Control is no longer in the hands of the wealthy NFL owners and popular league players.
The courts will now decide the fate of the 2011 NFL season after the NFL Player Association filed for decertification Friday before the 4 p.m. CST deadline.
The disbanding of the union allows players to sue the NFL owners on violations of anti-trust. 
The NFLPA and NFL extended the deadline from March 3 to Friday after minor progress was made in the negotiations. Friday was the 16th day of mediated talks between the two groups. 
The two sides are torn on the distribution of the reported $9 billion of revenue, a possible 18-game season and player benefits, among other issues.
Union chief DeMaurice Smith requested the financial records from the owners before he would agree to other extension, but the owners refused. 
NFL quarterbacks Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, as well as other players, will reportedly be the plaintiffs in the case against in the league.
“To our fans — I give you my word that we as players are doing everything we can to negotiate with the NFL towards a fair deal,” Brees tweeted earlier Friday. “The NFL brought this fight to us — they want $1 billion back, we just want financial information to back up that request.”
The move by the NFLPA isn’t completely unchartered territory. 
Reggie White led a class action lawsuit in 1993, which ultimately led to free agency. 
Former LSU players who are currently in the NFL will be impacted by Friday’s decision.
Ryan Clark, a former Tiger defensive back, is the player union representative for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kevin Mawae, a former LSU offensive lineman, is the president of the NFLPA.
Also, less household names will be forced to change their offseason plans.
Former LSU special teams standout Dan Graff said he’s talked to many past teammates, including Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn and San Francisco 49ers defensive back Curtis Taylor, and they plan to return to Baton Rouge while the two sides battle it out in the courtrooms. 
“I talked to a couple of guys and they said they’re out of a job,” Graff said. 
The NFL Draft will still be held April 28, but not much other action will take place.
“It’s so expensive where they play that it’s just cheaper to move back to Baton Rouge,” Graff said. “LSU is one of those places where we welcome back past athletes.”
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Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]