CFL training camps opened Sunday amid the uncertainty of a potential players strike. Veterans reported for the start of two-a-day workouts three days after negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement broke down for the second time in as many weeks. The old deal expired at midnight ET on Thursday, the two sides havent met since and have no new talks scheduled. The CFL Players Association has mailed strike ballots to its members but Alberta labour laws could push the start of a strike into next week. For defensive back Eric Fraser, a union rep for the expansion Ottawa Redblacks, thats a good thing. "Thats a lot of time for the (CFLPA) executive and CFL to sit back down and hammer something out," he said. "I dont think were too far away right now, but tough decisions are going to have to be made on our end and their end and hopefully we can nail something out and everyone leaves the negotiating table a little upset because they think they gave up a little too much." There has been one strike since the formation of the CFLPA in 1965. That was in 74 when a new agreement was reached during training camp without the loss of regular-season games. The 2014 regular season is scheduled to kick off June 26. Despite the huge cloud hanging over the league, Fraser is confident a deal will be reached. "I have 100 per cent confidence there would be no lockout or strike like (2012 in the NHL) in the CFL," he said. "You just cant do it. "A good deal is going to get done here and I think thats positive." The CFL and players met for 17 hours over two days last week but money remains a major stumbling block after the league signed a five-year TV deal with TSN said to be worth a whopping $42 million annually this off-season. That deal alone would reportedly net teams an extra $2.7 million in 2014. The CFLPA is looking for the salary cap -- which was $4.4 million last year -- to increase to $5.8 million, with a $4.8 million minimum. The league has countered with a $5-million cap offer and boosting the average stipend to $96,000 from $92,917. The players have amended their revenue-sharing stance. Instead of requesting specific percentages on gate, television and sponsorship revenues, the CFLPA proposed a fixed cap for at least two years. After the second if league revenues increased by more than $12 million -- excluding the Grey Cup -- the two sides would renegotiate the cap or the CBA would be terminated at seasons end. The league would renegotiate the cap if revenues increased by $27 million or more in the third year. Cohon, who called the CFLs proposal last week its last and best, has repeatedly stated owners wont agree to any revenue-sharing offer because league revenues and profits arent enough for the model to work effectively. And that bothers veteran kicker Paul McCallum, the B.C. Lions player rep. "I dont know which way is up when (Cohon) talks sometimes," McCallum said. "All I know is the finances are what they are -- theyre black and white. "As players we just need to be treated fairly, and thats all were asking for. Were not millionaires here." For decades the CFL suffered financially, something the 44-year-old McCallum knows firsthand. But the veteran kicker feels the CFL is banking on the union cracking this time around. "To be quite honest, over my career weve sort of bent and bent and bent so I guess they think why would we not bend now," he said. "Theyre in for a rude awakening this time. "Enough is enough." Argos centre Jeff Keeping, also a member of the CFLPA executive, is glad to be playing football again but would readily replace his uniform with a suit for the resumption of contract talks. "The players are unwavering . . . we hope to get back to the negotiating table," he said. "Until then were here to play football." Veteran Ottawa quarterback Henry Burris is undeterred about the leagues labour strife but said its time the two sides resume talking. "The people that are in place saying all this stuff in the media, they need to quit all that crap and get to work and do what theyre paid to do and thats to make decisions and get this thing rectified so we can get back out here and do our jobs," he said. "For me thats the bottom line, as a senior member of the CFL, Im telling you guys Lets get this thing done, so we can get out here on the field and do our jobs because were looking forward to an amazing time here in Ottawa and we dont want nobody to spoil this party that we have planned." Toronto head coach Scott Milanovich has contingency plans for a work stoppage but says right now its business as usual. "Any practices we can get is great for the coaches, great for the players," he said. "It just makes the practices we get in even more important that we take advantage to all the minutes and reps we get." Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and B.C. running back Andrew Harris are both pretty much taking the same approach. "Its not in my mind, its not in my control," Levi Mitchell said. "No matter what, whatever happens, the day you come back, if it does happen, youve got to be ready to play that day. Were going to come out here and compete and get better every single day and practise like nothings going on." Added Harris: "Were here to work. were here to get better. Youve just got to prepare as if everythings going great and were going to be playing." -- With files from Lisa Wallace in Ottawa, Donna Spencer in Calgary and Joshua Clipperton in Kamloops, B.C. Scarpe Nike Scontate Del 50 . