[SBXVII]

Uh Oh, Now everyone is coming out of the wood work to file supporting the owners;
Mediation over but NFL says progress was made - ESPN

Separately, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce business lobbying group filed a brief Tuesday supporting the league.

The chamber, like the NFL, noted that the dispute is currently before the National Labor Relations Board in the form of an unfair labor negotiations charge against the players. Until then, the chamber said, the court fight should be on hold and the NFL should be able to lock out its players if needed.

"For the collective bargaining process to work as Congress intended, the parties to the dispute must largely be left by the courts to their own devices," the chamber said. "The prospect of self-help forces the parties to make difficult choices" with the option of judges coming to their aid."

The NHL, which could face its own labor problem next year, earlier filed a similar brief supporting the NFL.

Information from ESPN's