RALEIGH, North Carolina, May 17 (Reuters) - NFL owners and players concluded another round of mediation talks on Tuesday without reaching an agreement on how to end the long running labor dispute that is threatening America's most popular professional sport.
Officials, players and lawyers from both sides left the federal courthouse in Minneapolis without a resolution but agreeing to return next month to continue their court-ordered sessions.
While both sides did not reach an agreement on Tuesday, the NFL's lead negotiator Jeff Pash said some progress had been made, offering a glimmer that hope that the 2011 season, due to start in September, may proceed on time.
"I've said it many times, the only way we're going to get this accomplished is face-to-face dialogue and really digging into the issues and I think we had a good step in that direction today," Pash told ESPN.
Their next scheduled meeting is due to take place on June 7, three days after the U.S. Court of Appeals in St Louis is due to hear arguments on the legality of the NFL lockout of players.
They also are awaiting a decision by U.S. District Judge David Doty on whether the players are entitled to damages from a $4 billion fund that the league created from the sale of television rights.
Both cases will be heard by the same panel of three judges who voted 2-1 on Monday to reinstate the league's lockout of players.
The players had claimed an early points victory last month when a federal court ordered the NFL to lift the lockout, saying the league's actions were hurting not only the players but fans alike.
But the NFL immediately launched an appeal, saying the federal judge had no jurisdiction in the case because it was a matter for the National Labor Relations Board, and the appeals court agreed.
Duke University law professor Paul Haagen told Reuters the decision was a significant victory for the league, which has been arguing that the dispute should be resolved through negotiation rather than through the courts.
"It means that the most likely income, an eventual settlement and new CBA (collective bargaining agreement), is likely to be be concluded before an antitrust judgment," Haagen said.
"And the antitrust case almost certainly will be settled as part of those negotiations."
Officials, players and lawyers from both sides left the federal courthouse in Minneapolis without a resolution but agreeing to return next month to continue their court-ordered sessions.
While both sides did not reach an agreement on Tuesday, the NFL's lead negotiator Jeff Pash said some progress had been made, offering a glimmer that hope that the 2011 season, due to start in September, may proceed on time.
"I've said it many times, the only way we're going to get this accomplished is face-to-face dialogue and really digging into the issues and I think we had a good step in that direction today," Pash told ESPN.
Their next scheduled meeting is due to take place on June 7, three days after the U.S. Court of Appeals in St Louis is due to hear arguments on the legality of the NFL lockout of players.
They also are awaiting a decision by U.S. District Judge David Doty on whether the players are entitled to damages from a $4 billion fund that the league created from the sale of television rights.
Both cases will be heard by the same panel of three judges who voted 2-1 on Monday to reinstate the league's lockout of players.
The players had claimed an early points victory last month when a federal court ordered the NFL to lift the lockout, saying the league's actions were hurting not only the players but fans alike.
But the NFL immediately launched an appeal, saying the federal judge had no jurisdiction in the case because it was a matter for the National Labor Relations Board, and the appeals court agreed.
Duke University law professor Paul Haagen told Reuters the decision was a significant victory for the league, which has been arguing that the dispute should be resolved through negotiation rather than through the courts.
"It means that the most likely income, an eventual settlement and new CBA (collective bargaining agreement), is likely to be be concluded before an antitrust judgment," Haagen said.
"And the antitrust case almost certainly will be settled as part of those negotiations."
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