Trying to reach a deal: The NFL and its players concluded three consecutive days of mediation today, and now head to an appeals court in St. Louis. Commissioner Roger Goodell and several owners were joined by NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith and a group of players before a U.S. magistrate judge. Both sides then issued statements saying they were “engaged in confidential discussions” before Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan and were ordered to maintain confidentiality. Two people with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press the sessions from Tuesday and Wednesday resumed this morning near Chicago. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the meetings were supposed to be secret. According to one of them, the discussions ended at about midday. One source says various issues were discussed, but “to characterize it as progress might not be accurate.” Boylan was to resume mediation June 7 in Minneapolis, but evidently got the sides together early. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and New York Giants owner John Mara were among those on hand. However, not all of the 32 team owners were made aware of the meetings before they began.
Saints star in Midwest: New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush is spending the week in eastern Illinois. It’s part of a planned CBS reality-TV show Same Name. That means Reggie Bush of Danville, Ill., is spending time living the offseason life of an NFL running back. Danville is a former Rust Belt town of 33,000 people about 140 miles south of Chicago. Residents say Bush the running back has filmed scenes at a housing complex and the Moon Glo restaurant. Schlarman High School student Nick Catlin told The (Champaign) News-Gazette that Bush lifted weights with the school’s football team. Catlin says the hometown Reggie Bush is a construction worker. The NFL star tweeted this week that he is “staying with a cool family out here that shares my last name!” He says the show will air in July.
Following up on concerns about postseason: The Justice Department’s antitrust division will meet with the BCS this summer, following up on concerns the department raised with the NCAA about college football’s postseason format. Bowl Championship Series Executive Director Bill Hancock told The Associated Press today that a Justice Department attorney last week asked for a voluntary background briefing on how the BCS operates. Hancock says he agreed to provide one, but that no date has been set yet. “We view it as an opportunity to make it clear that the BCS was crafted very carefully with antitrust laws in mind,” Hancock says. The Justice Department initially raised its concerns with the NCAA, asking why there wasn’t a playoff for college football’s highest level, and said there were “serious questions” about whether the current format to determine a national champion complies with antitrust laws. But NCAA President Mark Emmert responded in a letter last month that the department’s questions were best directed to the BCS.
Outfielder makes ‘Collegiate Baseball’ team: LSU outfielder Mikie Mahtook has been named to Collegiate Baseball All-American second team. Mahtook, a junior from Lafayette, led the SEC in slugging percentage, walks, triples and steals. He finished second in the conference in batting average, home runs and runs scored. In his three years at LSU, Mahtook has a lifetime batting average of .344.
