A canceled Pre-Season could cost $1 Billion Dollars

Now it's real.  An article this morning on NFL.com, paints a picture that the lockout is nearing the end.  The NFL and the players met today, with plans to continue the talks through tomorrow.  It's the third time they've met this month, only this time their respective legal teams were present.  Ooh, lawyers.  The plan from the owners is to hold a monthly meeting until something is accomplished.  I'm not buying it.  Not unless at least three nameless people familiar with the talks tells me so.

A person with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the two sides are headed in the right direction. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the meeting are not being made public.

That's one...

Two other people familiar with the talks told The AP a framework for a new collective bargaining agreement could be in place before the owners' meetings next Tuesday in suburban Chicago. A memo went out to owners asking that they keep their schedules for next week flexible, in case the June 21 meeting spills into Tuesday night or even Wednesday.

And two equals three!

The article goes on to say;

The league estimates that the cancellation of the preseason could cost it as much as $1 billion. Whether that figure is accurate or not, both parties recognize that the major economic losses that would be incurred by this dispute dragging through the summer would make negotiations exponentially tougher.

Cha-ching.  A billion dollars is nothing to shake a 1st and 10 stick at.