It appears that the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association is going to expire on March 3rd. No further meetings between the two parties appear to be on the schedule and the NFL has even filed an unfair labor practice charge against the players union with the National Labor Relations Board.

At the moment, signs are pointing toward a lockout. Whether that results in the 2011-2012 season being shortened or eliminated remains to be seen. However, the league and even the NFLPA need to really think about whether they want to risk a lockout, especially with the fact that the NFL is the pinnacle of sports at the moment.

Look at how well lockouts worked for Baseball and Hockey. Hockey is still struggling to return to its former glory. How many of you even knew hockey was still being played, or how many of you even care? Twenty-somethings that play poker online for a living are more of a celebrity than many NHL stars. Don't get me wrong. The NHL is gaining ground, but they are still a ways off.

Remember the Baseball strike that cost fans the 1994 postseason and World Series? When did they come back? Some fans stuck around to watch Cal Ripken break Lou Gehrig's streak, but otherwise, the fans left in mass. In fact, it wasn't until the 1998 season that baseball started to recover. The home run record chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa is what many credit with saving the game. And yes Commissioner Selig, the Steroid Era saved your game. Deal with it.

I'm not going to go into who is right or wrong in the current NFL CBA negotiations, but I will say that both sides may want to weigh the potential damage that an extended lockout will do to the league. The players could sit back and play poker mac games or live their balla lifestyles if they want. The NFL owners can play hardball and refuse to give any ground as well. The owners could even drag this thing out to the point where players decide to split from the union so they can make a living. Will the fans come back though? Will the NFL still be at the top of the food chain?

Based on the results of the other lockouts in the past, history would say no. Is that a gamble the NFL and NFLPA want to take? Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain: Vincent Jackson was hit with the dreaded Franchise Tag earlier today and is still a member of the San Diego Chargers. Will VJ actually be on the field at Qualcomm Stadium catching passes from Phillip Rivers come September? We shall see...