And everyone realizes that the decisions made here will go a long way toward determining the direction of future negotiations. For the last 11 days, the owners have refused to meet with the players, saying that no progress was possible unless the players adjusted their demand for free agency.
Neither Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, nor any of the estimated 50 players attending the sessions updated the press on their discussions. The only movement witnessed by the media was the arrival of a pizza deliveryman at about 2:30 a.m.
The only other stirring was that of reporters attempting to find the source of a report out of Houston that quoted Upshaw as saying he had been having some kind of secret meetings with some kind of management person. Management people quickly denied the report. And that was the evening's only excitement.
Back in New York, the NFL Management Council's executive committee met for 4 1/2 hours. Chairman Hugh Culverhouse, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said management would be "waiting for (last night's) events" in Chicago.
"We are willing to go back to the table when free agency is no longer an issue," Culverhouse said.
Culverhouse said the executive committee could get back together quickly, either in person or by phone, should anything develop in Chicago.
At the meeting in New York, the executive committee "reaffirmed" its decision that all of the replacement games will count in the standings, and announced that the league's competition committee is working out the tiebreaking procedures for a 15-game schedule. Translation: The one week of lost games will stay lost.
Also, the management council announced that players who want to cross the picket line will have to do it by tomorrow at 1 p.m. Last week, it was Friday.
