Seeing as how everything's been sunshine and rainbows here lately, I figured I'd rain on everybody's parade for a moment. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier today just decided, via a 2-1 vote, to place a permanent stay on the injunction to lift the lockout, until at least a full appeal is heard. The date for that is scheduled right now for June 3^rd.

By making this ruling, the appellate court has agreed that the NFL could suffer irreparable damages should the lockout be lifted. Funny considering the lockout was initially lifted because a U.S. federal judge believed that the players would in turn suffer irreparable damages should the lockout stay in place.

The upside to this is that the owners and players have recently begun mediating again. Of course, the last couple of sessions yielded... well, less than nothing. But perhaps the fact that both the owners and the players have recently been smacked by the court system, with the upcoming appeal's ruling now in legitimate doubt, both sides will decide that the whole legal process isn't a surefire strategy for anyone.

Let's hope, anyways.