National Football League

NFL, union trade insults on Twitter

Published Mar. 10, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The deadline to reaching a new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL owners and players is Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET, but the indications from both sides on Thursday evening aren’t very good. In fact, you could say it couldn’t be much worse at this point.

Both sides gave interviews to the media in different forms, and nothing that was said could be construed as positive.

First, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith kicked things off late Thursday afternoon on Twitter.

“Players stay strong! Stay informed, update by 2pm tomorrow,” the union leader said.

Player sources said that the feeling after the last week’s extension is that the NFLPA was against extending the CBA discussions again, so Smith could be putting it out that things aren’t going well and to expect a major update on Friday afternoon.

Then NFLPA assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah took his frustrations to Twitter.

“I would like to request an expense credit from the owners on the last 3 hours of my life.

“Media, fans and friends: No negotiating tonight. We were just told the owners broke for dinner. You may go home now."

Responding to Atallah's comments, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told a reporter on Twitter: "While George is at it, ask him when is union going to respond to our 150 pages of draft CBA provisions."

Things also looked bleak when NFL general counsel Jeff Pash summed up where things are headed.

"I don't know if both sides have an equal commitment (to getting the CBA done),” the lawyer said to a throng of reporters in Washington. “Obviously we have the commitment."

Smith later responded: "With all due respect, when someone wants to stand up and say that he questions or doubts one party's commitment to the negotiation process, all I would ask is for all of you, everybody who has an obligation to the people who love this game and the players who dig this game, everybody who reports (who) is here, stick to the facts."