League Notes
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Boyd Thinks Verdict In Trial Will Have Impact
On Relationship Between Former, Active Players |
In N.Y., Alan Schwarz writes the court verdict awarding a group of former NFLers $28.1M in a suit against the NFLPA "may help to delineate a new relationship between active and former players -- positively or otherwise." The ruling will "almost certainly affect future negotiations between the two groups." Former NFLer Brent Boyd said of the verdict, "I think definitely it will have ripple effects. I'm hoping it will cause some fresh thinking and cooperation with retired players instead of all-out war, which is what we've been getting." But NFLPA outside counsel Jeff Kessler "warned that the verdict would hurt the relationship between active and retired players." Kessler: "If you're an active player, you have to look at this and say, 'We try to help and this is what happens to us?'" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/12). In St. Louis, Bryan Burwell writes the NFLPA "seems to find itself on the wrong side of every public spat these days when it concerns rank-and-file." The union's "only defense has been arrogant denials and corporate mumbo jumbo," but with Monday's ruling its "defiance fell on deaf ears." The NFLPA "used to be on the right side of fights like this," but now "this is all they do: alibi, mislead and wheel and deal" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 11/12).
BUILDING A STACK: This year's WSOP concluded yesterday morning, and poker player Daniel Negreanu said of the growth of the tournament, “Thanks to (WSOP Commissioner) Jeffrey Pollack and Harrah's when they took over the (WSOP), as well as the Chris Moneymaker boom, we’ve seen a evolution where it’s a lot more mainstream. More corporate sponsors are involved and just the sheer numbers. It's bigger than it's ever been.” Pollack: “We haven't compromised the game. ... All we’ve done over the last three years is ... apply the good principles of sports business management to the (WSOP)." Pollack added, "We operate the (WSOP) as though it is a world-class sports league and as a result, we're now the third most watched sport on cable television and our numbers in terms of participation have grown every year. We have more than 58,000 participants this year. Our prize pool is over $180[M] and top prize, actually, this morning was $9.1[M]. We're the richest sporting event on the planet" (“America’s Nightly Scoreboard,” Fox Business, 11/11).
DOUBLE FAULT: SI.com's Jon Wertheim in his weekly column awards an "Ad-out" to the crowds at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships in Doha, Qatar, and wrote either the "stands were empty or a lot of people came dressed as empty seats." Wertheim also awarded an "Ad-out" to tennis scheduling, and wrote when the ATP elects a new leader to replace outgoing ATP Tour Exec Chair & President Etienne de Villiers, the "issue of season length/injuries must be addressed" (SI.com, 11/10).
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