Attorney Jim Acho, who was unsuccessful in running for the NFLPA Exec Dir position, said yesterday that he "hopes to work with the NFLPA" to improve health care for retired players, but added that "he had 'a bad taste in my mouth' from how the election unfolded," according to Dave Birkett of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. Acho said, "There was a deliberate attempt by people at the NFLPA to keep me and Sean Morey off the ballot. ... I believe there was absolutely some stacking of the deck by the executive committee in [incumbent DeMaurice Smith's] favor." Acho said that he "doesn't have any plans" to run in the next election in three years, also noting that he "walked away from the process with mixed emotions." Acho: "If we can get some things done for retired players or regarding long-term health care for all players, then it's not a total loss. The feedback that I got from numerous guys was hands down my presentation was the best, but that in Q and A I didn't have enough data to support some of my conclusions regarding health care or trying to get rid of the rookie cap. I just didn't have enough data, so the Q and A's pretty much what did me in." Acho said that he was "told Smith got 17 votes on the first ballot, and that he finished in second place with nine" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 3/17).
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY: THE MMQB's Andrew Brandt wrote the fact that there was "such a crowded field" with eight challengers was "seen by some as an indictment of Smith." But the "quantity, and in some cases, quality of challengers turned into an advantage for the polished Smith." The candidate who "presented the biggest threat to Smith was one he had been working with inside the NFLPA offices for the past six years" in NFLPA Senior Dir of Player Services & Development Jason Belser. The other candidates "were never a threat to Smith." In the end, although Smith's manner "annoys NFL counterparts and enemies who see more style than substance, it has worked well for him with his constituency" (MMQB.SI.com, 3/16). Brandt added, "People we’re saying, ‘He’s got so many people running, it’s showing signs that he’s not in charge, that he’s not going to win.’ It helped him because these voices canceled each other out talking about the CBA, talking about deficiencies. The quality wasn’t up to par as what you’d expect for a major job such as this." Vice Sports' Patrick Hruby said, "Under Smith, the NFLPA has been a somewhat opaque organization. Many of the candidates, the challengers to Smith, they complained that going in and trying to present their case to the player reps, give their platforms, they weren’t able to get things like basic financial information from the union. De Smith had access to that (“OTL,” ESPN2, 3/16).
