DeMaurice Smith, Roger Goodell Meet, But Do Not Discuss CBA

Smith Spends An Hour Meeting With NFL Commissioner

New NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met alone for about an hour in Goodell’s office Friday in N.Y., but they did not discuss the CBA or any serious business. NFL Senior VP/PR Greg Aiello in an e-mail said, “It was a get-acquainted session only. They had a good meeting -- one-on-one for about an hour.” A source close to Smith described it as “a basic meet and greet” and what one could expect from a first meeting. “Both feel they want to have a good relationship with each other but remain true to their constituencies,” said this source. “They both have to do their jobs” (Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal). In DC, David Elfin writes there is "no question the hot topic when NFL owners meet the next three days in Dana Point, Calif., will be a man who won't be there," as Smith is a "mystery to the owners." There are "several factors" including the death of late NFLPA Exec Dir Gene Upshaw, the economic climate and the retirement of former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue that has "put pressure on Smith and Goodell to make a deal that would avert the elimination of the salary cap in 2010 and a subsequent lockout of the players in 2011" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/23).

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME: ESPN.com's Jeffri Chadiha wrote Smith is the "right man at the right time for the NFLPA." Smith's friends "rave about his vision and passion," and his co-workers "admire his energy and intelligence." But "most important, the players who elected him can see that he's the ideal leader to guide them" after Upshaw passed away in August. The players "deserve credit for opening their minds and giving Smith a legitimate shot." They "easily could have chosen a candidate like Trace Armstrong or Troy Vincent," but now "wasn't the time for the union to find another Gene Upshaw." There is "simply too much at stake to think that playing the game gave a candidate a major advantage," and the players "needed to consider what an 'outsider' could do for them." Former NFLer Charles Mann said, "We needed some change in the NFLPA. Gene Upshaw did a fantastic job of laying out a well-structured plan that helped a lot of players make money. But we're also entering into a new era where we need even more structured thinking" (ESPN.com, 3/20). Ravens CB Domonique Foxworth said of Smith, "You plop that man in front of people and he's on display. The other candidates were outmatched, honestly." In Denver, Mike Klis wrote "given this uncertain climate, the players union wanted its own version" of MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr. Foxworth: "Not that a former player couldn't do it, but it better be a former player with a whole lot of experience in the field of law. There are some big people we're negotiating against. It's a big job" (DENVER POST, 3/22).

SPENDING HABITS: SI.com's Don Banks wrote, "Whose tone-deaf call was it to schedule this year's annual meeting for the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif., where rooms start around $500 a night?" (SI.com, 3/20).