Jason Snelling: “Why aren’t we meeting every day?”

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Jason Snelling has heard from from an NFLPA* representative since voicing some of his frustrations over the lack of labor negoiations this week on Sirius XM.

He appreciated the call, but doesn’t think we’re any closer to a new CBA than we were in March.

“I haven’t heard more information that made me feel more comfortable with the situation,” Snelling told Florio on Thursday on PFT Live.

It was great to hear a differing and but similarly informed player’s perspective after Scott Fujita’s appearance Wednesday.  Snelling expressed confidence in DeMaurice Smith, but wasn’t comfortable with the current litigation-first strategy.  He doesn’t want to lose a season.

“I don’t have faith in the court systems to get it done, and I don’t have faith in both parties just sitting idle while it’s going through the court systems. . . . In the meantime, why aren’t we meeting every day?” Snelling asked. “Why isn’t there a constant negotiation between both parties to work something out?  Because a lot of people are losing out.”

51 responses to “Jason Snelling: “Why aren’t we meeting every day?”

  1. Jason, we need more of you insisting on sitting down and working it out. I am sorry you have faith in de smith. He is the reason you are where you are today.

  2. Its like we have 2 stubborn, bitter old women being asked to make amends and come to an agreement… Its nit going to happen. The players should be able to select their representative, if the current one is not getting the job done they need to appoint someone who can rather than letting the blind lead the blind. Im shocked I havent heard more people calling for De Smiths oust.

  3. So, why aren’t they meeting every day? Sitting on their hands isn’t going to get anything done. Is it the legal fees? If they seriously wanted to get it done, the would.

  4. Why aren’t they meeting every day?

    Everyone knows the answer to that Jason. The NFLPA is looking for leverage in order to make it’s best deal and the owners are waiting out the players in the hope they will splinter apart once they miss a few game checks.

    Of course your recent comments have certainly made the owners even more confident of their strategy. Good work!!

  5. “Why aren’t we meeting every day?”

    If more people spoke out like Snelling, maybe we can actually have a season this year.

    Good for him. Glad to know there are players out there who want to get this thing done!

  6. I hope we see more and more of this. If I were a player I would have a lot of questions for the “NFLPA” myself.

  7. How come everybody can see that Shyster is leading his players into a disaster except the players themselves?

    I would venture to say that the “leadership” has not even shared with all the players the offers presented by the league.

    Some players need to step forward and challenge that lawyer they hired. Be accountable before it’s too late.

  8. DEMAURICE SMITH. THAT’S WHY. THIS MAN IS THE REASON, AND ONLY REASON THAT THE LOCKOUT HAS GONE ON FOR SO LONG.

    What do they need this man for? He does nothing but run his mouth. It makes no sense to me why a former player or even a current player like Drew Brees can’t be the lead of the NFLPA. This is a direct quote from DeMaurice Smiths’ wikipedia page:

    Smith was elected on the first ballot by the 32 representatives — one for each NFL team. Despite his lack of familiarity with NFL players, he beat out three strong contenders: former NFLPA presidents Troy Vincent and Trace Armstrong, and sports attorney David Cornwell, who re-emerged as a candidate after receiving the necessary written support of three player reps.

    LACK OF FAMILIARITY IS VERY OBVIOUS. CAN THIS MAN BE FIRED IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOCKOUT?

  9. So the players want the benefit of collective bargaining through a union, while at the same time decertifying the union, thereby denying the owners the right to lock them out.

    Jason, if you want to negotiate, then re-certify the NFLPA, or form a new union. Otherwise stop whining.

  10. schmitty2 says:
    May 26, 2011 3:13 PM
    If only Gene Upshaw was still alive….
    ———————————————-

    People keep saying this, and it got me thinking…the players should divert their money from De Smith and spend it having Upshaw’s corpse reanimated. The zombie Upshaw couldn’t possibly make this situation any worse than Smith has, and likely would be easier to negotiate with.

  11. “Why aren’t we meeting every day?””

    AMEN!

    I wish I could have heard the answer to that. That’s an answer the fans deserve to know.

  12. If Gene Upshaw were alive, we’d have a lockout and a strike simultaneously.

  13. I think the NFLPA* should put the latest proposal from the owners in front of all the players for a vote to determine what percentage of the players would favor it. At least then you know what the true sentiment of the players are without DeSmith’s rhetoric.

  14. having complete confidence in de smith and believing the proper solution is to hold daily negotiations are mutually exclusive positions. it is like saying “i have complete confidence in benito mussolini, but i think we should be on the side of america and britain.”

  15. Great question.

    One thing I have learned from all this and I hope the players union has to… DO NOT have a lawyer as your head of the players union. They are everything that is wrong with this country.

