Latest news with #DeMauriceSmith
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Former NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith talks about league's upcoming CBA tussle
This might be perfect timing for DeMaurice Smith to promote a book reflecting on his personal journey and tenure as executive director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Lloyd Howell, the man elected in 2023 to replace Smith, resigned last month in shame. JC Tretter, the former center and union president who gained powerful influence in recent years, stepped down, too, from his role as chief strategy officer. And with so many questions linked to a lack of transparency, particularly involving the election process and information from arbitration rulings not shared with the membership, the players union is mired in a big mess as David White begins as interim executive director. Smith's book, "Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America's Game" (Random House, 368 pages, $32), was released on Aug. 5 as quite the coincidence. Leadership is a key theme. 'In no small way, we saw that play out over the last two months, in an unfortunate way,' Smith told USA TODAY Sports. 'My hope is that the players learn from it and spend time with what I'd call 'ruthless introspection' of how did they get here? And with the hope they turn it around. But it has to start and end with the players. It has much less to do with who their leader is.' NFLPA CONTROVERSIES: Everything to know about scandals that rocked union That last point is debatable, given turmoil stemming from the damning revelations exposed by Pablo Torre on his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out." Torre published a 61-page ruling from independent arbitrator Christopher Downey from a 2022 lawsuit filed by the NFLPA alleging collusion by team owners that was kept secret from the union. He revealed that another ruling determined Tretter encouraged players to fake injuries while engaged in contract talks. And he revealed that Howell was a part-time consultant for The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm approved by the NFL to invest in NFL teams, an apparent conflict of interest. Then ESPN reported that Howell's expense reports for visits to strip clubs ignited further scrutiny into his actions as union chief. Smith, citing a non-disparagement clause in his separation from the union, wouldn't specifically address the cases that blew up for the NFLPA, but he shared perspective on the role that White (the runner-up when Howell was elected) steps into on an interim basis while the search begins for a permanent executive director. White, formerly executive director and chief negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), was elected by a vote of player representatives from all 32 teams on Aug. 3. Key issues for White? 'First of all, 2030 is not as far off as you'd want to think,' Smith said, alluding to the expiration of the 11-year collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA. 'The changing media landscape is interesting. But I think the most pressing issue is how do you come in and take a group of players who haven't been in a fight and teach them about what a labor union is supposed to do.' When Smith replaced the late Gene Upshaw and began his 14-year tenure in 2009, surely there was no acclimation period. The fight was already on as NFL owners, on the short end of the last CBA that Upshaw negotiated, had already declared that it would opt out of the labor pact and lock out the players in 2011. 'It made teaching and the role of getting players ready for a war a little bit easier, because one was on the horizon,' Smith said. Ultimately, Smith led the NFLPA into two long labor pacts, the last one struck in 2020 during the pandemic, which was passed by players by a razor-thin margin, with the key pushback involving the 17th game the union agreed to. Now, the league is going full-steam ahead on desires to eventually expand the schedule to 18 games, which would need to be negotiated as part of the CBA – and perhaps before the current labor pact expires. FREEMAN: Will there ever be such a thing as too much NFL? That the NFLPA's leadership is in flux undoubtedly looms as an advantage for the NFL in ramping up for the next CBA. The current labor pact allows players to receive 48% of NFL revenues, which fuels the record $279.2 million salary cap for 2025. 'The biggest job for a labor leader is teaching, and how important it is to focus on the right issues,' Smith said. 'Understand you are in labor-management paradigm. That's always a battle.' Reflecting on his tenure – which included the COVID-19 crisis, the Colin Kaepernick-ignited player protests and the evolving concussion protocols – Smith said that one of his regrets is that he got away from the hard-core teaching that he stressed from 2009 to 2017. 'Now is that opportunity for players to go back to their roots,' said Smith, mindful of the turnover in membership that comes when the average player career span is roughly three years. He cites key figures from the timeline over several decades on the NFL front and beyond. 'Even the players who are not going to be there for 2030, if they don't know who Bill Radovich is, if they don't know who Freeman McNeil is, if they don't know who Reggie White was, if they don't understand the significance of Curt Flood or Oscar Robertson, man, you won't get it right. 'Whether the issues are Commissioner discipline, an 18th game or practice time, if players don't understand the history and necessity of fighting, you won't get it right.' Shortly after the resignations of Howell and Tretter, I reached out and asked Smith if he would consider returning to his former role on an interim basis to help the NFLPA navigate through its adversity. He scoffed. 