As many of us expected, the owners and players failed to reach an agreement and the lockout begins at midnight tonight. Both sides have dug in for the long haul, so this is the beginning of a loooonnggg offseason.This is an excellent Q&A describing the situation. At this point, the lockout has become a foregone conclusion, but the optimist in me hoped that the players and owners would consider their fans and reach an agreement. Unfortunately, the situation is way too contentious for that to happen.