For most of this process I have been sided pretty firmly with the players, the owners were the ones who opted out and forced this situation two years early and I didn’t feel there was much willingness to compromise on that end. This past week though has changed my opinion on that issue a little bit. Today, for all intensive purposes, was just posturing and an attempt at a power-play on the part of the player’s association. Despite several new proposals on the parts of the owners, including one today that reportedly halved the monetary gap between the sides, the NFLPA was always going to decertify.

At no point, as the NFL made proposals did the NFLPA counter-propose anything this week, there was very little constructive coming out of the player’s association side today besides empty rhetoric. After receiving the best proposal yet, DeMaurice Smith walked out of the mediator’s office and demanded full financials for the past 10 years within 10 minutes. Back in Minneapolis filings had already been prepared for judge David Doty. The NFLPA really was negotiating in good faith today, they made up their minds and today was all about winning public perception.

Neither side deserves all the blame for this, both sides deserve a whole bunch though. And of course, once again it’s the fans who take it on the chin.

Already the players have discussed a class action lawsuit naming three of the league’s most popular quarterbacks as the plaintiffs. There could be other suits from other players as well. But as of now, there is no longer a players union. It ceases to exist. And things will now go to the courts.

The next move will be to lock out the players, on the part of the owners. The owners could do that as soon as this evening or may wait the weekend. Either way, football as we know it is now in serious jeopardy. Any number of things could happen from this point, but the time for talking and negotiating peacefully seems to have passed. We’ll be back with more later tonight, including more analysis of what happened today, summaries of news conferences and predictions from experts. Stay tuned in.

Reportedly, the owners made another proposal today, one which according to Mike Silver’s sources may have even cut the difference in half. We’ve heard all along the owners were hoping to push the players to the brink the hopes they could get them to blink, but whether or not that happens remains to be seen. The NFLPA still has some leverage, decertification being the first bit and the continued presence of judge David Doty in the litigation phase of things.

Accoridng to ESPN and Adam Schefter, all signs right now are pointing to a lockout.