Roger Goodell Responds To De Smith Saying NFL, NFLPA Are "At War"

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell yesterday responded to NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith’s claims that the union is “at war” with the league regarding the current labor situation. Goodell said prior to yesterday’s Packers-Bears NFC Championship game, "I don't look at it that way. This is a business dispute and negotiations. We've been partners and we should continue to be partners. … This is not anywhere near a war. This is a business dispute that we've got to get resolved." He added, “These things don't get resolved by making a lot of statements publicly. They get done by negotiating and meeting with one another " ("NFL Gameday Morning," NFL Network, 1/23).

Smith was quoted by the N.Y. TIMES in an article appearing on the front of the Sunday business section as saying, “We are at war! Nobody gets strong without fighting. Nobody stays strong without fighting. Nobody negotiates their way to strength. Nobody talks their way to a good deal. Nobody sits down and just has miraculous things happen” (N.Y. TIMES, 1/23).