NFLPA's DeMaurice Smith To Meet In-Person With Goodell Friday

By Liz Mullen, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Smith Will Announce A Transition Team Today

New NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith will have his first in-person meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Friday and will announce a transition team today, that could include the three candidates he beat to win his new job as members. Smith, emerging yesterday afternoon in Maui from the last session of a four-day NFLPA meeting at which he was elected Exec Dir, said, "I will see Mr. Goodell on Friday morning." Smith would not give any details about the meeting, including whether it would take place in N.Y., where the league is based, or in DC, where the union is located, but said, "We're going to meet." Additionally, Smith said he plans to meet with players across the league, as well as the agents who represent them, as soon as possible. "We will have a schedule by Friday of my travel schedule to hit all 32 teams, mini-camps, OTAs to meet with the players in the field because first and foremost, that is who I represent. We have made contact with the agent community and I look forward to meeting with them as well." Smith as part of his platform noted he intends to try to repair the relationship between the NFLPA and retired players, and he said, "I am thrilled to report about the great conversations I have had with the retired player groups. So there is a lot on our plate, but we understand our mission well."

TEAM OF RIVALS? Smith said he would release information about a transition team of advisors he has formed to help him adjust to the new job. And he confirmed that he had invited all three candidates he ran against for the position of Exec Dir to be part of that team. Attempts to reach those three candidates -- former NFLPA Presidents Troy Vincent and Trace Armstrong and player attorney David Cornwell -- were unsuccessful. The transition team is also expected to include finance, sports and entertainment, and marketing and licensing experts, some of whom helped Smith create his business plan for the union. The people on the transition team are not neccessarily going to be offered permanent jobs with the NFLPA.