With the 2010 season halfway complete, discussions between the NFL and the Players Union have understandably heated up, but with no real progress being made as of right now, many around the league have begun to express concern that a new deal won’t be reached by the March 5 deadline next year.

Those voicing their reservations include commissioner Roger Goodell, and while he’s stayed positive for the most part, there’s little doubt that he and others in the league office are getting a bit nervous on the outlook for avoiding a work stoppage.

“We continue to have discussions, but we’ve got to focus on having productive discussions where there’s actually progress being made,” Goodell said Monday night while attending a tailgate outside of Paul Brown Stadium. “We’re getting closer and closer to that March deadline, and I think for the good of the game, for the good of the fans, for the good of the players, we need to reach an agreement that’s fair to everyone. We have a lot of work to do and we’ve got to sit down and work on it. We owe that to the game.”

From www.pittsburghlive.com (share this quote)

Both parties have an equal amount of responsibility to find common ground, as the public at large will not sit by idly while wealthy athletes and super rich owners squabble over money. The current status of the economy here in the United States will see to that, and while the owners have the ability to ride out an extended work stoppage, they will bear the brunt of criticism if that happens, hopefully motivating them to put aside their differences for the common good.

Obviously, there’s still plenty of time remaining for the two sides to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement and prevent a strike from happening, but if progress is not made relatively soon, there little doubt that the dreaded outcome will take place, even if it’s short lived.

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