Racist Comment Surfaces By Jon Gruden About DeMaurice Smith
Smith has been facing the biggest challenge to his leadership in his 12 years running the union. On Tuesday, the union’s selection committee deadlocked, 7-7, on whether to give Smith a new contract and a fifth term. Four years ago, that same committee voted unanimously to extend Smith’s tenure.
Smith just barely won the two-thirds approval of the 32 team representatives he needed to avoid an open election, which could have led to more turmoil at the union and undermined what has generally been a cooperative relationship with Goodell. In the vote, 22 players voted to extend Smith’s contract, eight opposed it and two abstained. In a sign of ambivalence about his leadership, Smith may only get a short term contract, not a four-year agreement.
After the vote, J.C. Tretter, a center on the Cleveland Browns and the union’s president, said in a statement that Smith “was transparent with us about his interest in moving on after this term and for the stability and security of our union, he will work with our player leadership to ensure we have a succession plan in place for the next leader.”
Tretter did not say when Smith made the decision to leave after his term expires, or how long his term would last.
The opposition to Smith stems from lingering resentment over the 10-year labor agreement that the players ratified in March 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the country.
Richard Sherman, now on the Buccaneers, and other veteran players were disgusted that Smith, who initially opposed the owners’ insistence on the addition of a 17th game this season, ended up supporting it.
The union’s own executive committee — normally a source of support for Smith — voted against the deal. But the union pressed ahead anyway, and the agreement was ratified by just 60 votes, receiving 51.5 percent of the vote among a group with more than 2,000 members.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/08/sports/football/nfl-demaurice-smith-jon-gruden-racist-comment.html