I cannot STAND DeMaurice (sp?) Smith

[Azlen]

I assure you (my opinion) the players would sign on the dotted line right now for the same deal they are currently operating under.

Of course they would. It was the owners who opted out of it because they didn't like it.

 

[Stout]

K9--being a confrontational douchebag in public hurts Smith's chances of getting that deal for his players. So, how is it that what he's doing is smart?

 

[Stout]

More good stuff from this guy. Man, Smith REALLY wants what's best for these guys, eh?

NFL | Some prospects may boycott draft activities
Fri, 04 Feb 2011 12:19:57 -0800

NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith has been meeting with agents for draft prospects about the possibility of the players boycotting draft activities like the NFL Scouting Combine and the 2011 NFL Draft, sources told Jason La Canfora, of NFL Network. Some agents have expressed concern about how skipping the combine would hurt some players draft stock.

Read more: http://www.kffl.com/hotw/NFL?page=1#ixzz1D3Z4WiBw

 

[Arizona's Finest]

K9--being a confrontational douchebag in public.

 

[40yearfan]

It's like people hating Drew Rosenhaus. It's not Smith's job to make fans love him. It's Smith's job to get the best possible deal for the players that he represents. He doesn't care whether fans like him any more than Roger Goddell does. But Goddell has to stay on the good side of 32 owners or he's toast, as well as all the TV networks. Smith only has to make sure his guys get paid.



The NFL is the only professional sports league where contracts are not guaranteed. The players take risks every time they take the field. The owners have all the power in contract situations. Player salaries bear no relation to season ticket sales; player compensation is based on television revenues.

Sorry K9, but you are dead wrong. Every player has a guaranteed amount he will get regardless of injuries, not playing up to his salary, etc. and they know what that amount is when they sign the contract. I also disagree with you about player salaries not having any relation to season ticket sales. A guy like Fitz gets paid the big dollars because he is a great fan draw. People buy tickets just to see him play. Salaries are not predicated on season ticket sales, but season ticket sales can be influenced by the player earning that salary and those sales help the clubs pay for coaches, maintanence, etc.

 

[kerouac9]

Sorry K9, but you are dead wrong. Every player has a guaranteed amount he will get regardless of injuries, not playing up to his salary, etc. and they know what that amount is when they sign the contract. I also disagree with you about player salaries not having any relation to season ticket sales. A guy like Fitz gets paid the big dollars because he is a great fan draw. People buy tickets just to see him play. Salaries are not predicated on season ticket sales, but season ticket sales can be influenced by the player earning that salary and those sales help the clubs pay for coaches, maintanence, etc.

I'm not going to go around and around with you on this, 40, because you'll never side with labor over management. But...

For the VAST majority of players, the only guarantee they have is their signing bonus. 60% of the players in the NFL are out of the league in three years or less. All they're guaranteed is the (usually) five-figure contract they get.

In the MLB, NHL, NBA, the FULL CONTRACT is guaranteed. For most guys in the NFL, they can be sure that they'll have a year or two, but as we've seen here, guys like Al Johnson and Travis LaBoy don't even get that. Read A Few Seconds of Panic or Next Man Up and tell me that players feel secure with any of their contracts. It's nothing like the other professional leagues.

 

[Southpaw]

...and now Smith & Co. are trying to dissuade agents from allowing their prospects to participate in the NFL Combine. Good luck with that one. Boycotting the Combine is not a good idea. Maybe it won't bother the top 20 draft picks and Cam Newton, but try that with players and agents who are attempting to elevate their status.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/04/2633705/nfl-players-union-and-agents-discussing.html

 

[Stout]

...and now Smith & Co. are trying to dissuade agents from allowing their prospects to participate in the NFL Combine. Good luck with that one. Boycotting the Combine is not a good idea. Maybe it won't bother the top 20 draft picks and Cam Newton, but try that with players and agents who are attempting to elevate their status.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/04/2633705/nfl-players-union-and-agents-discussing.html

Especially since those guys that don't go drafted won't be able to be signed until the CBA is signed. I was horrified when I heard about that. Two sides will bicker and argue on billions of dollars, and some poor kid trying to get a shot will be denied a $15,000 signing bonus and a shot at the game. Sickening.

