Cleaning House
New NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith certainly has his hands full. With the CBA negotiations in full throttle and an office full of old guard still trying to pull strings, he’s starting to get a small idea of the kind of organization that his predecessor Gene Upshaw left behind. (And he came home from a trip to the West Coast to find a fire in his office!)
We know that advice is generally only worth what you pay for it but we do have some free advice to pass on to him.
As retired players, we only have a few issues that really matter to us. First and foremost – despite all the factions and bickering going on now that the first Summit has concluded – disability and pension reform is still at the top of the list for each and every one of them. When you read all the comments that have been coming in on any of the posts, all of the players are calling for a full GAO audit of the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Retirement Fund. We all need to know how the money in this fund has been managed and dispersed (or not) in the past and we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
And dropping the appeal to the Players Inc. lawsuit would be a great first gesture of good faith. In one single move, you’d be sending a clear message to a lot of people. You’ll be showing the good faith and respect that the retired players have been waiting so long to receive and you’ll be sending a clear message to those inside your organization who continue to foment this decades-long battle with the very people who built the NFL and the NFLPA into what it is today. And it will gain you the respect of ALL players – active AND retired.
These are all simple solutions that will not only cost very little but will go a very long way to re-building the relationship with the people you claim to represent.
Oh – and one last item. You need to leave behind some old baggage. Some VERY old baggage. They’re like in-laws – after a few days…
Dave Pear
June 5th, 2009 at 7:16 am #
A GAO (Government Accountability Office) audit will expose the fraud that is pervasive throughout the NFLPA Leadership.
This is a legal issue and our rights have and continue to be violated. Stand firm and do not back down!
Gene Upshaw was(is) a ruthless enemy of retired players and his dictatorship is starting to crumble.
The handwriting is on the wall as this tyranny and vexation begins to be exposed.
Press on, retired players, until we are vindicated and justice is served.
JUSTICE NOW!
Sincerely,
Dave & Heidi Pear