The Facts:
Following up on the previous item .... Negotiations toward a labor deal that would end the NFL lockout were confronted with a new hurdle Monday when the group of retired players involved in the antitrust lawsuit against the league -- angered because they say their interests and representatives are being shut out by both sides in the talks -- prepared to file a separate complaint against players and owners.
Reported by the New York Times
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
According to Times reporter Judy Battista, the class-action complaint, to be filed in Federal District Court in Minneapolis against the teams, the league, the players named in the Brady v. NFL lawsuit and DeMaurice Smith, the head of the NFL Players Association, asserted that the sides were violating antitrust laws by negotiating settlement terms that improperly encompassed the rights of retired players in the time since the NFLPA renounced its union status. ... Battista went on to note that whether the complaint could throw a wrench into negotiations that are to resume Tuesday in New York will be determined by the court. It would first have to decide if retired players have standing to bring an antitrust complaint, because they are not active participants in the marketplace of the NFL. The complaint seeks an injunction to halt discussions between the league and current players related to retiree issues, and it asks for a declaration that the players association cannot represent the interests of retired players in settlement or prosecution of the antitrust suit. If the court does not think an injunction is appropriate, the retired players are seeking treble damages.
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