The NFL Lockout has been lifted in United States District Court. Judge Susan Richard Nelson ruled in favor of the players today in an 89-page document.
While this seems to be good news for those that were hoping for a regular start to the 2011 NFL schedule, the owners will almost certainly appeal as soon as possible in the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. Until that appeal is either approved or denied, it doesn’t seem like this will have any effect on the current NFL landscape.
According to the NFL report, “If the league does not get the court to stay the ruling pending an appeal, the league will have to open its doors for players. The NFL also will have to decide whether to impose a similar system that has been in place under the previous collective bargaining agreement that expired on March 11.”
Once the actual decision is released to the media, more information will be available. For now, it seems like there’s reason for football fans to be cautiously optimistic.