We were almost in arbitration a couple of times, but everyone thought that it was in everybody’s interest to reach a settlement. If you leave it up to an arbitrator, you have no control of...

I’ve been to 32 teams, and all the players understand where we are. They’re saying, ‘Bring on the uncapped year.

The longer we talked, the further apart we got. Nothing happened for us to make a deal today.

this is a way for us to guarantee that what they take is what’s on the label.

We’ve demonstrated we are not afraid to decertify. We understand the laws and what’s available to us.

The NFL negotiators called us tonight to indicate that they will take our complete package to the owners for an approval vote on Tuesday. We have therefore agreed to extend the free agent deadline until...

We want to have a higher percentage. We want more dollars to come into the system.

It’s actually our model that they have been holding up as the way to go.

I continue to believe that the problem lies with the high revenue clubs and the revenue sharing issue. Their refusal to share more revenues is making it worse for everybody — players, owners, and fans.

That was all in place with this kid, … There was nothing anyone could have done that wasn’t done. In a matter of minutes, he had the proper medical attention and was at the hospital.

I am not going to accept a deal just for the sake of having labor peace. . . . The deal has got to be fair.

They gave us a new proposal, which was worse than their prior offer. Quite naturally, we rejected that proposal and saw no need to continue meeting.

It’s beginning to sound like that movie ‘Groundhog Day.’ They give us the same thing over and over and over. Their last proposal to us was totally unacceptable. You see what happened to hockey. Now...

I wouldn’t want to see that. I wouldn’t recommend players doing their own deals. You’re sitting across the table from a general manager that’s negotiated thousands of contracts.

Things like this are about the integrity of the game and our sport and we have to make sure it is dealt with sufficiently.

We’re farther apart now than we were when we got started. If we get to the uncapped year, we won’t come back, or else we’ll do what we have to do.

They’ve taken the concept of designated gross revenue and changed it to total football revenue and basically come up with the same amount they’re paying the players now, … They have not made a proposal...

They gave me a proposal that is actually less than what we’re getting. All we want is our share that we’ve been getting.

ready to get serious.

The price of poker will go up. We cannot settle and will not agree to stay in the same place we are.

There obviously will not be a cap beyond 2006. So if anyone expects me to make a deal to sell the players on making less money, I’m not going to do that.

What we’re trying to do is encourage people to participate. You can not win unless you get in the game. You’ve got to get into the game and you’ve got to put your name out...

We’re running out of time. I’m at my bottom line. I have nowhere else to go. I’ve said for years that the only thing that would prevent us from getting a deal was if one...

And we’re running out of time. There’s no progress, there’s nothing to report. The positions are still the same.

We’re still trying to get our arms around it [the issue of testing]. There’s no doubt we believe it should be tested for. And there’s no doubt we believe it should be on the banned...

The revenue sharing piece is what’s keeping this piece from getting done.

San Antonio has expressed interest in getting an NFL team, going back to ’93 or ’95,

The price of poker will go up. We can not stay in the place where we are now.

This agreement is not about one side winning or losing.

We’d like to see it. We all understand that’s a big market. We all understand that’s the second-largest market and we should be in that market. And as we go into the TV negotiations [the...

I won’t do it, though, without revenue sharing.

Paul brought up comments that John made after the game. I guarantee you, that’s not helping my case.

Wellington Mara was a true pioneer who understood what it took to make the National Football League great. History will show that his vision, integrity and willingness to share with small-market clubs paved the way...

Our number has to start with a six.

But it’s still early. Look at what’s happening in Jacksonville. The market was there early. They sold a lot of tickets. But they haven’t sustained it. Now they’re roping off seats in order to avoid...

As they say, the clock is ticking and at least they realize that. Basically, though, we’re at the same point.

We are pleased that this process has finally concluded with an agreement. This agreement is not about one side winning and losing. Ultimately, it is about what is best for the players, the owners and...

He said that I had to stay on this. He was very adamant about his position on it. We’re all going to be at the services, but we cannot forget the principles and integrity and...

I’m going to tell the agents to do deals as if there is no salary cap in 2007 if we don’t have a deal by Friday. But under no circumstance will I move back the...

We’re deadlocked. There’s nowhere to go. There’s no reason to continue meeting. We’re too far apart on our economics, and too far apart on revenue sharing, and we’ll go to the uncapped year. There won’t...

He meant as much to us off the field as much as on it, … He had his name on the lawsuit and he didn’t get one penny. That’s just the type of guy he...

We jointly agreed to move the deadline because we owe it to the people we represent. There are no promises from either side.

Whatever happens in this game will not matter after Week 17. If the site was switched late in the season, I’d have a problem with it. But this is early in the season.

Everyone is really concerned we’re getting down to that final deadline. We will do whatever it takes to protect the rights of the players.

Additional thanks go to my old boss, Al Davis, for being the first to rise, as he did in 1993, in support of Paul (Tagliabue) and an agreement.

It would be just like baseball. It would have been very easy for him to say, ‘I have the largest market and I don’t want to share.’ Which is what we have going on right...

There is no chance free agency will be delayed.

It’s absolutely crazy. We’re like the gang that can’t shoot straight. I would never have agreed to move the deadline unless they acceded to my financial conditions. I want to go to bed, too. But...

He meant as much to us off the field as on it. He had his name on the lawsuit (for free agency) and didn’t get one penny. That’s the type of guy he is. His...

I need a number that starts with a 6. I said it at the beginning and I’ve said it all the way through.