NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith discussed the relationship between the NFL and the union, as well as the league's relationship with its broadcast partners, during an appearance on HBO's "Any Given Wednesday" last night. Host Bill Simmons noted this year marks the 10th anniversary of Roger Goodell becoming NFL Commissioner and he said, "It almost seemed like the owners were kind of pushing him to the side. Do you feel like they feel that the fans have turned on this guy?” Smith said, “They probably know how he is perceived by fans. You can't go to the Draft and not know how fans deal with him.” Author Malcolm Gladwell, who also participated in the discussion, asked, “Do they want someone who’s dumber than them running the show?” Smith replied jokingly, “Thank you for having me on the show. Nice, easy questions.” Gladwell said it was a “legitimate question” because the owners may “want someone they can push around.” Smith: “The job of the commissioner -- and I think he's done part of this job extremely well -- is to take the bullets that should be intended for the owners.” Simmons noted Goodell “gets like $40 million a year to take those shots.” Gladwell asked Smith, “Do you think the fans are fully aware of the fact that he works for the owners? He's not the head of the whole enterprise.” Smith said, "He’s not the benevolent God of Football.” Gladwell: “There’s that confusion. He likes to play that game where he can sometimes pretend like he is responsible for all of football, but in fact, no. He is representing the economic interest of a small group of white male billionaires.” Smith said, “I got elected in 2009. We knew we were headed into a lockout. We had to explain to our players that the commissioner was not the overseer of all things good in football. When fans see things that are against the interest of the fans, against the interest of the players, against the interest of health and safety, I think it becomes clear to them that that person is elected by the owners and that’s who he serves.”
PARTY OF THREE: Gladwell noted there are “three people in this room -- owners, players and broadcasters." Gladwell: "I never hear people talk about the broadcasters. They are the ones who have the real power here, they’re writing the checks.” Smith: “You would assume that because they’re showing the games and they need the players to play the game they would be on our side. I'm telling you that it is a fact, and a federal judge found that the league illegally conspired against the players and were able to get $4 billion from the networks even if they weren't going to be showing the games (during the '11 lockout). So now that $4 billion that you think should be on the players’ side is now on whose side? The owners” ("Any Given Wednesday," HBO, 9/7).
