The NFL lockout has gone on way too long, and for many Belmont betting enthusiasts the end can’t come soon enough. With the lockout reaching three months, late last week, fans both casual and hardcore and hoping, praying, pleading that the NFL and its players union will end the sports betting lockout at least for this season. Here is the latest offseason news.

For the second week in a row, the NFL and its players union, met in private to work out a new collective bargaining agreement. Recall, right before the hearing with the eighth circuit court of appeals last Friday, it was announced by multiple sources, that the head of the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell and PA head DeMaurice Smith along with their attorneys had met in private in Chicago to resume negotiations after a month’s layoff.

However, these second set of private meetings come as a huge surprise, after the NFL’s lawyer made a disparaging comment towards the PA during the hearing with the federal court of appeals. In that hearing, the lawyer claimed that the decertification of the PA by the players was simply a scam to pull one over on the NFL. As a result of the comments, many people supporting the PA were insulted, and felt that the NFL’s lawyer had screwed up the new private negotiations.

Having said that, as of yesterday afternoon, the NFL and PA had once again resumed negotiation talks, in hopes of working out a deal to save the 2011 – 12 seasons. In theory, the next few weeks are absolutely pivotal to any chance at a new CBA and regular season. At the hearing last week, the eighth circuit court of appeals went on record telling both sides they wouldn’t benefit from the upcoming ruling in the beginning of July. Yet if the NFL and PA worked out an agreement, the Federal Court wouldn’t pass a decision.