Lockout the topic at Kelly tournament

Batavia, NY - It's the lost-offseason in the NFL.

No OTAs--no minicaps. The lockout drags on. The best we have is NFL players on the golf course. And a star-studded field took the course in Batavia Monday for Jim Kelly's annual tournament. They played golf, but they talked lockout.

From current stars like Ben Roethlisberger, to past greats like Archie Manning, Kelly’s 25th annual Celebrity Classic was the usual gathering of NFL stars at Terry Hills Country Club in Batavia.

But will the lockout mean that there will be more football stars in Batavia, than in an NFL Stadium.? The labor dispute was the talk of the day.

Indianapolis Colts Vice Chairman Bill Polian, the former Bills GM, says both sides need to commit to negotiations.

"All I can do is echo Roger's statement that the only way this is going to get settled is by negotiation, “ Polian said. “It's not going to get settled in the court. And that's what you need to happen."

Former New Orleans Saints QB Archie Manning, the father of Colts QB Peyton Manning and Giants QB Eli, says time is running out.

"The closer we get to July, hopefully both sides say we need to get this done so there's some practice time. I just hope they don't miss any games,” Manning told News 4 Sports.

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger says it’s not easy missing all the offseason minicamps.

"It's tough. You try to stay busy working out with the guys, getting together and doing things like that--try to keep it as regular as we can."

If anybody at the golf tournament really wanted to know what was going on with the lockout, all they had to do was ask former Bills linebacker Cornelius Bennett. As a member of the Players Association executive committee, he's been involved in all the negotiations.

"I personally feel that a deal is gonna get done,” Bennett says. “I think both sides, at the end of the day, will be satisfied with what's going on. That's what negotiations are about--at the end of the day, both sides feeling like they won. I think that's where this thing is going."

If the lockout cancels part of training camp, Bennett says don’t worry. As a three-time holdout himself, during his playing career, he’s proven that NFL players really don’t need camp.

It's the 25th year for Jim Kelly's annual Celebrity Golf Tournament. A record 60-foursomes teed it up to help raise money for the Kelly for Kids foundation.