Players and league officials expressed disappointment after a new labor agreement wasn't reached prior to Friday night's deadline. "It's a sad day for football," said free agent offensive lineman Damien Woody. "I'm sad that it had to come to his. As players, we didn't want this, but we felt like it was the only option we had. We didn't opt out of the CBA two years go. The owners did. Now, it has become a situation that we have to leave it to the lawyers and courts to hopefully bring this to a resolution that is best for everybody." Hall of Famer Mike Ditka saw the stalemate as selfish, fearing retired players will be hurt the most if the NFL shuts down. "What this is about is the people in the game, the owners and the players," said the former Bears tight end and, later, Chicago's coach. "That's all they care about."