keep trying to kill their golden goose after 1987. You need to go and read the opinion; she’s not crafting some new law. She just pointed out the settlement that ended the Rozelle Rule.
Report: NBA players could decertify – ESPN | Bistro Press
April 26th, 2011
10:42 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
JohnGT Fan
April 26th, 2011
11:38 am
DeMaurice Smith is a joke!!!!! Anyone who thinks this is a win for “the fans” is ignorant. If they players get everything they want (bunch of overpriced idiots), then they will continue to make ignorant amounts of money. Well guess what…costs for jerseys, paraphernalia, tickets, etc will all continue to rise, as it has EVERY YEAR. I acknowledge the owners are part of the mess also…but I side with the owners on this. And Orlando..are you kidding about college football not being more exciting??? WOW. I’ll take a bunch of kids showing their love for the game every Saturday, versus a bunch of over-paid idiots showing their love for MONEY every Sunday
terrance X
April 26th, 2011
11:54 am
GODdell says stop all the legal battles and meet. fans say stop the lockout and play !
Next OSU Coach
April 26th, 2011
12:12 pm
Really.
I think the Players are spoiled and the owners are just as bad when it comes to money.
I really wish the NFL would try a year of women replacements.
Cheerleader football BABY!
MatthewH
April 26th, 2011
12:26 pm
One thing that I have never understood is why is this all taking place in Minnesota? Why was it not filed in New York since that is where the NFL is headquartered? Anybody know?
JohnGT Fan
April 26th, 2011
1:10 pm
Matthew…it was part of the agreement in the past that Minnesota is where this takes place. There’s an article about it on ESPN
NFL players not allowed to train despite lifting of lockout – Reuters | DavnecNews
April 26th, 2011
2:20 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
T in Chicago
April 26th, 2011
8:33 pm
Really interesting discussion about labor agreements. First of all labor union had an important role in improving the working conditions of most Americans. They then became big businesses just like the owners and lost their focus. As for the guy making his company $1M and gets injured… he agreed to come to work for a certain pay and was compensated accordingly. If he didn’t get insurance to cover his loss, he was not very bright. If he felt he wouldn’t be compensated for such a loss, he should have gotten and employment contract. If his boss wouldn’t give him one, he should have worked elsewhere. If he couldn’t work elsewhere for the same money, then he was over paid…
NFL payers cannot work elsewhere and make the same money… they’re over paid… What kind of employer would negotiate an agreement where the highest paid employees have never set a foot on the job site before signing the contract. the union set this up…why would they do this? They get dues… they want dues to stay in their high paid union jobs….
Where can you get a job making more than 98% of the fourtun 500 CEO and never have to invest in the company or manage it’s profitability….. the NFL… and of course Hollywood, but at least actor share the risk of the movies success….
Paul Randall
April 28th, 2011
4:52 am
The irreparable harm is the damage the loss of the season will do to the bottom line of cities that financed the stadiums based on the taxes paid by the businesses that depend on the games to survive. Of course cities have no business financing football palaces for billionaire owners but what the heck this is America.