 

[juza76]

Especially since those guys that don't go drafted won't be able to be signed until the CBA is signed. I was horrified when I heard about that. Two sides will bicker and argue on billions of dollars, and some poor kid trying to get a shot will be denied a $15,000 signing bonus and a shot at the game. Sickening.

yeah we need robin hood

 

[Southpaw]

Especially since those guys that don't go drafted won't be able to be signed until the CBA is signed. I was horrified when I heard about that. Two sides will bicker and argue on billions of dollars, and some poor kid trying to get a shot will be denied a $15,000 signing bonus and a shot at the game. Sickening.

Not on the same level, but ask any U S athlete who was forced to comply with the U S boycott of the Olympics, back in 1980 how they feel about missed opportunity.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Just because Gene Upshaw kowtowed to the NFL on nearly everything for two decades doesn't mean that Smith isn't doing his job.

Upshaw may have kowtowed, but he also kept this machine running without stopping, was the head of the Union during the leagues most dramatic rise to popularity, and made a lot of players a hell of a lot of money.

People do not give Upshaw the credit he deserves. Not in the least.

Plus if he kowtowed so much why are the owners complaining that he current deal is unfair.

 

[kerouac9]

Upshaw may have kowtowed, but he also kept this machine running without stopping, was the head of the Union during the leagues most dramatic rise to popularity, and made a lot of players a hell of a lot of money.

People do not give Upshaw the credit he deserves. Not in the least.

Plus if he kowtowed so much why are the owners complaining that he current deal is unfair.

They're not complaining the current deal is unfair. NFL = No guaranteed contracts. Rest of professional sports = Guaranteed contracts. It's a credit that Upshaw kept his people in line for so long, but it's heinous that he didn't get more protections for his rank and file under his regime.

The owners want more, and are used to getting it. There's a lockout because the players actually have a representative at the table, instead of a partner.

 

[Stout]

They're not complaining the current deal is unfair. NFL = No guaranteed contracts. Rest of professional sports = Guaranteed contracts. It's a credit that Upshaw kept his people in line for so long, but it's heinous that he didn't get more protections for his rank and file under his regime.

The owners want more, and are used to getting it. There's a lockout because the players actually have a representative at the table, instead of a partner.

I'd be interested to see what the average guaranteed contract is for the NBA and the NHL is vs the average amount of guaranteed money in a contract for an NFL player. I won't put MLB in there, because everyone knows how obscene it is with the players getting so much unfathomable money.

 

[kerouac9]

I'd be interested to see what the average guaranteed contract is for the NBA and the NHL is vs the average amount of guaranteed money in a contract for an NFL player. I won't put MLB in there, because everyone knows how obscene it is with the players getting so much unfathomable money.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/nba-player-salaries.html

According to this, the average NBA salary is $5.85 million, and that's just for one year and the entire contract is guaranteed in the NBA.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/nba-player-salaries.html

According to this, the average NBA salary is $5.85 million, and that's just for one year and the entire contract is guaranteed in the NBA.

Average salary in the NHL is $2.4M, contracts are quaranteed.

 

[azsportsfan01]

They're not complaining the current deal is unfair. NFL = No guaranteed contracts. Rest of professional sports = Guaranteed contracts. It's a credit that Upshaw kept his people in line for so long, but it's heinous that he didn't get more protections for his rank and file under his regime.

The owners want more, and are used to getting it. There's a lockout because the players actually have a representative at the table, instead of a partner.

They do complain it is unfair because they are giving up 60% of all money coming in. The owners want to cut it back to 42%. Upshaw was a great head of the union.