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics. Nike Scarpe Italia Outlet . Portland won Game 4 Sunday night at the Moda Center and are now up 3-1. The last time the Blazers won a playoff series came in the 2000 Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz. http://www.nikescarpescontate.it/ . Seth Smith hit a towering drive for a tying homer leading off the eighth and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs to give the Padres a 3-1 victory against the rival Dodgers in baseballs North American opener Sunday night. Scarpe Nike Scontate Italia . Joining him in this years class were Switzerlands Patrick Huerlimann and Norways Eigil Ramsfjell. The announcement was made at the world mens curling championship at Capital Indoor Stadium in China. Scarpe Nike Offerta Online .com) - The Boston Bruins announced Monday that the team has signed goaltender Niklas Svedberg to a one-year contract.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hey Kerry, Ill keep this short and sweet as Im sure Toronto fans will be flooding your inbox, but last night Dion Phaneuf was given a tripping penalty on a player who was offside. Why was he penalized? The opponent was offside and the whistle would/should have been blown just before the trip. Thanks,John --- Phaneuf for tripping - why was this a penalty? Was it because the trip happened before the linesman blew the whistle dead? I thought that the linesman blew the whistle and the trip happened after the whistle. Randy Carlyle seemed to accept the refs explanation. Regards,Dallas --- Watched the Leafs beat Phoenix - wondering about Dions penalty for tripping after the play was called offside? How is this even possible to get an in-game penalty outside of the game play? If anything, shouldnt it have been called unsportsmanlike conduct, which he would have gotten had he gone up to someone and tripped them outside of game play? Justin John, Dallas and Justin:Infractions that occur simultaneously with or after a stoppage are typically penalized as though play was actually in progress. I could offer many examples where penalties have been assessed during a stoppage in play including just prior to a puck drop when players are lined up for a faceoff. The rules are applied whether the game clock is running or not. However, rule 57 (tripping) is very specific in stating, "Accidental trips which occur simultaneously with a completed play will not be penalized. Accidental trips occurring simultaneously with or after a stoppage of play will not be penalized." The optimum word in the rule is "accidental." This is intended to allow the referee to exercise common sense and sound judgment in determining that a trip occurring simultaneously with or after a stoppage would have absolutely no bearing on the play. If however, a tripping infraction in the opinion of the referee caused an attacking player from cleanly entering the zone and therefore resulted in an offside at the blue line then the trip would in fact have a bearing on the play and a penalty would be assessed. It was a bang-bang play last night when Mike Ribeiro pulled the puck back and made a shift just ahead of the blue line to avoid a Dion Phaneuf check. Ribeiros move delayed the puck from crossing the line and caused David Moss to jump offside on the right wing. Phaneuf then stuck his stick in the feet off Ribeiro causing the Coyote to trip after the offside infraction had been committed and but a split second before the linesmans whistle sounded.dddddddddddd As a result, there should have been no penalty assessed to Dion Phaneuf on the play. The wide camera shot demonstrates that both referees immediately reacted to the trip by raising their arms. The referee in the neutral zone can be seen giving a wash-out signal because once the linesman blew his whistle he realized the play was offside at the blue line. The other referee that made the call from deep inside the Leafs end zone and on the opposite side to where trip had occurred did not pull back on his first reaction to the trip and assessed the penalty. From his position, the ref inside the zone must have deemed that the trip caused the offside and the blue line and therefore should be penalized. I had a similar play one game in Los Angeles when Terry Murray was coaching the Kings. A King forward carried the puck across the attacking blue line. While the referee doesnt usually pay close attention when an attacking team crosses the blue line I had a quick sense that this entry looked offside but no whistle resulted. The attacker continued to carry the puck a good fifteen feet inside the zone when a defender tripped the King puck carrier. I raised my arm and as I blew my whistle I heard the sound of the linesmans whistle being blown simultaneously with mine. I approached the linesman and asked what had happened. He said the play was offside and he was slow in blowing the whistle; 15 feet slow! There was no way that I was going to penalize a team for a trip that had no bearing on the play as a result of an offside that should have been blown down well in advance of the trip. Problem was Terry Murray, the players on both teams and close to 20,000 people saw me raise my arm to call the obvious trip! I communicated my decision and reasons not to assess the penalty to Murray. In spite of Terrys protest that I couldnt take away a penalty that everyone in the building saw me call my final decision stood. My last comment to Terry at the Kings bench was that in the NFL it would be announced as an "errant flag". On this night in the Staples Center he could consider it as an "errant arm"! I skated over to the penalty box, clicked on my microphone and make the official announcement, "There was no penalty on the play as a result of the offside at the blue line." The linesman quickly dropped the puck in the neutral zone and it was "game on." Common sense and sound judgment prevailed. ' ' '