  16. klunge says:
    May 26, 2011 3:26 PM
    schmitty2 says:
    May 26, 2011 3:13 PM
    If only Gene Upshaw was still alive….
    ———————————————-

    People keep saying this, and it got me thinking…the players should divert their money from De Smith and spend it having Upshaw’s corpse reanimated. The zombie Upshaw couldn’t possibly make this situation any worse than Smith has, and likely would be easier to negotiate with.

    AGREED!

  17. It’s a shame that Jeffery Kessler and De Smith are taking advantage of honest players like this. These guys are being used. Kessler and friends have zero incentive to get a deal done. They have every incentive to make the lawsuits go as long as possible, as well as file as many different lawsuits as they can.

    The longer the suits (lawsuits) take, the more the suits (lawyers) make.

    The players are getting manipulated by these guys who are working only for themselves (and in the case of Kessler his son who will also become rich).

  18. getyourpopcorn says:
    May 26, 2011 3:12 PM
    WE NEED TONS OF NFL PLAYERS TO STAND UP AND ASK THE SAME QUESTION!

    And some owners too!

  19. Because both sides know what the other sides demands are by now and what the other side would settle for.

    Talking just to talk does not serve any purpose. One side has to decide to give, and when they do, i am sure the other side will be the first they decide to tell.

  20. How come everybody can see that Shyster is leading his players into a disaster except the players themselves?
    _____________________________________

    And clintonportisheadd…

    @clintonportisheadd, you do know that the owners have made, from what we hear, 2 offers to the players. The NLFPA* hasn’t responded, they keep going to the media and the courts. I have no sides now, but the NFLPA* has lost a ton of credibility by not responding. They forfeit the right to say “we just want to play football” etc, when they walked away from 2 (maybe more) offers. The owners, they may be whatever you say they may be and yes they brought on the lockout, but they made an offer, don’t know how serious they were, but they made an offer. It take 2 sides to negotiate. Not sure what you’re seeing man.

  21. Because D Smith is a lawyer and wants to rely on the court system. This is what the players decided when they made him their leader.

  22. The players have special talents that the rest of us don’t. They deserve to be rewarded like any other special occupation. D Dunce Smith is leading them down a looseing path. He is absolutely unqualified and over his head. He couldn’t win a argument over a Bingo Game. The players have to use far better judgement when selecting a real lawyer. His Big mouth and one liners are costing our players $$$$$$$

  23. 3 Reasons:
    1) Players don’t lose money till September
    2) Owners have already taken out potential losses on their internal employees
    3) Coupled with #2, only the common worker has been affected financially.

  24. Finally a player no afraid to state the obvious. He understands this is all bull crap and that the NFL and NFLPA are acting like spoiled children and only worried about spinning this greed game in as something it is not and favorable to each on side. His desire to get this done is due to his own financial welfare and is not trying to act he gives a crap about us “the fans”. Makes me sick every time I hear Roger the Dodger or Cool De Smith make ridicules comments about how they are worried about the fans or working people this is affecting. The can give a rats butt about us; this is a greed power ploy by the league and a resume builder for Smith. The thing that surprises me is that educated men are letting this ambulance chaser manipulate them with his personal agenda.

  25. to Mr Snelling:

    Respectfully, of course, there is no one for the NFL to negotiate with, at any table, with regards to a new CBA. Since you and your fellow players voted to de-certify, back in Nov/Dec of 2010, and your union leadership filed a “disclaimer of interest” with the NLRB in March, 2011, you hae abdicated your rights to bargain collectively with the NFL, leaving you, as an individual, non-union, employee with no legitimate avenue to negotiate with anyone except as to matters dealing with your individual contract, or lack thereof.
    You have effectively abdicated your voice in this matter completely into the hands of Mr Smith, esquire, and Mr. Kessler, esquire, attorneys at law. Any further events effecting you and your future employment, or, any conditions of your continued employment at your PREVIOUS employer will be decided solely by these two individuals, with the advice and consent of the court.
    If you are unhappy with the actions/lack of actions, or with the method of their operation, Too bad!!! Effectively, you are now [b]SCREWED[\b]due your previous actions.
    You might as well shout your frustrations and ideas to the winds as direct them at those individuals, or your player reps. Regretfully for all of us, you now have zero control or input to their decisions/actions.

    Sincerely, the Fans

  26. The natives are getting restless. And financially “constrained”.

    The lockout is having it’s intended effect.

    Who’s blinking first? It won’t be long now before the fans start seeing 32 x 53 batting eyes.

  27. Why? Because you’re 90% of the way to an agreement. The rest of the deal will take 2 days to finish. All that’s left is the money issue. If there are no appeals (::fingers crossed::) of the June 3 ruling, the doors will open by July 4.

  28. Jason Snelling…. THE REAL VOICE OF REASON!!

    FIRE THE DUMBARSE DOO DOO SMITH AND GET SOMEONE IN THERE TO ….

    N
    E
    G
    O
    T
    I
    A
    T
    E
    !

