Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy estimated that he "probably spent half of his time with negotiations, either on conference calls or traveling around the country to meet across the table with owners, players and lawyers” over the last two years in an attempt to reach a new CBA, but he said that Monday's agreement made it "worth the effort, according to Don Walker of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell indicated that he strategically placed Murphy on the owners’ negotiating committee because Murphy's "past as a player and member of the NFL Players Association would benefit the owners.” Murphy: “It was a valuable use of my time. And for the Packers, it was helpful to have a voice at the table. The agreement was crucial to the future of the league and the Packers." Meanwhile, Murphy said that Patriots Owner Robert Kraft “was a key player in moving toward an agreement.” Murphy: “Bob is so respected by both the players and the owners. He is a smart businessman who is a dealmaker" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 7/27).
KRAFT STILL DRAWING PRAISE: In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes Kraft’s role in reaching a new 10-year CBA “has raised his profile and cemented his legacy as an elite NFL owner.” He now is “emerging as potentially [Pro Football HOF] worthy.” Kraft’s wife Myra died last week after a battle with cancer and Shaughnessy writes, “Kraft is living the worst days of his personal life and the best days of his professional life. Simultaneously” (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/27). NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora wrote when the “full story of this lockout is written, Kraft will be one of the big winners.” La Canfora: "He was a glue guy, a linchpin figure to reaching this point. He brokered trust and concessions on both sides. He commanded universal respect. He could stick to a hard line when necessary. He could also be a sympathetic ear for the players.” Kraft in some ways “was the league's conscious,” and the 10-year labor deal “will be a big part of his NFL legacy.” NFL.com’s Steve Wyche wrote Kraft “was viewed by his peers and people involved in negotiations as the voice of reason that kept the process on track.” He was “said to respect the players and, while helping drive the cause for owners, Kraft also listened to the players and didn't patronize them” (NFL.com, 7/26). A BOSTON GLOBE editorial states that Kraft’s “skill as a leader and a negotiator has been one of the more compelling storylines to emerge out of the talks.” The editorial: “Nobody wanted to see the nation’s most popular sports league lose any regular-season games to money issues, and Kraft deserves credit for helping to make sure this didn’t happen” (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/27).
CREDIT FOR JERRY AS WELL: Goodell said Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones “was outstanding” during the labor negotiations. Goodell: “I’m not sure this deal could have gotten done without him. His passion is unmatched. His drive is incredible. … His commitment in this negotiation was clearly evident.” Cowboys TE and player rep Jason Witten said of Jones, “Without him, that deal wouldn’t have gotten done. Everyone should know that. ... He didn’t make it emotional. It was always about building a partnership and working toward a resolution.” Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson, who chairs the NFL Management Council Exec Committee, affectionately calls Jones ‘coach.’” Richardson: “The 10 people who served on the committee spent so much time together -- early in the morning, late at night, traveling together -- it was a brutal process. What helped keep us going was the coach’s energy. He’s the Energizer bunny. He never slows down. He had a tremendous impact on all of us, lifting our energy up sometimes when we’d get a little discouraged. Coach always had a story to tell that would lift us up” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/27).
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Agents have differing grades for how Smith
handled NFL lockout |
GRADING THE LEADERS: SI.com's Peter King gave NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith a grade of "A-" for the "job he did ... with the clear understanding that the job's not done." However, Smith to date has "delivered what he promised, and more.” One agent said that he thought Smith “got taken to the cleaners, didn't push the NFL hard enough on retired players and should have pushed for the cap to be higher than $120.4 million in 2011.” But another said, "He beat the spread.'' King wrote Smith “got a good deal without missing any games,” and he “knew all along he absolutely did not want to take this conflict into the season.” He “knew his players wouldn't be set up for missing potential millions, so he had to do everything he could to get the best deal he could, knowing deep down he would miss games only as an absolute last resort” (SI.com, 7/26). NATIONAL FOOTBALL POST’s Andrew Brandt writes Goodell is among both the winners and losers in the new agreement. Goodell was “charged with the task of forging a new economic model” with the NFLPA and he “was able to do that through an increased revenue split.” He “now presides over the longest labor agreement that we have known in the NFL and the longest running agreement of all the major sports leagues.” Yet the locked-out players “needed a target and they found one in Goodell.” He “wisely did not engage any of the comments -- some even being personal -- but it may be a while before the player anger subsides” (NATIONALFOOTBALLPOST.com, 7/27).
OTHER DEAL FALLOUT: In N.Y., Mike Lupica writes players and ex-players in the room during the negotiations “think they won something real and lasting because now every team in the league has to spend a certain amount of money on football players.” NFLPA permanent player rep Pete Kendall said, "It was certainly a big point in our room. This was something that hadn't been done before.” Kendall added: "It would have been nicer to get something closer to the 50-50 split. And unrestricted free agency for everybody: after four years no option tag, no franchise tag, no tenders. ... But at the end of the day, it felt like the deal in front of everybody was the best compromise we were likely to come up with" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/27). A DALLAS MORNING NEWS editorial states the “net effect” of the new agreement on fans “was minimal.” The editorial: “Both sides gave a little, as smart negotiators might do. The players gained salary, benefits and smarter work rules. The owners achieved a larger piece of the revenue pie and 10 years of not having to go through this again” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/27).
