NFLPA's Smith Sends Letter To Goodell Asking About CBA Opt Out
By Liz Mullen, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
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Goodell Being Asked To
Provide More Explanation |
NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith, who recently stated publicly that NFL players do not understand why the owners opted out of the current labor deal early, has sent a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell asking for a more detailed explanation of the owners’ decision to shorten the CBA, a source said. The letter was sent to Goodell yesterday, said this source, who requested anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about union business. Smith is scheduled to meet with NFL owners at the owners meeting in Ft. Lauderdale today. It is expected to be an introductory meet-and-greet where no bargaining will take place. Since the current CBA was negotiated in '06, NFL owners have complained it is too rich for players. NFL owners voted last year to shorten the deal by two years. If a new CBA is not negotiated by next March, the '10 NFL season will be the last season under the deal and will operate without a salary cap. Smith during a speech at the Sports Lawyers Association meeting on Saturday drove home the point that players do not understand why the owners decided to shorten the labor deal in the first place, given the state of business in the NFL. “We have a group of owners that decided ... to opt out of a contract that generated in excess of $8B last year,” Smith said, during the speech in Chicago. “We know that the average team worth right now is in excess of $1B. We know that over a 10-year period, the teams have grown in value in excess of 400%,” Smith said. “The opt out of the agreement will push us into an uncapped year on the horizon,” he added. “And we also know there is at least a threat of locking our players out if a deal is not done. Our players understand the game. They understand the challenge. What they don’t understand, is, frankly, the opt out. And neither do I.”
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