NFL Files Claim with National Labor Relations Board

According to the Washington Post, the NFL filed a claim with the National Labor Relations Board against the NFLPA saying the players' union is failing to "bargain in good faith."

Yes. The government is officially involved.

The league is seeking an order for the union to bargain in good faith. The league maintains in its charge with the NLRB than the union has not engaged in serious bargaining thus far because the players plan to decertify the union and file antitrust litigation against the franchise owners.

In case you're wondering what the NLRB is, it's a group of five members, appointed by the President (with Senate approval) that "protects the rights of private sector employees to join together, with our without a union, to improve their wages and working conditions."

In response to the NFL's filing with the NLRB, the NFLPA released this statement:

"The players didn't walk out and the players can't lock out. Players want a fair, new and long-term deal. We have offered proposals and solutions on every issue the owners have raised. This claim has absolutely no merit."

Congratulations to the NFL. They have taken their squabble between millionaires and billionaires and put it in the laps of the United States government, who obviously has nothing better to do. I mean, it's not like there's a war or a terrible economy to worry about.

After the government listens to which baseball players are or aren't taking steroids, they can now focus on trying to get a bunch of rich football players and even richer owners to sit down and talk like big boys.

Ridiculous.