"The claim will be that now that the players are not represented by a union, and therefore are independent employees, any lockout attempts by the owners is ostensibly an organized boycott of workers by 32 businesses working in concert, a violation of antitrust law."
http://bizoffootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=784:unable-to-breach-gap-with-nflpa-dissolves-files-antitrust-lawsuit&catid=34:nfl-news&Itemid=53
What I don't understand is: How can the players force the owners to conduct business? If the league continued playing but barred players in the union from participating then I would understand, but If the league shuts down for a year then what is the players case? Can they force the owners to continue conducting business?
Also, the owners are certainly correct in their assertion that the union decertification is a sham and that the players are still acting in concert with each other. I don't know if this means anything legally though.
Anyway, just curious if anyone has an explanation for this.