from ProFootballTalk.com
So should retired NFL players who have been shunned by the NFL Players Association for years be suspicious of the union’s sudden interest in making nice?
Yes, they should be.
And, per the Associated Press, they are. Especially since the effort to make nice is also being supplemented by some good, old-fashioned strong-arming. READ MORE
Ex-NFL Players Critical of Union Seeking Support
Associated Press
The informal group of former football players criticized comments made by NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, who said Saturday that retired player benefits would be reduced if there is an uncapped year in 2010 or a lockout by owners in 2011.
Several players meeting in Las Vegas about their problems with the union said their benefits are protected by law – lockout or not.
Smith also said that he represents all NFL players, active and retired. He wants the retiree groups behind the union in negotiations to extend the contract that expires after 2010, with talks scheduled to start Wednesday.
“I think he might be putting the cart before the horse,” said Marvin Cobb, a former defensive back who played six years in the NFL for Cincinnati, Minnesota and Pittsburgh.
