HBO's Bryant Gumbel held a virtual roundtable discussion with union Exec Dirs DeMaurice Smith (NFLPA), Michele Roberts (NBPA) and Tony Clark (MLBPA) during last night's "Real Sports," and he questioned the panelists about whether the timing is "about right" for sports' return. Clark said, "What we've seen over the course of even the last few weeks ... has suggested a lot of progress has been made." Roberts said, "I was a little concerned that we might be rushing. Now that testing has become more available, I'm not as concerned." Roberts said the health and safety of players is "clearly paramount in our minds" and is "our guiding principle." Smith added, "I'm rarely in a position to say a lot of great things about the league at times. But I will say that we have worked well together, and I do think that the league understands their obligations as the employer." Clark: "Our players are the ones taking the risks at the end of the day and so, yes, we do believe that there is an interest by the league in regards to health and safety." All three said they are in frequent contact with each other, with Smith saying Clark and Roberts are "probably the two people I lean on the most" ("Real Sports," HBO, 5/26).
