Stephen A. Misses Point...Entirely

When it comes to enlightening readers on the NFL, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is tremendous on the NBA.

Smith's latest offering in ESPN the Magazine (The Magazine? the magazine? ... a magazine?) proves that it's hard to be an accurate gasbag on more than one sport.

In his ode to newly-elected NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, Stephen A. intones, "If you've followed the saga of the NFLPA to any degree, you've heard about all the kowtowing that takes place within the union. Example: Gene Upshaw, the union's late executive director, who died suddenly last August, was a Hall of Famer, a class act and a tough-as-nails fellow -- except whenever he had to face off against former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Time and again, players questioned if they had representation at all, seeing as how Upshaw and Tagliabue seemed tighter than Billy Ray and Miley. Players felt that the relationship muffled their concerns."

If it were still 2005, Stephen A. would be correct. But it's not. And ignoring - or being oblivious to - the fact that Upshaw beat the retiring Tagliabue about the head and neck in the most recent CBA negotiations is inexcusable for a columnist in a national magazine (and for whichever editor didn't catch it).

There's a work stoppage on the horizon because the NFL owners - who have been accustomed to having an extreme upper hand - are getting soaked by salaries and peeing away millions on first-round picks who never rise past the level of scrub.

In 2005, the NFL's salary cap was $85 million. This year's cap? It's $127 million. A cool $42 million spread through a roster means - theoretically - close to a million extra per player. Top 5 picks now make so much in guaranteed money (approaching $30 million) teams can't give their slots away.  

All of which doesn't faze me one way or the other, it's not my money. But to go public with the idea that, now that DeMaurice Smith is in charge, NFL players are finally going to make some strides against the owners is laughably out of touch. Quite frankly.