The NFLPA will ask a federal court judge next week to compel NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Giants President & CEO John Mara, Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder and Patriots Owner Robert Kraft to be deposed as part of the union's claim the league colluded in '10. The NFL opposes the depositions and discovery. U.S. District Court Judge David Doty already dismissed the case based on language that ended the '11 lockout that barred claims of collusion. The union contends it was tricked into agreeing to release it claims and only learned of the alleged collusion in March '12. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals this summer sent part of the lawsuit back to Doty, ruling the union should get the chance to prove it had been tricked into agreeing to end the lawsuit, and to terminate the settlement that had governed labor relations between the two sides between '93-'11. The union on July 16 sent a letter to the NFL according to court filings made yesterday that demanded discovery begin and requested depositions of six league officials. In addition to Goodell and the three owners, the other two are Redskins President & GM Bruce Allen and NFL Senior VP/Labor Relations Peter Ruocco. The next day, the league replied it would not meet the demands and would argue against them at a status conference. That is scheduled in front of Doty next Wednesday. The NFL in court papers yesterday laid out its arguments why the union's claims are barred, similar to the ones that have been made previously. The NFLPA contends it should be given an opportunity to prove it was tricked, and the only way to do that is to conduct discovery. It also made one new argument, that players who retired after the '10 season are not bound by the August '11 dismissal of all claims, known and unknown, between the two sides. The union's claims potentially could be billions of dollars.
