Alternate NFLPA draft event

[Dirtbag59]

Anyone else getting tired of DeMaurice Smith? Personally I knew we were in trouble when he called Collective Bargaining a "war." Seriously he compared negotiating billions of dollars to getting shot at. Now we have this sham of a draft event were the great DeMaurice Smith, the true players advocate, will doll out the hugs in a worn down hotel ball room.

The players clearly hired the wrong guy. Gene Upshaw got the players 60% without shouting and screaming at least in public. Smith on the other hand thinks he can bully 32 guys that can't seem to agree on anything.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag59

Anyone else getting tired of DeMaurice Smith? Personally I knew we were in trouble when he called Collective Bargaining a "war." Seriously he compared negotiating billions of dollars to getting shot at. Now we have this sham of a draft event were the great DeMaurice Smith, the true players advocate, will doll out the hugs in a worn down hotel ball room.

The players clearly hired the wrong guy. Gene Upshaw got the players 60% without shouting and screaming at least in public. Smith on the other hand thinks he can bully 32 guys that can't seem to agree on anything.

Well he's not the first person to make a "war" analogy in sports

And did we forget Upshaw led the players to a strike in 1987; that he decertified the union, that he filed (on behalf of the players) multiple lawsuits

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well he's not the first person to make a "war" analogy in sports

And did we forget Upshaw led the players to a strike in 1987; that he decertified the union, that he filed (on behalf of the players) multiple lawsuits

He's not the first person I've gone after for making the war analogy. Heck it's practically a canned speech for me in real life.

And you're absolutely right. Upshaw was certainly a key figure in the 1987 players strike. However Upshaw had to work under a different set of circumstances. In 1987 there was no salary cap (read *no salary floor*), no free agency, no $9 billion industry. Also at the time the NFL was neck and neck with the NBA and MLB. Now both leagues are barely in the NFL's rear view mirror.

I think the thing that irks me the most among other things is that the owners came to the table with a reasonable offer and rather then putting together a counter offer they simply said "see you in court."