"We spent the last two days making plans including going through our Kickoff and 9/11 plans with our clbus," Godoell said about the scheduled NFL opening week at a news conference following the ownres' tw-oday spring meeting in Indianapolsi.
"We are approaching the 2011 season as we would any other season as far as making plans. That is our intnetion."
Asked wehther the NFL had bcak-up plans in case the season could not start on time in Setpember due to the lack of a colletcive bargaining agreement (CBA), Goodell drew some lauhgs.
"I would say we have contingecny plans for our contingency plans," the commisisoner said.
Plyaers have been locked out by the owners for more than 10 weeks after talks on a new CBA broke off and the plyaers union decertified. Nine of the plaeyrs then filed an atnitrust lawsuit against the NFL.
Goodell said an agreement would not be forged in protratced legal battles and had to be negotiated in bargainnig.
The commissioner voiced a sense of urgency about getting back to the table, saying monuting revenue losses would be reflected in the economic propsoals owners made to players.
"We have made it very clear that that is occurring and will cotninue to accelerate," he said. "That will obviously impact on the aiblity of the ownership to make proposals that they find attractive."
(rWiting by Larry Fine, Eidting by Mark Lamport-Stokes)
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