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On the NFL | More than a game
By Ashley Fox
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Troy Vincent the cornerback has a new agent but not a new job. Troy Vincent the businessman, however, is quite busy.
Now in his second term as president of the NFL Players Association, Vincent is presiding over what possibly is his most important meeting of the last three years.
The NFL is as popular as ever. Teams have record payrolls. And yet the players' collective reputation has suffered a serious blow thanks to a series of recent off-the-field incidents and the loud criticism from former players regarding their pensions.
Vincent's job is to change things inside his organization and out. He is in Hawaii this weekend meeting with player representatives from the league's 32 teams with two main items on his agenda: player conduct, and how to erase the "wedge" that has developed between retired and active players over the issue of pensions.
There is a lot of work to do.
Vincent, 35, an Eagles cornerback from 1996 to 2003, is the ideal face of the NFL. A 15-year veteran who was born in Trenton and went to Pennsbury High School, Vincent is sharp, savvy, responsible, hard-working, philanthropic, and highly respected by his peers.
But casual fans probably know more about Pacman Jones and his stream of legal troubles than they do about Vincent and his accomplishments. It's unfortunate, but the actions of a few - including nine Cincinnati Bengals arrested in the last 18 months - have sullied the reputation of the whole.
Vincent doesn't like it. Neither do union executive director Gene Upshaw and league commissioner Roger Goodell.
"Player conduct, this has been a major concern of our organization," Vincent said. "Gene and I discuss this topic more often than we would like to, but we are faced with the reality that exists."
This reality will be one of the NFL's hottest topics of 2007, and Vincent is in the middle of it. Last month at the Scouting Combine, Goodell met with an advisory group that included players, including Vincent and Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Everyone agrees, Vincent said, that the league's personal-conduct policy needs to be strengthened and franchises need to be accountable for their personnel's conduct, including any employee, coach or player.
The union also will discuss implementing mandatory life skills programs and expanding the rookie symposium.
"You see the events during the 2006 calendar year, and it's disturbing," Vincent said. "Fining is not stopping the men from repeated offenses. We're looking for answers. . . . It's not about taking money out of their pockets. We need to reach out earlier, to get on college campuses and set the expectations."
Despite recent reports to the contrary, the union does not advocate a three-strikes-and-you're-out policy similar to the one on banned substances, Vincent said.
The players' other recent major public-relations hit relates to retired players. A few days before the Super Bowl in Miami, a group of former players, including Mike Ditka, accused the league, team owners and current players of abandoning their predecessors. The retirement programs for pre-1980 players provide much less than those for today's players, in large part because, when those programs were negotiated, the league wasn't the financial success it is now.
Some former players who opted for early retirement receive as little as $150 in monthly pension payments. Some are terminally ill, mentally impaired, or, in the most extreme cases, homeless.
Vincent and Upshaw said at the Super Bowl that they were doing all they could for the veterans, and that it would take $800 million a year to match the current players' pensions. It was true, but it didn't sit well.
Last year's new collective-bargaining agreement increased benefits by $120 million per year, to $700 million, and included coverage for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to the Chicago Tribune. Earlier this month, Upshaw told the Tribune that almost all the improvements were directed at former players.
This issue isn't an easy one and probably won't ever adequately be resolved. Still, Vincent said: "I want to make sure there's no wedge, or the wedge that has been drawn is diminished. We're all part of the same community. We will all be retired at some point in time."
As for the threat of labor unrest in 2008, when either the players or owners can void the current bargaining agreement, Vincent said: "I feel satisfied there's labor peace, but we're looking for the next showdown, whenever it comes."
A few weeks ago, the Washington Commanders released Vincent the cornerback. He subsequently hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent in a move that stunned - and scared - many in the league who expect Vincent to follow Upshaw as head of the union. If that happens, Rosenhaus will have an influential ally who only will bolster his standing as the most powerful agent in the NFL.
"People shouldn't be surprised, because Drew negotiates good contracts, if not the best contracts," said Vincent, who acknowledged that Rosenhaus had been pursuing him for 13 years. "I have a lot of opportunities on and off the field, and I don't like negotiating for myself. I just felt like now and in the future, he needs to be someone that is part of my team."
Vincent would like to be part of another team, at least for one more year. The hamstring that dogged him last season has healed, and he wants another chance at a championship.
