NFL, union still mum after third day of federal mediation

The NFL and its players union held federally mediated talks for the third consecutive day Sunday. And the head of a fan group again tried in vain to hand deliver a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The letter asks that a representative of the group be allowed to monitor the talks.

"I guess I'll have to come back in the morning," said Brian Frederick, executive director of the Sports Fans Coalition, a Washington group formed in 2009.

Frederick said he presented a similar letter Friday to DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association. Unsuccessful in presenting a copy to Goodell on Friday, he returned Sunday. After waiting for several hours outside the building, he again missed the commissioner's exit.

"We are not asking for a seat at the negotiating table — although we believe fans deserve one — but merely to be present in the room so that we may inform fans across the country about the state of ongoing negotiations and ensure that progress is being made, toward," said the letter.

On the sidewalk, Frederick, 36, said his group wants "at least a representative" at the talks.

He added, "If there is a lockout or a work stoppage, it will be devastating to some cities. That would be totally unacceptable."

Sunday's session was held at the K Street office of George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Cohen has instructed both sides not to comment publicly.

"Cone of silence," former NFL player Pete Kendall, a member of the union negotiating team, said as he left Sunday evening.

Goodell and Smith arrived just before 10 a.m. ET. The negotiators began leaving at about 6 p.m.

The union contingent included team players reps Charlie Batch of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tony Richardson of the New York Jets

"Conversation is good," Richardson said as he got into a car.

A March 3 deadline looms for the expiration of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement which could be followed by a lockout of players from all team activities.

There was no word from either side Sunday about whether they would meet again Monday.

"We're not commenting on anything," said longtime NFLPA attorney Richard Berthelsen.

Smith didn't stop for questions as he departed Sunday, the longest day of face-to-face communication after months of slow and sometimes contentious bargaining. The sides have met for a total of more than 20 hours since Friday.

Because both sides agreed to Cohen's request that they not comment publicly on these negotiations, it's not clear what, if any, progress is being made.

"You know we're not going to give you any information," NFL outside lawyer Bob Batterman said as he left with three league executives. "I can't say anything, other than the fact that we are meeting."

Batterman, who represented the NHL when it lost its entire 2004-05 season to a lockout, then referred to Cohen as a "first-class mediator."

On his way into the talks Sunday morning, Jeff Pash, the NFL's general counsel and lead labor negotiator said: "We are working hard, and we're following the director's playbook, and we'll see what we come up with."

The sides met for about six hours on both Friday and Saturday. Cohen announced Thursday the groups agreed to the mediation, which is not binding but is meant as a way to spur progress.

The mediation could be seen as a positive sign after several months of infrequent negotiations — and frequent rhetoric, including charges from each side that the other was hoping for a work stoppage.

The league and union went more than two months without any formal bargaining until Feb. 5, the day before the Super Bowl. The sides met again the next week but called off a second meeting that had been scheduled for the following day.

The most recent CBA was signed in 2006, but owners exercised an opt-out clause in 2008.

The biggest issue separating the sides is how to divide about $9 billion in annual revenues. Among the other significant points in negotiations: the owners' push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; a rookie wage scale; and benefits for retired players.

No team owners have been seen at the mediated sessions, but they're surely keeping up with what's happening — and at least one indicated optimism about the 2011 season in a roundabout way.