Smith Again

NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith will remain as NFLPA Executive Director. Smith was re-elected for the third time at the Players Association's meetings in Maui on Sunday. Nice location. On the wave of the 2011 CBA negotiations, Smith was re-elected unanimously in 2012. He faced a greater challenge this time as he had to defeat eight opponents. The heavy field was seen by some as an indictment of his work as a thorn in the side of the NFL Commissioner. Instead it might have worked in his favor. Eight opponents diluted the field and may have canceled each other out. Smith easily won for the third time on the first vote.

His opponents ranged from former players:

Sean Gilbert
Robert Griffith
Jason Belser

an agent:
Robert London

attorneys:
James Acho
Andrew Smith

staff counsel for NFLPA:
Art McAfee

even a former Vice Admiral:
Jim Stufflebeam

Gilbert was perhaps the most vocal. He wants to re-open the CBA negotiations based on a collusion claim. He's also in favor of an 18-game schedule. That's surprising as a former player and it probably ended his candidacy for Executive Director of the NFLPA. If he chooses to run again in 2018, Belser might prove to be a significant threat to Smith. He's a former player and is very much liked by the current players. He's the NFLPA's senior director of player affairs and development. His time might be the next time.

For now, DeMaurice Smith remains the NFLPA's Executive Director and irritant to the Commissioner.