What we're hearing in New Orleans
... the NFL and NFL Players Association are close to an agreement on HGH testing.
That's what NFLPA President Domonique Foxworth told USA TODAY Sports, and Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said the same thing to a small group of news reporters. Foxworth said the sides met last week.
This is an issue both sides badly want to resolve. But like anything, it's a negotiation, a give and take.
The give for the NFLPA is to allow HGH testing, but the take they'd like to have is independent arbitration for penalties levied across the board, not just for HGH-testing issues. The union also wants a more standard scale and definition of why players are fined as much as they are for on-field conduct, such as illegal hits.
In other words, while the minimum amounts of fines are set forth in the CBA, the union will want to know why certain amounts are applied to repeat offenders such as Ravens safety Ed Reed ($55,000 for a hit late in the season) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison ($75,000 for a hit in 2010).
Expect the fine system to be a topic of conversation during NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's news conference today.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco spoke on the issue during his session with reporters at media day Tuesday when he said the current system isn't working, is only taking money out of players' pockets, isn't taking intent into consideration and suspensions (with pay) might be a better alternative.
Bisciotti backed up his quarterback by noting accidental hits shouldn't be penalized.
"I think it's a shame that it's going to cost these guys in fines. I think that maybe the fines should be when we view these hits really as the intent of the hits," Bisciotti said.
"Hitting a guy in the chest and your helmet riding up and hitting him in the face mask when he's ducking and you're hitting, those things don't deserve fines.
"I believe in Roger. I believe that he did the right thing, and I believe that with every change, there will be a correction."
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