Locked, unlocked, now locked up again. America’s favorite sport, football, has been held hostage by team owners for weeks now, and all we fans can do is sit and watch.

The National Football League has been in contract negations with players because they want to lengthen the regular season to from 16 games, to 18. But the players like Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady are not in favor of this decision.

"I know our fans may not like preseason games, and I don't like all of them," said Lewis, a Baltimore Ravens linebacker, "but swapping two preseason games for two end-of-season games, when players already play hurt, comes at a huge cost for the player and the team."

The last time the NFL experienced a lockout and stoppage was in 1987. One thing that was different from this go around of the lockout is free agency didn’t exist. What is it and how does it affect football.

However, the currently existing free agency could be a little more complicated.

Another significant difference is that during the strike in 87, many players on strike felt betrayed by teammates who went to far and crossed the line, which caused tremendous dysfunction in the locker room. In regards to the current lockout, the players have united behind their leader while the two sides battle it out.

The last time the lockout happened, the situation left fans and players alike asking, “Will a lockout happen again?”

Here we are, 24 years later, and another lockout has been placed on the league. At this point, both sides are as nervous as their fans. After the 1987 strike, the players association and owners still did not reach an agreement for two years.

Hopefully for fans, history will not repeat itself.