NFLPA, Retired Players Meet to Try and Resolve Their Differences

Representatives from the NFLPA and various retired players groups met today in Washington, D.C. as part of an effort by new NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith to welcome retired NFL players under the union's umbrella.

Smith himself did not attend the meeting. He was in Seattle, meeting with Seahawks players as part of his summer tour of minicamps. But he has been vocal since his election this spring about wanting to make sure the NFLPA represents retired players as well as active ones. The late Gene Upshaw, who preceded Smith as union chief, alienated retired players groups by openly stating that he believed the union represented active players only.

So far, the retired players seem to be welcoming Smith's efforts, even if they're not yet fully convinced.

"I think it's amazing that a meeting like this is even taking place," said Jennifer Smith, a retired players issue specialist and the former director of the Gridiron Greats advocacy group. "Just the desire to really do anything about these issues facing retired players is a very positive development."

DeMaurice Smith last week began what could turn out to be an ugly and contentious collective bargaining negotiation with NFL owners. If the sides don't reach a deal by March of next year, the 2010 season will be played without a salary cap. One of Smith's many concerns, should that happen, is that the league would slash the disability benefits it pays to retired players by as much as 80 percent annually.

For that reason, it makes sense that Smith would work as hard as he can to make sure the retired players are on his side during these negotiations, but union officials insist that this olive branch would be extended even if they were years away from the next CBA talks. During a press briefing in New York the day before the NFL Draft in April, Smith spoke to reporters of the "moral and fiduciary responsibility" the current NFL players have to the former ones.
"We can do better," Smith said that day. "It's my job to do better."

Now, he's trying to make sure the retired players themselves are getting that message. It's a tough fight.

Bruce Laird, the head of the retired players group Fourth-and-Goal, is a leading advocate for retired players. Last month at the NFL owners' meetings in Fort Lauderdale, Laird and former Giants great Harry Carson addressed the owners to let them know of their intention to relaunch the NFL Alumni Association as a single group to represent all retired players. Laird has talked tough about the union's past failures to address the needs (particularly the pension and health-care needs) of retired players, and while he was at the meeting today in Washington and said he's encouraged by the stance the new union leadership is taking, he doesn't seem like he's come all the way around yet.

"I firmly believe that we need the union as much as we need the owners to talk about our needs," Laird told FanHouse.

Today's meeting came in the wake of last week's settlement of the Herb Adderley lawsuit, in which the NFLPA agreed to pay more than $26 million for breach of licensing and marketing deals with retired players. Asked iif that settlement was a good sign of coming unity between the NFLPA and retired players, Laird made a bruqsue reference to the fact that a federal jury had actually awarded $28.1 million to the retired players in the Adderley suit last November.

"I look at this (settlement) as the bill was paid and it was actually undervalued," Laird said.

And when asked where he stood on what appears to be the key difference between players and owners as CBA negotiations get underway -- Smith's request that the owners release audited financial statements to the players -- Laird offered a "no comment." So if he's taking sides, so far it's not the union's.

There is some concern on the union's part that an alliance between Laird and the owners could help the NFL pursue a divide-and-conquer strategy in the upcoming negotiations, and that Laird's and other retired player groups have a ways to go before they're convinced of DeMaurice Smith's ability to represent their interests. But Smith is making the effort, which is a more than past administrations did on this front.