NFLPA names DeMaurice Smith its new Exec. Director

[Da Schwab]

per ESPN

WAILEA, Hawaii -- DeMaurice Smith was elected Sunday as the new executive director of the NFL Players Association on Sunday, succeeding the late Gene Upshaw and challenged with leading the union into a critical new era.

Smith was chosen Sunday as the union's fourth leader in its 41-year history, and follows Upshaw, who died in August. The NFL outsider has served as an attorney in Washington.

"Guys, let's get to work," Smith told the membership when the vote was announced.

Smith is an NFL outsider who has no labor law experience but has ties to President Barack Obama and worked with new U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. He's a trial lawyer and partner at the influential Washington-based Patton Boggs and chair of the firm's government investigations and white collar practice group. He has represented Fortune 500 companies in numerous cases. A native Washingtonian, Smith earned his law degree at Virginia in 1989, and has been a frequent guest commentator on many cable television news programs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3983760

He beat out two former players, Troy Vincent and Trace Armstrong, for the position, which I feel is a huge mistake. It's called the 'Player's Association' for a reason.

[ReasonablySober]

Vincent had the thing locked up until reports of those e-mail leaks surfaced.

I'm pretty shocked, though, that they're bringing in someone other than a player.

[Icness]

Interesting move to say the least. This tells me the NFLPA is expecting a prolonged labor war and wants to get DC to intervene, and this guy gives them connetions and an experienced edge with that.

There was a growing feeling that Vincent and Armstrong were going to be too confrontational and inflexible with the owners, that they would hold a line just to hold the line, not for any real benefit. I don't know if that's true or not but I know several players who were already tired of the posturing and lines in the sand and wanted someone who understands that they cannot afford a lost game, let alone a full season. Smith won that camp over hands down.

[LAKESHOW]

thats my take ice. he is not gonna make any waves.

[bigchee]

Interesting move to say the least. This tells me the NFLPA is expecting a prolonged labor war and wants to get DC to intervene, and this guy gives them connetions and an experienced edge with that.

There was a growing feeling that Vincent and Armstrong were going to be too confrontational and inflexible with the owners, that they would hold a line just to hold the line, not for any real benefit. I don't know if that's true or not but I know several players who were already tired of the posturing and lines in the sand and wanted someone who understands that they cannot afford a lost game, let alone a full season. Smith won that camp over hands down.

I agree. I believe they wanted someone fresh and without the baggage of the other candidates.

There's a great aricle in TPFSports about the current manuevring going on between the owners and the players now.

http://www.talkingpointfreesports.com/a ... ndside_NFL