"The NFL claims to have embarked on 10 years of labor peace. The current situation between the league and the NFLPA more accurately would be described as a cold war.

At a time when the NFL and the union are at impasse regarding HGH testing, which the two sides agreed would happen this season but hasn't, a new fight is emerging regarding the question of player misconduct during the lockout.

An August 4 letter agreement signed by NFL general counsel Jeff Pash and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith seems to indicate that eight players deemed repeat offenders will be subject to discipline for incidents arising between March 11 and August 3. The league definitely interprets the letter to permit punishment to be imposed on those eight players."