In this morning's USA TODAY, Roscoe Nance writes that NBA
players "took a step toward unification Wednesday," when 25
players -- including Charles Smith, Dikembe Mutombo, Herb
Williams, and Michael Jordan -- met for three hours outside of
Washington, DC. Smith: "Regardless of what transpires, we have
to come together. That's why I came. This is the first time
I've talked to Michael in 18 months (about negotiations). We got
some things cleared up." Jordan: "This was a great meeting.
Charles understands. Mutombo understands. We have to sit down
and talk and improve our leverage." Presentations were made to
the players by NFLPA Exec Dir Gene Upshaw, attorney Ira
Millstein, and W. Charles Bennett, the former NBPA financial
consultant who ended his relationship claiming that the union
"misrepresented" his findings on the league's profitability. A
meeting of Patrick Ewing, Jordan, and NBPA President Buck
Williams "is in the works for early next week" (USA TODAY, 7/27).
SAME MEETING? In New York, Thomas Hill reports that "a weak
turnout at a meeting conducted by leaders of the anti-union
movement squashed whatever momentum the NLRB's announcement
produced." Hill says "approximately 20 players attended," while
organizers had hoped for 80-100. Hill: "Poor turnout could be a
bad sign for the decertification effort, in light of the terms of
the upcoming election." In addition to those identified in the
USA TODAY story, Hill says that Mark Price, Danny Ferry, Armon
Gilliam, Alonzo Mourning, Reggie Williams, Jeff Malone, Matt
Geiger, and Sherman Douglas also attended (NEW YORK POST, 7/27).
Another players' meeting is being today in Los Angeles.
