NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith yesterday said the union has "fundamental disagreements" with the league. He added that a proposal that players make $1B in concessions "made no sense while revenues were at record highs." Smith: "The business of football is probably the best economic business model in the country because that $9 billion was generated during the worst recession in our lives. At the height of the economic viability and success of the league, you're now asking the players to give back $1 billion for the next seven years." Smith's 30-minute press conference was "in stark contrast to the more conciliatory comments on Wednesday" by NFL Exec VP & General Counsel Jeff Pash (N.Y. TIMES, 2/4).
Smith "left open the possibility" that the players will "decertify the union in a bid to prevent a lockout" when the NFL CBA expires on March 4. Experts have said that decertification "potentially could lead the owners to abandon plans for a lockout" because if they proceed with a lockout under those circumstances, "it could be cited in any antitrust litigation by the players" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/3).
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will give his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference today (THE DAILY).
