The people who would suffer most if there's no NFL season this year are those whose jobs, businesses and even charitable organizations. "It's like an earthquake -- there's a ripple effect out to other people, other parts of the region," said James J. Cochran, co-author of "An Event Study of the Economic Impact of Professional Sport Franchises on Local U.S. Economies" and an associate professor in economics at Louisiana Tech. "You can't really assume the impact is limited to the area around the stadium. You feel the shock everywhere along the way. It may not be the same shaking as at the epicenter, but you feel it." The NFL and the players union are talking with a federal mediator to work out a new collective bargaining agreement. If they don't have a deal by Friday afternoon, the owners could lock out the players or the NFLPA might decertify and take its fight to court.