No Ruling Yet On Temporary Stay Of Injunction Against NFL Lockout

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals did not rule last night on the NFL’s request for a temporary stay of a lower court’s order to lift the lockout, paving the way for the beginning of the opening of the NFL’s offseason. The clerk for the 8th Circuit, Michael Gans, e-mailed last night that there would be no order "tonight." Surely still on the table is a permanent stay, but the earliest the court would rule on that is early next week. It is unclear if the 8th Circuit could still rule on the temporary stay.

As the league is not planning to usher in free agency immediately, the court could still rule later today, and the league would possibly not have the allegedly irreparable harm it claims starting free agency poses if the lower court’s order is later over turned.

At 8:00am ET this morning, players were able to report to team facilities and work out and meet with coaches. The players’ counsel had asked the 8th Circuit if it would hold off on ruling on the temporary stay until after it files a brief at 1:00pm today. The league responded if the court waited that long, it was in effect denying the temporary stay.