Rhetoric rose while the clock ticked down in the NFL's labor talks Thursday, with the league and players' union trading back-and-forth barbs a day before the twice-extended collective bargaining agreement expires. With the two sides far apart on key economic issues, nine of the 10 members of the owners' labor committee joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the office of the federal mediator overseeing the negotiations -- but, the union complained, none of the owners met with any of the players on hand. Even though there were small-group talks between NFL and union representatives on the 15th day of mediation, no one gave any indication that progress was made. Indeed, the loudest words came in the evening, sparked by comments from league general counsel and lead negotiator Jeff Pash. "Things can come together quickly. Things can fall apart quickly," Pash said when the NFL negotiating team left for the day. "I've said it many times: If both sides have an equal commitment to getting this deal done, it will get done. I don't know if both sides have an equal commitment. ... Obviously, we have the commitment." Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6201349
