Lockout update: No news is the best possible news

The league and the union have been locked in a room with a federal mediator for four straight days now, and unless you've been in that room, that's as much as anyone knows right now.

We know they're talking. A lot. That's all we know.

And that is the best possible scenario.

For months, lockout news was dominated by both sides painting themselves as the noble, wronged party, accompanied by public posturing about how determined they were to have things their way. We got letters to the fans, we got commercials, we got Twitter hashtags. And along with those things, we got cancelled negotiating sessions and public whining.

For the past few days, we've been getting the opposite. Lots of talks, lots of meetings, and no one doing any public complaining.

That is substantial progress, regardless of what's actually happening in the room. It's a complete philosophy change. They've gone from "I'm going to get all red and huffy and stand over here in the corner and hold my breath until everyone knows that I am right" to "All right, we'll at least try to talk this thing out."

The federal mediator asked both sides to stop commenting in public, and they have. The most anyone, whether they're from the league or the union, will say to a reporter is, "We're talking."  That's why there's been no news. And because they've been talking for six-to-eight hours a day, there are probably more newsworthy things happening right now than we've had since this whole thing began.

I promise you, league and union: We're fine with that. It's less important that we know what's happening than it is that you're actually working towards a resolution.

So thanks. Keep doing what you're doing. We're glad you're at least trying now.

Gina Gershon Ehrinn Cummings Sienna Miller Cindy Taylor Halle Berry