Rooney Points Finger at the NFLPA Over Lockout

Art Rooney II released the following statement on the Steelers’ web site on Saturday in regards to the players being locked out after a new deal could not be hammered out between the players and owners.

“I am very disappointed that we were not successful in reaching an agreement with the Players Association in the round of mediation that the Players Association walked away from on Friday. The NFL Owners put a very fair offer on the table that we felt provided the framework for completing an agreement.”

“The NFL is willing to negotiate an agreement that is fair to the players, our teams and our fans. We do not believe the decertification of the Players Association is a legitimate bargaining tactic, and we have asked the National Labor Relations Board to review the conduct of the Players Association.”

“I can assure our fans that we are committed to negotiating an agreement that will allow us to get back to football as soon as possible. I remain optimistic that eventually cooler heads will prevail and we will be back at the bargaining table in the near future.”