Mar 3, 3:04 AM EST
By BARRY WILNER
AP Pro Football Writer
The NFL and the players' union no longer have months or weeks or days to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. If they don't get it done before Thursday turns to Friday on the East Coast, pro football's first work stoppage since 1987 is almost a certainty.
Yes, America's most popular sport could see the 2011 season jeopardized.
Both sides are trying again, beginning Thursday morning with a 10th day of federal mediation. Neither side is making optimistic proclamations.
"We're talking," union president Kevin Mawae said Wednesday. "It's better than not talking."
