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NFL And Players' Union Agree To Mediation

The outlook for the 2011 NFL season may have just gotten a little brighter, both the NFL and players' union have agreed to mediation in their labor negotiations.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service will oversee negotiations in Washington beginning Friday.

FMCS director George H. Cohen says, "Due to the extreme sensitivity of these negotiations ... the agency will refrain from any public comment concerning the future schedule and/or the status of those negotiations until further notice."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells The Associated Press in an e-mail Thursday that "We are now in mediation."

The collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players expires March 3.

Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. STATS LLC and The Associated Press contributed to this article. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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