The inevitable has happened: despite postponing the talks for an extra week, talks between the NFL and the players union have broken down, ensuring there will be a lockout in football for the foreseeable future. The NFL Players Association filed papers today to decertify, disbanding the union and giving it the chance to sue the NFL under a lockout.

The players union and the NFL have been in the midst of federally mediated negotiations for the last 16 days. The players union rejected a proposal from the league's owners group late this afternoon as a 5 p.m. decertification deadline approached, adding that "significant differences continue to remain," according to union chief DeMaurice Smith. This is the first pro football work stoppage since 1987, and it is unclear how long it could last. To bring the point home: if you go to the players union website, NFLPA.org, it says "Error 404: Football Not Found."