'Absolutely not,' he said. 'This is a challenge the players need to resolve for themselves.' DRAGON: What's next for the NFLPA after stunning resignation of Lloyd Howell? In his book, Smith recalls a frosty exchange with Howell during the transition. Smith said that he wrote a letter for his successor and planned to leave it in his old desk – in the tradition of U.S. presidents – but had second thoughts after his single interaction with Howell. He folded up the letter and stuffed it in his pocket. 'I wrote that letter in the hope that it would help frame what the job is, if someone were truly curious about getting it right,' Smith said last weekend. He wanted to be a resource. Especially having never met Upshaw, who died on Aug. 20, 2008, three days after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 'There wasn't a day on the job where I didn't wake up and wish that I could talk to Gene,' Smith said. 'I kid you not. There wasn't a frickin' day.' He pledged that he's available for White. It's unclear how much White might tap that resource. Smith would certainly share thoughts about how players need to absorb how they are impacted by changing NFL business dynamics. The deal announced last week, with the NFL acquiring 10% equity in ESPN, resonated. 'It reminds you of the scale of this business,' Smith said. 'They're going to do what, $25 billion in revenue next year? This is the competition, and the ruthlessness of this business is far more intense off the field than it is on the field. And it's pretty intense on the field. 'You would want to know if there's a change in the rights fee (for ESPN),' he added. 'Those are the things the union needs to figure out. But most importantly, once you understand it, you're going to have to decide how do you fight it for your fair share? If anybody thinks that was just an idle, off-the-cuff comment from Roger (Goodell) – I forget when he said it, maybe a couple months ago – that he thought the players share was too high, you know that's what they do. They start messaging early.' Which means NFL players are pressed to reset their union priorities in a hurry and buckle up early for the next labor war that is surely coming. Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@ or follow on social media: On X: @JarrettBell. On Bluesky: This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DeMaurice Smith talks NFLPA direction under David White, new CBA fight
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Sport
- Bloomberg
The Deal: DeMaurice Smith
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about Stanford's surprising pick for its new athletic director, and the drama taking place at the NFL Players Association. Then, they speak with DeMaurice Smith about his time as the Executive Director of the NFLPA and his new book, "Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America's Game," which gives an inside look at the league. Smith dishes on the NFL's 2011 lockout, lessons learned about leadership and negotiation from other union bosses, and what it was like sitting across the negotiating table from giants like NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
New York Times
01-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Ex-NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith: New leader must understand and fight for what union needs
Watching from afar as the labor union he once led grapples with unexpected change, DeMaurice Smith hopes NFL Players Association leaders can establish a unified vision for the path forward. Smith stepped down as NFLPA executive director in 2023 after three terms that spanned 14 years. His successor, Lloyd Howell, lasted less than two years on the job, resigning last month after weeks of rising criticism over his leadership. Three days later, on July 20, NFLPA president-turned-chief strategy officer JC Tretter left the union as well. Tretter told CBS Sports about his resignation: 'I don't have anything left to give the organization.' Advertisement The NFLPA negotiates with NFL owners to ensure quality working conditions, fair compensation and benefits for current and former players. The current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2030 season, but NFL owners are expected to want to begin preliminary negotiations toward a new labor deal as early as 2027. Their desire to expand the season from 17 to 18 games per team and to increase the number of international contests are among the issues to be debated. Who will lead the union in that fight? That's to be determined. Smith is now a visiting professor of law at Pepperdine University whose book on his time with the union ('Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America's Game') will publish later this month. He said in a recent hourlong interview he has no interest in returning to the NFLPA, and he was careful to avoid heavily criticizing Howell and Tretter. Instead, Smith offered insight on the approach he believes would best suit NFLPA leaders as they search for an interim and long-term executive director, and what NFL players should consider for the future of the union. (Some questions and answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.) I know you have heard from players during this time of uncertainty in the NFLPA. What is your reaction to what you see going on, and what has your advice been? They're in an unfortunate, awkward place. And I think prescriptively, the only thing I could say is, sometimes it's less to do with who the titular leader is, and and sometimes it has to do with ruthlessly turning inward to try to figure out what kind of labor