With four seconds on the clock and only losing by two, the Indianapolis Colts have only one more chance to win the 2012 AFC title game. The opposing team, the Baltimore Ravens, firmly stand their ground, not one bit relaxed. Though the Colt’s are 80 yards away from the end-zone, with Peyton Manning as the quarterback, miracles could be made. The football slides into Peyton Manning’s hands and the final play begins. Manning, realizing the Ravens are throwing a blitz, instantly fakes a pass to his go-to receiver Reggie Wayne and creates a hole in the defense.

He jets past the linebackers and with every ounce of strength remaining in him, heaves the ball to his second wide receiver, Pierre Garcon. The Baltimore players look in horror as see they what is about to happen: Garcon, who only has one player covering him, uses a nice juke to get past his defender, catches the ball, and runs it in for the game winning touchdown. Manning did it again; he threw another incredible touchdown. For the second time in three years, the Colts are going to the Superbowl.

Now imagine this scenario: it is mid-January, when the NFL playoffs would normally be taking place, however Peyton Manning and his several league mates are in their houses just watching some television. Sounds absurd, huh? However with a financial disagreement between the players and the NFL taking place, this scenario could actually come true. The disagreement between the owners and the players led to a lockout, which if not resolved, would mean there would be no 2011-2012 season at all.

The NFL and the NFL Players’ Association are currently in talks to install a new collective bargaining agreement before the 2011-2012 season. A collective bargaining agreement is where a labor union and an employer set forth the terms for the employees who are members of the labor union. However, the employers (NFL team owners) and the employees (players) are having disagreements on the terms of the new CBA. Thus, the team owners imposed a lockout on the players which means until their disagreement is resolved, there will be no NFL season.

Let’s look at the perspectives of both sides. According to Sports Illustrated, the team owners want to take in 2 billion dollars (an extra 1 billion from what they are taking already) off the 9 billion dollars the NFL makes a year in order to upgrade stadiums and to fund for other construction. This would mean the players would likely take a cut from their salaries; however, the players are ready to abide by the owners as long as the owners provide them with a full financial disclosure of their dealings. The owners are declining to do so, which is why there is a rift between the two sides.

Though the players did respond by suing the owners for antitrust, another recent twist was added to the dispute. According to the New York Times, on April 6, the players requested an injunction to the lockout. An injunction is basically a ban, so if Susan Richard Nelson, the United States District Judge handling the case approves the injunction, the lockout would be lifted.

If she rejects the injunction plea, the lockout would resume and next year, we can forget about buying snacks and inviting friends to “the big game on Sunday.”