Steelers safety Ryan Clark was part of a conference call Friday afternoon with other union representatives and said afterward that he is optimistic the longest lockout in NFL history is close to getting settled. "The last few weeks have been very positive on the whole," Clark said Friday afternoon. "Both sides are actively pursuing a deal and getting this thing done. It's been very positive in all aspects. "People on the outside are getting more optimistic the more the media talks about it, but for those of us on the inside, for those of us in the know, we've been excited."