Should the NFL Mediate with Players?

NFL players and owners have been in a dispute over protests occurring during the national anthem at games, which recently led to league representatives and players meeting face-to-face. After the owners conferred, they announced that the NFL would not require players to stand for the anthem. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the owners hoped that support for the players' activism would lead to standing for the national anthem voluntarily. 

Recently, San Francisco 49ers player Eric Reid invited the league to participate in a mediation to resolve the issue. The response from the NFL was that it was not interested in having a mediator participate in their meetings.

Joe Lockhart, NFL executive vice president of communications and public affairs said, "The real strength of the dialogue going on is that it is direct." Lockhart also said that there are no future face-to-face meetings scheduled.

What would mediators say to this response? Of course, we have no "inside" information from the owners. However, given that limitation, mediators say that mediation cannot work unless both parties want to resolve the issue. And, oftentimes, the party who does not want to mediate perceives themselves as having greater power.

As mediation becomes more and more known, disputants are becoming aware that they may request it as a method towards resolution. But in my opinion, the owners won't mediate until they perceive that it is in their best interest to do so. 

The dispute does not appear to be at that point yet.