We've had this date written in our NFL Lockout diary for a while now, although nothing is likely to be a big surprise. The players are hoping that Judge Susan Nelson will rule against the owners, essentially ending the decision to lockout the players from team facilities, workouts, etc.
Of course, as with most court cases, an appeal is expected regardless of what is decided, and we are likely still a few weeks away from any form of a CBA. We'll provide updates as they are available, but feel free to use this Open Thread to discuss just about anything you like.
Updates at the end of this article.
Oh, and while we wait, here are a few very good reads to keep you informed:
10 Must-read questions about the NFL Antitrust hearing, from our guy Maury Brown.
What you need to know about today's hearing, from Business Insider.
How to figure out who to root for, courtesy of Darren Rovell.
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UPDATE: Greg Bedard has some updates on the situation so far in Minnesota.:
Jim Quinn spoke on behalf of the players and spoke for 33 minutes, answering 13 questions from Nelson. NFL counsel David Boies was up for 58 minutes and really controlled the room. It seems Nelson will first have to rule on the court's jurisdiction in the case. After that, the players are asking for the lockout to be lifted because it's causing "irreparable harm" to their careers. The NFL's argument is that the Nelson cannot rule to lift the lockout before the NLRB sorts through the league's claim that the players did not negotiate on a new collective bargaining agreement in good faith.
Make sure to follow Bedard on Twitter as well.
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By the way, we've had some questions regarding why the reporters aren't tweeting during the session... They've been told they aren't allowed to, so all updates will have to come during breaks and at the end of the session.