Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. D Smith Goes to Washington
If there was ever a story that probably comes close to describing NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith’s journey to his new office, it would have to be the old movie classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (read about it on IMDb HERE). IMDb summarizes it this way: “A naive man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the US Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn’t back down.” And if you’ve never seen the movie, this is one classic well worth watching. (Click on the poster to enlarge it for better viewing and printing.)
Much like the movie’s protagonist (played in the 1939 Frank Capra classic by James Stewart), Mr. Smith drops into Washington D.C. only to find himself battling a corrupt cast of characters all around him. A lot of people are still understandably skeptical about his abilities to make the changes necessary to undo 25+ years of corruption. But so far, we’ve seen small, encouraging signs of change in the NFLPA. Those most resistant to change will likely be those with the most to lose in this game. We have no doubt that it was De Smith’s own decision to walk away from the appeal to the Players Inc. lawsuit started by Bernie Parrish. While there’s a long way to go in getting the changes that retired players need in their disability and pension benefits, De Smith has to be given credit for taking this bold initiative.
The beginning of a long journey starts with the first step.