During a "lengthy meeting" on Saturday, an NBPA search
committee trimmed the list of candidates to replace Simon
Gourdine as new Exec Dir down to three: IMG's Bill Strickland,
one-time union accountant Charles Bennett, and former U.S.
Attorney Bill Hunter. Dropped were agent Len Elmore and Suns
assistant coach Paul Silas. Still, as Ailene Voisin reports,
"the union still appears to be in no hurry to make a final
decision. Perhaps because of internal dissension and the
controversy surrounding the demise of ... Gourdine, the matter
has been tabled for approximately two months." During that time,
union execs will consult an executive head-hunter, and the pool
of candidates could even be expanded (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
2/12).
GRANTHAM SETTLEMENT: The BOSTON GLOBE obtained a copy of
the "confidential settlement agreement" between the union and
former NBPA Exec Dir Charles Grantham, who preceded Gourdine.
Grantham officially resigned last spring citing "irreconcilable
differences," but many speculated the release was over his
expense accounts. According to the document, Grantham agreed to
pay $165,000 as "restitution" out of a final settlement check of
$345,000. It further states that the payment "does not
constitute any admission of wrongdoing. Or that the figure is
the exact amount in question." The document questions whether
Grantham spent the money on union business (Peter May, BOSTON
GLOBE, 2/11).
