Moran vs. NFLPA and NFL Players Inc.
Does the NFLPA think the same way about you?
.

Valerie Thomas
Former NFLPA Director of Human Resources Mary Moran is at WAR against the NFLPA and she is taking no prisoners. In August 2009 Moran filed a $4 million lawsuit that claimed sex discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination of her employment in violation of public policy because she participated in a DOL Office of Labor Fraud and Racketeering investigation of the NFLPA. Moran claimed that the actions of NFLPA management created serious and troubling ethical concerns for her. General Counsel Richard Berthelsen called Mary Moran “a necessary casualty.”
.
But Moran is not a victim. She’s a perpetrator. She is GUILTY of doing to me what she now claims that NFLPA management has done to her. Moran doesn’t deserve to get a penny. Whether you do a good deed or a bad deed, always remember: “What goes around comes around.”
.
A Necessary Casualty: Valerie Thomas? – In 1988, I cooperated with an internal investigation by NFLPA President George Martin and VP Mike Davis and then I was subsequently fired. I filed a complaint at EEOC regarding race/sex discrimination and prevailed when the NFLPA was found guilty of retaliation.
. continue reading »
|
Posted by
Valerie Thomas |
Categories:
Guest Commentary,
Valerie Thomas | Tagged:
CBA,
Charles Ross,
Clark Gaines,
Congressman Jim Moran,
Dave Pear,
DC Superior Court,
DeMaurice Smith,
District of Columbia,
Do No Evil,
DOL Office of Labor Fraud and Racketeering,
Eric Holder,
Gene Upshaw,
Joseph “Chip” Yablonski,
Mary Moran,
Matt Stover,
NFL,
NFLPA,
NFLPA Director of Human Resources Mary Moran,
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith,
Richard Berthelsen,
RobertinSeattle,
Tim Irwin,
Troy Vincent,
US Court of Appeals,
US District Court,
Valerie Thomas |
In our last post – Valerie Thomas: Life Under Upshaw – former NFLPA Research Analyst and Paralegal Valerie Thomas discussed her years of abuse and violation of her employee’s rights under the heavy hand of departed Executive Director Gene Upshaw and his inner circle. Bob Grant had posted several questions to her in the comments section about the toll from her long battle with the NFLPA and how it has affected her and her family over the years. This is Part 2 of Valerie Thomas’ story.
.
continue reading »
|
Posted by
Valerie Thomas |
Categories:
News,
Valerie Thomas | Tagged:
Bill Garner,
Bob Grant,
Chip Yablonski,
Dave Pear,
Do No Evil,
Doug Allen,
EEOC,
Gene Upshaw,
George Martin,
Local 2 OPEIU,
Mary Moran,
NFLPA,
Richard Berthelsen,
RobertinSeattle,
Valerie Thomas |

Valerie Thomas
Dave,
.
Thank you for your earlier comment and for allowing me to be an active participant on your blog.
.
It’s hard to accept that a union whose efforts that you supported, including financially, would turn against you in your time of need: your post-football career.
.
I know first-hand what it feels like to be ignored and it is even more dehumanizing to have been ignored while looking in the faces of the perpetrators on a daily basis. For example, my basic needs and rights to have access to my job were denied. When I reported to work, I was locked out with no key to get in the front door and no key to access the elevator. Once on the elevator, I couldn’t get off on the floor where I worked. Instead, I could only get off on the floor below mine and had to walk up a public stairwell. During the mornings, when I had to do business on other floors I had to walk up and down the public stairwells. I could not use the elevator like everyone else, including interns and temporary employees. At lunchtime and upon my return from lunch, I had to go through the same routine with no access to my floor and walk up a public stairwell (two sets of 12 stairs = 24 steps each way). In the afternoons, if I had to do business on other floors, I had to walk up and down the public stairwells. NFLPA management and its legal representatives harassed, intimidated and retaliated against me; they dared me to protect my rights and when I did, they then cheated and stole my livelihood and my family’s legacy.
continue reading »
|
Posted by
Valerie Thomas |
Categories:
News,
Valerie Thomas | Tagged:
Bob Grant,
Dave Pear,
Do No Evil,
Gene Upshaw,
George Martin,
NFL,
NFLPA,
Richard Berthelsen,
RobertinSeattle,
Valerie Thomas |
December ended up being a crazy busy month for Dave: 2 print interviews and 3 radio interviews so far. Dave’s primary focus has been on getting the word out on disability benefits and pensions, as well as answering some questions on the recent Parrish vs. Players Inc. GLA settlement.
…
Jeff Pearlman did a story for Sports Illustrated/CNN on Dave’s personal regrets about having played football. That helped generate over a million hits this month for the blog.
Click HERE to read that article.
continue reading »
|
Posted by
RobertinSeattle |
Categories:
Interviews,
Jane Arnett,
News,
Radio,
Robert's Post,
Valerie Thomas | Tagged:
Dave Pear,
Do No Evil,
ESPN Canada Fan590,
Jane Arnett,
Jeff Pearlman,
KIRO Radio,
LA Batchelor Show,
New York Daily News,
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell,
NFLPA,
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith,
RobertinSeattle,
Ron and Don Show,
Sirius FM98 Hardcore Sports Radio,
Sports Illustrated/CNN,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
Valerie Thomas,
Wayne Coffey |
Over the past 24 hours, we’ve certainly had a lot of discussions around the old adage “Not seeing the forest for the trees.” In the old way of controlling their spin on all stories about football, the NFL managed to keep all of the television networks and most of the major print media on very short leashes because of their broadcast rights and access to players and managers for interviews. And then the Internet came along. Despite claims of a few who proudly proclaim they invented the Internet and Facebook, this new medium has not only moved the retired football players battle to a new and level playing field; it’s in a different league altogether. Just as the past two weeks have completely caught Tiger Woods and his team of old-school PR flacks like deer in the headlights, the NFLPA and the NFL and their old media machines have been hard-pressed to catch up with a new medium that they can no longer control. The Internet doesn’t belong to anyone and it belongs to everyone.
…
continue reading »
|
Posted by
RobertinSeattle |
Categories:
Bernie Parrish,
News,
Robert's Post | Tagged:
Bernard Parrish,
Bernard Parrish et al vs National Football League Players Inc. et al,
Bernie Parrish,
Bob Grant,
Bruce Laird,
Commissioner Roger Goodell,
Congress,
Dave Pear,
Do No Evil,
Fourth & Goal,
George Martin,
Herb Adderley,
Jeff Nixon,
Jeffrey Kessler,
Manatt Phelps,
NFLPA,
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith,
Players Inc.,
Richard Berthelsen,
RobertinSeattle,
Ron Katz,
Valerie Thomas,
Walter Roberts |
President Harry Truman had a sign on his desk that read “The Buck Stops Here.” I always liked him when I was a kid because he was a plain and simple, straight-forward guy who was willing to take full responsibility for solving problems.
—
continue reading »
|
Posted by
Bob Grant |
Categories:
Bob Grant | Tagged:
Bob Grant,
Dave Pear,
Do No Evil,
Gene Upshaw,
George Martin,
Harry Truman,
NEW NFL Alumni,
NFL,
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell,
NFLPA,
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith,
PAT Fund,
Players Inc.,
RobertinSeattle,
The Buck Starts Here,
The Buck Stops Here,
Valerie Thomas |

