Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 8, 1993 TAG: 9305080106
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
When NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw briefed the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys on terms of the seven-year agreement Thursday, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith shouted at him, then walked out of the meeting.
"I didn't walk in satisfied, and I didn't expect to walk out satisfied," Irvin said. "It wasn't anything personal. I see a lot of things that could have been better.
"They keep telling us to look at what they got us here. They aren't telling us what they didn't get. They're just trying to bring out all the positives. They aren't showing us the things they sold us short on. Maybe I'm the only one who sees these things. Then again, maybe I'm the only one who read through it."
Upshaw dismissed Irvin's display of temper.
"Michael was in there screaming," he said. "Michael, the only way he knows how to talk is screaming. He thinks if he screams, he's more intelligent. If he wants to blow steam off, it doesn't matter. I just listened to him. You can't talk forever. And pretty soon the guys said, `Hey, why don't you just be quiet? Some of us want to know that's going on.' He finally left. The other players didn't like it because it shows how selfish he is and that's unfortunate."
Super Bowl MVP Troy Aikman was among those annoyed at Irvin. "I just wanted to hear about the bargaining agreement," the quarterback said. "It's hard to find out much because people just want to talk about their individual situations."
Irvin previously made $200,000 under a licensing agreement with NFL Properties. That total will be reduced to $1,500 because the NFLPA has regained licensing rights to most players and shares those revenues evenly.
"He's making $1.2 million, and he's the guy who took [money] from [NFL] properties, who undermined everything we're trying to do," Upshaw said. "Now he comes to me and says I did this to save my job. I'm not going to be a free agent. I'm not going to enjoy the benefits. It's not going to help me."
The agreement, an outgrowth of the January settlement of the free agency suit, includes increased pensions and benefits and additional postseason pay. It also liberalizes free agent rules which already have allowed a number of players to switch teams during the off-season.
The deal increases club spending on benefits from $4.04 million in 1993 to $6.6 million in 1999. The 28 teams spent an average of $2.8 million on benefits last season.
The contract also modifies free agency rules, allowing some "franchise players" to change teams with their old clubs receiving two first-round draft choices as compensation. The only franchise players permitted to move so far were litigants in the original lawsuit. Philadelphia defensive end Reggie White signed with Green Bay and Phoenix defensive back Tim McDonald went to San Francisco.
This year's franchise players must be offered a contract by June 15 worth at least the average salary of the five highest paid players at their position, based on contracts signed through May 6. Otherwise, the player has until July 15 to seek offers from other teams. If the player signs elsewhere, his former team would receive two No. 1 picks.
Next year, the franchise player options begin March 1.
The players must vote on the deal, which was approved by the league's management council.
Steve Jordan, player representative of the Minnesota Vikings, said, "If it does go through, it is a sense of accomplishment. It's bittersweet. It's good to finally have an agreement. But it's unfortunate that it took this long and that there are going to be some casualties - guys who were involved in the battle appease every person within the masses."
Rankin Smith, chairman of the board of the Atlanta Falcons, welcomed the settlement. "It's high time we got it," he said. "It's expensive but we realized it would be. This is the most far-reaching thing we've done in years and it frees us up to do so many other things like expansion."
Jim Irsay, vice president and general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, saluted commissioner Paul Tagliabue for the deal. "The commissioner has got to be congratulated," he said. "He showed a lot of persistence and patience. It was a big accomplishment for him. There are so many separate agendas on both sides. It's not an easy task."
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB