CBA Accepted; Vote Scheduled; Lockout Nearly Over

The sports landscape is deader than dead this Sunday – there isn’t even a women’s soccer match to get jacked up about – but thankfully there is one piece of great news to liven things up. And no it has nothing to do with Brett Favre maybe returning to the NFL. Although there is one aspect of the Favre rumor that actually is great news: He’s NOT rumored to be returning to the Vikings. Hallelujah.

As I was saying…there’s one piece of good news today, a report that the NFLPA leadership has approved the CBA the owners ratified on Thursday. Player reps are now flying to Washington to hold a Monday vote – a vote that is considered a mere formality (in other words there’s no reason for us to fear any last minute craziness, except maybe Vincent Jackson running in and demanding millions of dollars just for being awesome).

Once the vote is held and the CBA accepted, the lockout will be over. Mike Freeman says the league year will begin on the fifth day after approval and training camps will open on the seventh day after. I’m assuming the Vikings will make an announcement on their training camp site immediately after the official end of the lockout. They had been holding off on that announcement in hopes they could still hold camp in Mankato. If it’s not in Mankato it will be in Eden Prairie and there will be some ticked-off fans because the facilities there are not equipped to hold spectators.

And of course with the end of the lockout also comes the beginning of free agency. Rumors should be flying fast and furious all week. Who will be cut? Who will be asked to restructure? Will the Vikings make a run at Kyle Orton? Can Sidney Rice be kept in purple?

And the best news: No more endless lockout updates. For the second time in this post, Hallelujah.

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