union you want to have, and one the future players deserve. Do you think player leaders lost sight of that during the selection process for your successor? I am a ruthless second-guesser. But I always hoped that they had an understanding of who they were/are — you know, both the strength of the players and the weaknesses of the players; that they understood that their partner — the owners — on one day can be their business partner and on the other day can be the most formidable enemy I've ever seen. They also need an appreciation of what a labor union is there to do. And even if you understand all that, it's still a really hard job, and it requires people who not only want the title of leadership, it requires people who know what that means and what is required of them. Advertisement Howell appealed to some players as NFLPA executive director because he brought a different leadership style. Some player leaders said they no longer needed a courtroom brawler. Howell was a businessman who could speak the same language as the owners, and they believed that would better help them continue to grow the pie. Did their hunger for increased earnings cloud their judgement during the selection process? Yeah, I don't know the answer to that. I mean, look, over almost 15 years, the only thing we did was grow the pie and increase their share and changed the rules so that (owners) had to spend nearly all of it and that (the player share) could never decrease. That's all we did. Along the way, they now have a multi-million-dollar asset portfolio and equity in businesses that they've never had. Assets under management increased dramatically. Royalty payments increased dramatically. Minimum wage for players increased dramatically, 401Ks increased dramatically. Sometimes, I think players are far too insular. They sometimes do not understand that there are owners looking to take things away from them, while they are only focused on how they can get better. When I came into the job — and obviously, there are no players left from that time — the player leadership at the time understood that the owners had mobilized to take things away from them. If you have some misguided belief that someone is going to say magic words to the owners and you don't appreciate the power of 32 billionaires and their ability to take things away from you, you are going to misunderstand the sports business ecosystem, and current and future players will lose. How do the players fix this mess that the union finds itself in today? Ruthless introspection about who they are as players, what they need from their player leadership, what a labor union is supposed to accomplish, and only then embarking on a search for a leader who understands all of those three things with them. If they reach out and ask you to either help stabilize things or help them find the next executive director, would you? No, thank you. How come? I had a career as a homicide prosecutor. I loved it. I did it. I also realized I never wanted to go back. I was a partner in two major law firms. I did it, and did it well — but had no interest in going back to it. This is exactly the same thing. It's a chapter of my life that I mostly enjoyed, but I've done it. And, second, they have to appreciate that this search for a leader has to be far more about who they are as a class of players than who they think is going to be a good leader. Advertisement What's the No. 1 trait a strong union leader has to have? When I was in the running in '08-'09, I studied former MLB executive directors Marvin Miller, Don Fehr and Mike Weiner. I studied Paul Kelly, over at the NHL at the time. Billy Hunter from the NBA, (former NFLPA executive directors) Gene Upshaw and Ed Garvey. The one thing I would say that they all had in common was they all really understood who their player membership was — both their strengths and their weaknesses, and then they led accordingly. When I came in, I tried to emulate what both Marvin and Gene really did well. They both spent a tremendous amount of time teaching players about what a labor union does. And my time with Marvin was indispensable. Gene Upshaw was a former player. You were an outsider. Does it make much of a difference in leading the union? I really do not believe it is as binary as whether it is a former player or outsider. What matters is whether that person is curious, inquisitive and understands the labor and management dynamic. Player leadership should be really focused on how well they understand the business ecosystem and how well the candidate does. This player leadership group, and Tretter, was criticized for the secretive nature of the last selection process. Some players and agents have said recently the lack of transparency of this executive committee has caused many players to lose interest in the NFLPA. How does the next executive director and NFLPA leadership help restore a healthy buy-in? Well, it's the players' union. If you're a board member, you elect the EC (executive committee). The EC reports to you, not the other way around, right? I mean, if you wanted information, a rep could pick up the phone and say, 'Hey, give me the information.' If the EC says no, then you get the other board members together and you say, 'Hey, give me the information.' I think that we have fallen into a blame culture so that people can always say it is someone else's fault. Everybody should be asking themselves, 'What was my role in how we got here?' And if your role was as a board member and you're 'I don't know' or worse, 'Nothing,' then you have your answer, don't you? How was the last selection process different from the one that led to your hiring? It was not a secret process. Was it chaotic? Yes, was