Cards’ Feely not as optimistic about end of lockout

While it may appear that the NFL lockout could be nearing its end, the Cardinals’ Jay Feely isn’t quite so sure.

The team’s player representative for the player’s association, according to AZCardinals.com, told ESPN’s Sportscenter, “I do not think (a resolution) is as close as some people make it out to be.”

That’s probably not what football fans want to hear. Feely went into detal:

“I was just on a conference call,” he said. “Obviously, I cannot talk about the details of it, but we are absolutely working hard. I do not think it is as close as some people make it out to be. There are still some issues we have to resolve. I do not think we are going to miss games. I am hopeful that we will not miss games. But there are definitely some steps that need to be taken. Rational thought needs to be the dominant force driving these negotiations.

“If you allow emotion to get into it, if one side tries to strong arm another, then it is not going to get accomplished. All that hurts in the end is not only the fans, but 150,000 jobs that are tied directly to the in-stadium experiences, as well as all of the restaurants and hotels that depend on that revenue to make mortgage payments and survive and sustain themselves. It is incumbent on both sides to keep rational thought at the forefront and find a way to get a deal done.”

Maybe Feely is just hedging his bets, as saying the lockout will end soon only to have it not would make him look bad.

Then again, the lockout will not be over until it’s over, and it would behoove us all to not get excited over every rumor that says it is coming to an end.

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