CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The NFL will have its first work stoppage in 24 years. The question now is how long that stoppage will last.On Friday evening, the NFL Players Association decertified the union, and several star players filed an anti-trust suit against the league.The move is intended to stave off a lockout, but a months-long, protracted court battle will likely ensue.And sportswriters said the Carolina Panthers would be especially hurt by a lengthy court fight.Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is asking fans to be patient. “I think this is the time for our fans to not to be discouraged. We’ve worked very hard. I view this as a bump in the road and in due course we will have an agreement, as the commissioner alluded to, and we’ll have to negotiate an agreement,” he said.But sportswriters said owners shouldn’t take for granted that fans will return. “A lot of people think it’s too big to fail. But, I mean, people said that about banks in this town at one time, too,” said Darin Gantt, who covers the Panthers for the Charlotte Observer and Rock Hill Herald.Gantt is optimistic the season will be saved, but he said a protracted court battle means there will be no summer practices, no training camps, and no pre-season games. He believes that’s especially bad for the Panthers, because they have a new head coach and several starting positions are wide open.”No one knows who the quarterback is going to be, no one knows what the system is going to look like. So if they start up on Labor Day, and say we’re playing football in two weeks, I think that’s going to be a extreme disadvantage,” Gantt said.Gantt said Richardson’s only focus right now is making the lockout as brief as possible.The Panthers were the worst team in the league last year, with just two wins and 14 losses. The Panthers will still get the first pick of the draft next month.
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