NFL Lockout Update: Court Adjourned, Judges Urge Settlement

After hearing the two sides give oral arguments in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals this morning in St Louis, it will be up to three judges there to determine whether or not Judge Nelson's ruling to lift the lockout should be overturned or not. While many believe that the judges will side with the owners on this one, Judge Kermit Bye, the senior judge and sole Democratic appointee, urged the owners and NFLPA to get together and work something out because the ruling will be something that 'neither side will like', according to NFL.com's Albert Breer.

Breer said, "Court done. Bye says ruling in "due course", and decision will be one "that neither side will like." Encourages them to work it out on own."

ESPN, National Football Post, Wharton Business School Lecturer, and former Green Bay executive Andrew Brandt had this to say about today's proceedings, "Judge Bye concludes that parties should negotiate as a ruling will be something neither side will like. Hope it spurs more directed talks."

Here are some articles worth checking out on the subject:

Judge urges NFL, players to settle dispute - latimes.com: ""We will take this case and render a decision in due course," Bye said. "We won’t, I might also say, be all that hurt if you’re leaving us out and should go out and settle the case. We will keep with our business and if that ends up with a decision it’s probably something both sides aren’t going to like, but it will at least be a decision.""

Federal appeals panel hears from players, owners in pivotal hearing on legality of lockout - The Washington Post: "The two sides each got roughly 30 minutes before a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, swapping sometimes-dense arguments over the lockout imposed by owners after labor talks fell apart in March. 0 Comments Weigh InCorrections? Tweet ( Mel Evans / Associated Press ) - An NFL football sits on a cooler as New York Jets defensive end Jamaal Westerman stands nearby, Thursday, June 2, 2011, as a group of players hold an informal practice in Morris County, N.J. Sione Pouha gathered a handful of his Jets defensive linemates, including first-round pick Muhammad Wilkerson, at a high school field to go through position drills while the NFL football lockout continues. The panel has twice decided to keep the lockout in place pending the full appeal. It did not issue an immediate decision and Judge Kermit Bye smiled as he told the attorneys before they left the courtroom: "We wouldn’t be all that hurt if you go out and settle that case.""

Judge Kermit Bye urges NFL owners and players to end lockout, says court ruling won't please anyone: "The momentum started building this week towards a settlement between the players and owners to end the nearly three-month lockout. And now the sides have received a not a not-so-subtle push Friday from one of the judges at the appeals hearing in St. Louis."

And now, for absolutely no reason, here is a rabbit with a pancake on it's head.