Professor William B. Gould is quoted by FOX13's Sam Farmer on how time may be working against the players involved in the NFL lockout.

After three days of secret labor negotiations, the NFL and its players square off in a St. Louis courtroom Friday when the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals will consider whether to let the lockout stand.

Both sides will present oral arguments, though the three-judge panel is unlikely to render a decision for at least two weeks. In a preliminary decision May 17, however, those judges indicated they are leaning toward allowing the owners to keep the lockout in place.

"If the players can't get rid of the lockout, which is what this litigation is all about, then time is working against them and there will be pressure for them to back down," said labor expert William B. Gould IV, a Stanford law professor.