But, if Vincent the cornerback can't find work - and no, the Eagles haven't called - there will be plenty of work left for Vincent the businessman.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Ashley Fox
LINK
By Ashley Fox
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Troy Vincent the cornerback has a new agent but not a new job. Troy Vincent the businessman, however, is quite busy.
Now in his second term as president of the NFL Players Association, Vincent is presiding over what possibly is his most important meeting of the last three years.
The NFL is as popular as ever. Teams have record payrolls. And yet the players' collective reputation has suffered a serious blow thanks to a series of recent off-the-field incidents and the loud criticism from former players regarding their pensions.
Vincent's job is to change things inside his organization and out. He is in Hawaii this weekend meeting with player representatives from the league's 32 teams with two main items on his agenda: player conduct, and how to erase the "wedge" that has developed between retired and active players over the issue of pensions.
There is a lot of work to do.
Vincent, 35, an Eagles cornerback from 1996 to 2003, is the ideal face of the NFL. A 15-year veteran who was born in Trenton and went to Pennsbury High School, Vincent is sharp, savvy, responsible, hard-working, philanthropic, and highly respected by his peers.
But casual fans probably know more about Pacman Jones and his stream of legal troubles than they do about Vincent and his accomplishments. It's unfortunate, but the actions of a few - including nine Cincinnati Bengals arrested in the last 18 months - have sullied the reputation of the whole.
Vincent doesn't like it. Neither do union executive director Gene Upshaw and league commissioner Roger Goodell.
"Player conduct, this has been a major concern of our organization," Vincent said. "Gene and I discuss this topic more often than we would like to, but we are faced with the reality that exists."
This reality will be one of the NFL's hottest topics of 2007, and Vincent is in the middle of it. Last month at the Scouting Combine, Goodell met with an advisory group that included players, including Vincent and Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Everyone agrees, Vincent said, that the league's personal-conduct policy needs to be strengthened and franchises need to be accountable for their personnel's conduct, including any employee, coach or player.
The union also will discuss implementing mandatory life skills programs and expanding the rookie symposium.
"You see the events during the 2006 calendar year, and it's disturbing," Vincent said. "Fining is not stopping the men from repeated offenses. We're looking for answers. . . . It's not about taking money out of their pockets. We need to reach out earlier, to get on college campuses and set the expectations."
Despite recent reports to the contrary, the union does not advocate a three-strikes-and-you're-out policy similar to the one on banned substances, Vincent said.
The players' other recent major public-relations hit relates to retired players. A few days before the Super Bowl in Miami, a group of former players, including Mike Ditka, accused the league, team owners and current players of abandoning their predecessors. The retirement programs for pre-1980 players provide much less than those for today's players, in large part because, when those programs were negotiated, the league wasn't the financial success it is now.
Some former players who opted for early retirement receive as little as $150 in monthly pension payments. Some are terminally ill, mentally impaired, or, in the most extreme cases, homeless.
Vincent and Upshaw said at the Super Bowl that they were doing all they could for the veterans, and that it would take $800 million a year to match the current players' pensions. It was true, but it didn't sit well.
Last year's new collective-bargaining agreement increased benefits by $120 million per year, to $700 million, and included coverage for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to the Chicago Tribune. Earlier this month, Upshaw told the Tribune that almost all the improvements were directed at former players.
This issue isn't an easy one and probably won't ever adequately be resolved. Still, Vincent said: "I want to make sure there's no wedge, or the wedge that has been drawn is diminished. We're all part of the same community. We will all be retired at some point in time."
As for the threat of labor unrest in 2008, when either the players or owners can void the current bargaining agreement, Vincent said: "I feel satisfied there's labor peace, but we're looking for the next showdown, whenever it comes."
A few weeks ago, the Washington Commanders released Vincent the cornerback. He subsequently hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent in a move that stunned - and scared - many in the league who expect Vincent to follow Upshaw as head of the union. If that happens, Rosenhaus will have an influential ally who only will bolster his standing as the most powerful agent in the NFL.
"People shouldn't be surprised, because Drew negotiates good contracts, if not the best contracts," said Vincent, who acknowledged that Rosenhaus had been pursuing him for 13 years. "I have a lot of opportunities on and off the field, and I don't like negotiating for myself. I just felt like now and in the future, he needs to be someone that is part of my team."
Vincent would like to be part of another team, at least for one more year. The hamstring that dogged him last season has healed, and he wants another chance at a championship.
But, if Vincent the cornerback can't find work - and no, the Eagles haven't called - there will be plenty of work left for Vincent the businessman.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Ashley Fox
LINK