  29. Even if a season gets cancelled everyone will be nutting in there undies that football is back… The NFL is not like baseball which plays 162 games and is in the dead heat of summer… I want the deal to get done too because its like crack for me, I know its terrible that these millionaire players and billionaire owners are greedy but at the end of the day I want to be able to wake up sunday morning log onto my betting website and think that I am some kind of pro bettor and put a whopping 50 bucks each on like 5 games and just sit back and watch my money being burned up by awful playcalling and execution… Folks, nothing provides this type of excitement better than the NFL!!

  30. Sorry, but you people and Snelling have lost all perspective.

    What’s the point in sitting down at a table, every single day, and saying the same damn thing, over and over again? Nothing has changed, no one’s position has changed, and all they’d be doing is repeating themselves.

    In fact, doing that might be counterproductive. Repeating the same thing, over and over again, back and forth, could cause positions to harden, and could generate greater feelings of ill will toward the other side than currently exist. When you’re not making progress, and just going over the same ground over and over again, tempers tend to flare and disagreements and nastiness tend to escalate.

    They’re probably better off staying away from each other for a while, until someone has something new to say.

  31. Question: How can the NFLPA* meet to negotiate?

    They do not represent all of the players anymore.

  32. saints25 says:
    May 26, 2011 3:55 PM
    the fans will pay!!!! i’ve said it from day 1….

    ———————————————–

    Not this fan. I won’t be spending a penny on anything to do with the NFL this year. That means not attending any games, purshasing jerseys or other souvenirs or if I know a product has an endorsement contract with a player or team/league I will look for an alternative.

  33. quirtevans says:
    May 26, 2011 5:17 PM
    Sorry, but you people and Snelling have lost all perspective.

    What’s the point in sitting down at a table, every single day, and saying the same damn thing, over and over again? Nothing has changed, no one’s position has changed, and all they’d be doing is repeating themselves.

    In fact, doing that might be counterproductive. Repeating the same thing, over and over again, back and forth, could cause positions to harden, and could generate greater feelings of ill will toward the other side than currently exist. When you’re not making progress, and just going over the same ground over and over again, tempers tend to flare and disagreements and nastiness tend to escalate.

    They’re probably better off staying away from each other for a while, until someone has something new to say.

    ***************************************

    The problem is, the PLAYERS do not even know what the last proposal was, so they have no idea if it is any good or not. Smith is the man leading the charge, and as far as any of us know, none of the players have any clue what was in that final proposal.

    I like the idea I read on here the other day, that the player agents should get involved, and allow them to be the ones to negotiate this deal. The agents have the best interest of the players, because if the players don’t make any money, neither do the agents.

    Where is Ari Gold when you need him?

  34. rcali says:
    May 26, 2011 3:46 PM
    3 Reasons:
    1) Players don’t lose money till September
    2) Owners have already taken out potential losses on their internal employees
    3) Coupled with #2, only the common worker has been affected financially.

    *******************************************

    All of the players with work out bonuses have lost that money.

    All of the rookies have no income at this point.

    All of the free agents have no money.

    Players that were not drafted have no idea what teams even want them to try out.

    The NFL has lost the guaranteed DirecTV money.

    The only people making any money in this is the lawyers.

  35. Hey Deb, your Silence concerning this players frustration is DEAFENING!!!

  36. Saw Roger on TV yesterday, he asked the same question. That tells me D. Smith DOESN’T want to meet everyday, or probably at all. Smith is waiting on the courts.

  37. Question: How can the NFLPA* meet to negotiate?

    They do not represent all of the players anymore.

    DeMO in an interview with Boomer Eaison of WFAN ,when asked the question” what will you do when the players tell you that they need to get back to work because of financial pressures?{ie…words to that effect] DeMo responded that at the ninth hour, he will do what the players ask him to do “…..If this is true….The players need to DEMAND that negotiations start Now, and dont end until a new CBA is written and signed ! Innocent people are being layed off NOW! Time is up ! Litigation is Too slow !!

  38. Why doesn’t deMoron meet and negotiate with the owners?
    Answer: Because deMoron and the NFLPA* would then be acting like a union! Unions negotiate for the workers with the owners to make a mutually beneficial situation.
    But deMoron has de-certified the union and the NFL owners have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that the de-certification is a sham and constitutes unfair labor practices. If deMoron sits down and negotiates as a union representative should, it would justify the complaint with the NLRB and result in a large fine. The NFLPA will pay the fine, not deMoron.
    Why can’t the agents for the players see both the offers the owners have made? Because that would violate the rules of the lockout that the owners must follow. The owners cannot have contact with the players or representatives of the players with the exception of the NFLPA. deMoron has control and he’s not going to let go.

    BUT

    If an agent certified as a union representing members of the players, he could see the offers. And negotiate with the owners. deMoron would be forced out of the courtroom and back to the negotiating table to save face (and his butt).
    We’ll see if any agents have the balls to take that step.

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