Roger Goodell, DeMaurice Smith Take Brief Break From Negotiations To Meet With Rookies
Amidst ongoing negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement in Minneapolis, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players' Association head DeMaurice Smith decided to take a break from all the yelling and shouting across tables in smoke-filled rooms and, instead, opt for a half-day of sunshine and relative relaxation in Sarasota, Florida, where they spoke to 155 of the league's incoming rookies.
Of course, most of the questions fielded by the two concerned the current lockout, which is now in its fourth month, and when the 2011 season might begin, which is of particular import to rookies who have yet to earn a single dime for their professional play.
Goodell sounded confident in his remarks to the giddy young gridironers, telling them:
?We were taking a break (from negotiations) because we felt it was important to be down here with the players...This is an important few days. We?re going to get back to work.?
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From there, Goodell and Smith climbed into the back of an SUV, held hands and engaged in a quick back-and-forth of mutual appreciation...that is, until the doors closed and the two returned to verbal fisticuffs.
Okay, so maybe things didn't go down quite that way, but at least the two representatives were able to save face for a bit in front of hundreds of curious onlookers, prospective players and media types alike.
At this point, the success or failure of the negotiations between the players and the owners will likely come down to whatever rapport Smith and Goodell can stitch together over the next few days during scheduled talks in Minneapolis. With fewer cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, Smith and Goodell might very well be able to hammer out the terms of a deal in much the same way that former commissioner Paul Tagliabue and the late Gene Upshaw once did when they were the parties responsible.
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