it. Was it hard running a law practice while I was a public candidate for the job? Yes. It was hard. At times it was awful. As I talk about in 'Turf Wars,' 2009 was messy because of all sorts of internal conflicts within the union. The executive committee at the time woke up one morning and the executive director, who had had the job for longer than some of them had been alive, was dead. (Editor's note: Upshaw died in August 2008 less than one week after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.) At the same time, the league had already declared that they were going to lock the players out in 2011. I was most impressed when I sat down with the executive committee — and, remember, those guys were Drew Brees, Kevin Mawae, Brian Dawkins, Mike Vrabel, Kevin Carter, Domonique Foxworth, Jeff Saturday and others. I was stunned at how mature and how willing they were to take and absorb the pressure of the moment. … They were the most sober, concrete, curious and exacting group of people that I've ever met. They had a clear understanding of the existential threat to their union and what it was going to cost future players. I can't really comment on the process that led to the most recent process because I was not a part of it and because of attorney-client privilege. But I know exactly what the external and internal process was like in 2008 in 2009 and I know that was an executive committee that understood who they were, understood the owners were their business partners on one day and enemies on the other, and they understood the weight of the decision that they were about to make. It had very little to do with who the search firm was and more about who the men were who stepped up to lead. I remain so proud of them. What's one of the most important things that the next executive director must remain mindful of if he wants to give himself and the union the best shot at long-term success? I think the role of the executive director in any sports union, if you had to boil it down to one thing, it's teaching. I learned about the historic and never-ending battle between labor and management as a candidate for the job, and was blessed to have Marvin and Rich Trumka as mentors, and that is something you have to teach players and ignore at your own peril. Letting someone convince you that they speak the language of owners is a fool's errand. I think what many players fail to realize is that if they are in the NFL now they are covered by a CBA fought for by mostly former players and they are beneficiaries. The current players will win or lose for future players. Advertisement Player empowerment was a big talking point during the second half of your time with the NFLPA. How do you see players changing on that front? Now you've got a group of players coming out of college who, for the first time, have been paid (via Name, Image and Likeness deals). You know what I see that's interesting is what's going on in Dallas (with Micah Parsons) and what's going on in Cincinnati (with Trey Hendrickson). That's the first time that I've seen players openly talking back and demanding a level of respect. They are much less thankful and much more willing to demand a level of respect. It's great. I think the owners hate it and want to crush that spirit. So, the words of wisdom for the players as they look for their next executive director is to find someone who understands their strengths, weaknesses and goals, and helps them maintain their fighting spirit? Exactly. Look, I had the job of a lifetime because I felt it as a calling. This should not be a 'punch the clock' job. This union has to persevere, and borrowing the words of our constitution written at the time, I was willing to do that by 'all means necessary.' It shouldn't be for everyone because it is critically important, not only to the welfare of NFL players, but also their families, and for that, the union must persevere.
New York Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Timeline of Lloyd Howell's tenure as NFLPA executive director from election to resignation
Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned from his post as executive director of the NFL Players Association late Thursday night amid rising criticisms at the NFLPA and concerns about Howell's potential conflicts of interest. As executive director, Howell, 59, was tasked with protecting and advancing the interests of active NFL players. He was elected in 2023 to replace DeMaurice Smith, who had held the role since 2009. Advertisement A graduate of Harvard Business School, Howell spent the bulk of his career climbing the ranks at Booz Allen Hamilton, a D.C.-based defense contractor and consulting firm with expertise in cybersecurity, engineering and espionage. He spent time there as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Like his predecessor Smith, Howell took the executive director role with no previous connection to the NFL. At the time, that background generated excitement within the NFLPA about Howell's potential to bridge the varied interests of membership in an uphill battle against ownership and the commissioner. Two years later, controversies led to Howell's abrupt departure before he was able to negotiate his first collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires in March 2031. Here is a timeline of Howell's tenure as executive director from his election to his resignation. June 28, 2023: The NFLPA elected Howell as executive director following a 16-month search that was criticized for its lack of transparency. At least three former NFL players were considered for the role, as reported by The Athletic — Matt Schaub, Domonique Foxworth and Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. — but