Both sides working on final differences

With NFL owners and locked-out players preparing to vote on a deal that would end the sport's shutdown in the coming days, representatives of both sides went back to work Tuesday to settle their remaining differences.

Attorneys and staff members for the two sides gathered in New York for a meeting overseen by their court-appointed mediator, Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur J. Boylan. Several of the remaining issues pertained to the resolution of the antitrust lawsuit the players filed in March.

Once those are resolved, the players can vote to approve the deal, possibly as soon as late Wednesday. The players could take a single vote to both ratify the agreement and re-form their union, which they dissolved on the same day they filed suit. A majority of the sport's nearly 2,000 players must approve the deal.

Michael Hausfeld, an attorney for retired players involved in the lawsuit who participated in Tuesday's meeting in New York, said he believed a deal between the current players and the league was imminent.

"I think it will happen in the even nearer future than you think," Hausfeld said.

Hausfeld said the issues involving the retired players would be resolved later.

The owners could approve the deal Thursday in Atlanta. The deal would have to be ratified by at least 24 of the 32 owners. NFL officials have said the lockout, which began March 12, will be lifted only when there is a signed collective bargaining agreement.

If both sides approve the deal this week, free agency could begin by early next week. Teams likely will be given a three-day window to re-sign their free agents before players can sign elsewhere.

For that timetable to work, the league and players must work out the remaining details by Wednesday. Members of the NFL Players Association's ruling executive committee met Tuesday in Washington, and they are to be joined Wednesday by team player representatives. The executive committee and the player reps could recommend approval of the deal and re-formation of the union to all the players.

The two sides Tuesday were trying to resolve the antitrust lawsuit and other litigation, including a case filed by the players involving the sport's television contracts and a collusion claim by players against teams.

A signed deal could be worth an estimated $50 billion to all NFL players over 10 seasons.