Would you trust your brain or your money with this man?
We have no idea how anyone missed this little tidbit from the Congressional hearings on brain concussions in the NFL. The media rightfully focused on stirring comments made by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ owner Gay Culverhouse regarding the complete lack of advocacy for the players when it comes to brain injuries: The team doctors are hired by the owners and are employed to protect their investment; many of the coaches and owners often play golf with the team doctors in their free time. Tampa Bay Online covered Ms. Culverhouse’s testimony closely and the last paragraph in their story says a lot about just how seriously Roger Goodell plans on looking into brain concussions.
continue reading »
|
Posted by
RobertinSeattle |
Categories:
News,
Robert's Post | Tagged:
brain injuries,
Concussions,
Dave Pear,
Do No Evil,
EA,
Electronic Arts,
Gay Culverhouse,
Google,
John Madden,
Madden Football,
NFL,
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell,
NFLPA,
RobertinSeattle,
ROTFLMAO,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
Tampa Bay Online,
Valerie Thomas |

Valerie Thomas
Valerie Thomas writes a great analysis on the StarCaps case and how it relates to the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) and Congress. The NFL and its owners would love to have its powers expanded stealthily by trying to pull a fast one on Congress. We hope someone calls them on it before it happens!
continue reading »

Valerie Thomas
NFL Players are hired to be fired. When they enter the NFL they’re healthy enough to pass a physical but after performing for their employers and sustaining injuries, they become unhealthy, unable to pass physicals and are eventually cut, fired or forced to retire.
continue reading »

It ‘s almost comical when you look at the bill of goods the NFL and the Alumni are now trying to sell to Retired Players and the Public.
continue reading »

In January 2009, four Congressmen signed and sent a letter to the Department of Labor about concerns of the integrity of the NFLPA election process. At the behest of his daughter Mary, Congressman Jim Moran looked into the matter.
continue reading »
|
Posted by
Valerie Thomas |
Categories:
Valerie Thomas | Tagged:
Congressman Jim Moran,
Dave Pear,
Do No Evil,
Gene Upshaw,
Human Resource Executive,
Mary Moran,
Moran v. NFLPA,
NFL,
NFLPA,
RobertinSeattle,
Troy Vincent,
Valerie Thomas,
whistleblower |

A few months ago, the media reported that newly-elected NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith had returned to D.C. from another road trip meeting with active players, only to find his office engulfed in flames. (Read that post from June HERE.) Apparently someone had left a candle burning in an adjacent bathroom late at night while the new boss was away… (?!!!) It seems that a lot of old Gene Upshaw memorabilia may have been damaged or destroyed in the fire.
.
continue reading »
|
Posted by
RobertinSeattle |
Categories:
Valerie Thomas | Tagged:
burning bridges,
Congressman Jim Moran,
Dave Pear,
DeMaurice Smith,
Dept. of Labor,
Do No Evil,
earmarks,
Gene Upshaw,
jezebel,
Mary Moran,
NFLPA,
RobertinSeattle,
union,
Valerie Thomas |

NFLPA's Revolving Door
A Call for Transparency and Accountability continue reading »
|
Posted by
Valerie Thomas |
Categories:
Valerie Thomas | Tagged:
Blake Velcoff,
Choice Staffing Agency,
Dave Pear,
Do No Evil,
Human Resources Department,
LM-2,
Mary Moran,
NFLPA,
NFLPA Human Resources,
Ruth Postow Staffing Agency,
The Choice Inc.,
Valerie Thomas |