Howell's hiring proved that on-field NFL experience was neither a requirement nor an emphasis. Howard became the NFLPA's fourth leader since the league's merger in 1970. June 22, 2025: The Athletic reported that an official inside the NFLPA raised concerns that union officials, including Howell, could potentially enrich themselves via OneTeam Partners, a company that licenses athletes' name, image and likeness rights. Federal authorities are involved in an ongoing investigation into OneTeam Partners and union officials, as first reported by ESPN on May 30. June 24: The 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast and Pro Football Talk published the findings of a 61-page arbitration ruling that investigated collusion by the NFL concerning guaranteed player contracts. In the decision, arbitrator Christopher Droney ruled there wasn't sufficient evidence of collusion, but details of the report included findings that league executives had urged team owners to reduce guaranteed player compensation. Advertisement July 9: ESPN reported that the NFLPA had a confidentiality agreement with the NFL that hid information in the aforementioned arbitration decision. Some players told the outlet they were surprised by the details of the ruling and unsure why the union kept it from them. An NFLPA source confirmed that Howell and the union plan to appeal the arbitration ruling. July 10: Reports surfaced that Howell is also a paid, part-time consultant for The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that the NFL approved to pursue minority ownership stakes in franchises. Howell joined The Carlyle Group in March 2023, three months before his election as NFLPA executive director. Two sources with knowledge of the NFLPA's selection and hiring process told The Athletic that NFLPA leadership knew about Howell's work with the firm and the union's legal team and an independent search firm vetted Howell to ensure there were no conflicts of interest. In August 2024, one year into Howell's tenure, the NFL approved private equity minority investors. Four sources with knowledge of the situation said that when it became apparent The Carlyle Group would have an opportunity to invest in the NFL, discussions took place about Howell's position with the firm. Legal teams for both the NFLPA and The Carlyle Group determined Howell's work with aerospace and defense was far enough removed from the side of the business that would work with the NFL that he wasn't at risk of a conflict of interest. July 13: The NFLPA executive committee sent a message in support of Howell to members and rejected reports that Howell had been asked to step down. July 17: A second arbitration ruling came to light, this one involving a grievance won by the NFL against the NFLPA over fake injuries. The original grievance, filed in 2023, stemmed from a comment made by former union president and current NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter in which he suggested players could fake injuries as a contract-negotiation tactic. A decision was reached on Feb. 20 in which arbitrator Sidney Moreland determined Tretter's comments violated the CBA. Advertisement Additionally, ESPN reported inconsistencies over players' knowledge of a sexual discrimination and retaliation lawsuit made against Howell while he was a senior executive at Booz Allen in 2011. Two player representatives who voted for Howell told ESPN they were surprised to learn about the lawsuit, while two other players who sat on the union's executive committee that vetted and chose Howell as a finalist said the existence of the lawsuit was shared with all player reps at the 2023 election meeting. The lawsuit was settled in July 2015 for an undisclosed sum, per ESPN. Late in the evening, Howell announced his resignation via a statement from the NFLPA. 'It's clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day,' Howell wrote. '… I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.' A source briefed on the procedure told The Athletic that the NFLPA executive board plans to meet in the coming days to discuss next steps and name an interim executive director, though the interim executive director is not expected to get the full-time job.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
De Smith's upcoming book takes shots at Roger Goodell, Jerry Jones, Jeff Pash
Turf Wars, the upcoming book from former NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, contains several blunt characterizations regarding some of the management folks with whom he did battle during his years on the job. Via Daniel Kaplan of the book has choice words for three of the folks he dealt with. Advertisement Smith describes Commissioner Roger Goodell as a "cold, dark void." As to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Smith says this: 'If Jerry Jones saw a dollar bill on the ground, I truly believe he'd stop and pick it up.' Then there's former NFL general counsel Jeff Pash. Smith calls Pash "definitely the most unscrupulous." "In a corporation filled with ruthless people, Pash has everyone else beat," Smith said. Ruthless or not, Pash gave life to the collusion grievance that was resolved earlier this year via a 61-page ruling by putting in writing things he should have discussed with Goodell verbally. The paper trail of emails from Pash to Goodell and Goodell to Pash made it clear that the NFL and the Management Council wanted the teams to collude when it comes to limiting guarantees in player contracts. Advertisement Turf Wars will be released on August 5. If/when we get an advance copy, we'll likely have plenty more to say about the contents of a book that seems to be far closer to scorched earth than smooched ass.
