CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- DeMaurice Smith has a difficult fight ahead with owners on a new labor deal, and the NFL Players Association chief wants to stack his side with as many supporters as he can find.
Retired players, especially.
Hoping to win them over before the NFL owners can, the union's executive director spent much of his speech at the Charlotte Touchdown Club luncheon Wednesday wooing the handful of ex-players sprinkled in the crowd of mostly business executives.
Smith asked the retired players to stand and be acknowledged. He promised past troubles are over and vowed to work for increased retiree benefits in the next collective bargaining agreement, floating the idea that each team should put $1 million aside every year to boost pensions.
"Our issues, or some of our issues, are going to stretch not only from players today, but they're going to reach back to players before us and they're certainly going to push forward to players ahead of us," Smith said.
Smith made eliminating the bad feelings between retired players and the union one of his top priorities when he took over last year for the late Gene Upshaw, who angered many when he once said he worked for only current players.
Now facing a potential work stoppage after the 2010 season -- Smith reiterated he believes a lockout is probable -- the new leader wants a unified front.
"It was on the logo -- 'Past, Present and Future' -- but I always felt bad that the former players really weren't a part of things," said Steve Beuerlein, a former NFL quarterback and union representative who attended Wednesday's luncheon. "I think DeMaurice has really attacked that issue. I think that's what guys are really looking for."
Smith quickly settled a legal dispute over marketing rights for former players after he took the job. He had two former players sit on the executive committee. He has combined meetings between current and former players. He has set up small gatherings -- including one Tuesday in Charlotte -- with retirees.
Smith indicated that if each team gave $1 million a year, players who retired before 1993 would see their pensions increase by $1,000 per month. Smith also wants the league to boost health benefits for retirees.
"Every one of these stadiums in the country has that ring of fame that celebrates all of those great players who used to play that game. I know for a fact that each and every team in the National Football League sells legacy," Smith said. "My problem is, that as we look on those names up there on that ring of fame, not one player gets a dime from that team."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been public with his intentions of boosting retiree benefits in the new CBA. Smith insists current players shouldn't suffer with their own wages and benefits in such a deal.
Smith suggested players would only accept a pay cut in the new deal if owners agreed to give up equity in their teams to the players.
"I do not believe and I reject that there has to be some sort of world in which players have to choose between current players and former players," Smith said.
Smith also touched on a handful of other subjects:
» He said the union doesn't know the names of the two men listed in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Buffalo, N.Y., on Tuesday. Dr. Anthony Galea was charged with injecting at least one current NFL player with an unapproved drug and giving human growth hormone to a retired player.
» When asked about speeding up the appeal process for drug issues -- Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushingtested positive in September and was suspended this month -- Smith said the union would like a number of testing procedures changed. He then harped on a judge chastising the NFL for its policies in the case involving Kevin Williams and Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings.
"I consider those to be serious issues that we need to address about the process," he said.
» Smith didn't back down from critical comments he made about Cushing, when he said players who break the rules "cheat the game, cheat the fans and cheat themselves."
"The players know that my background was 10 years as a prosecutor, four years in the homicide section," Smith said. "I'm probably not the guy that you want to cry to about misconduct. I'm probably not going to be a sympathetic ear."
Smith then tied in personal conduct with how players will be treated following their playing careers.
"I demand that you be good men in your community. I demand that you be good husbands, good fathers, good sons," Smith said. "I demand it because I know if you are you will not only be a good football player on the field that our fans will love, you will be a great former player in your community that our fans will always love."
Beuerlein met Smith for the first time after the luncheon. Walking around these days now with an artificial hip, Beuerlein sounded optimistic that a unified front would increase the chances that current and former players are served in the new labor deal.
"You always hear, 'There's strength in numbers.' Well, there's strength in unity," Beuerlein said. "As long as we can be a united force, I think we can be stronger for sure."
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Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press