Pablo Torre wrapped up his coverage of the resolved collusion case between the NFL and NFLPA. Torre brought on former NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth and former Miami Marlins president David Samson to discuss the case Torre published.
The two guests provided a wealth of valuable insights into how labor and owners interact with each other. Foxworth, currently an ESPN analyst, was the President of the NFLPA from 2012 to 2014. After his retirement, he received an MBA from Harvard. He was also hired as Chief Operating Officer for the National Basketball Players Association. Foxworth is an experienced labor leader with intimate experience in two of the major professional sports unions.
Samson has decades of experience representing ownership in the MLB. Samson was the President of the Marlins from 2002 until September 2017. He is the stepson of Jeffrey Loria, former owner of the Marlins and Montreal Expos. Samson has a deep-seated understanding of the intricate relationship between owners.
The two guests are a wealth of knowledge, and had a great discussion about the challenges of players’ unions negotiating with billionaire owners. The discourse provided a fascinating look behind the scenes, revealing many tough truths. Samson confirmed that owners’ meetings are often full of table talk. Owners and their executives praise and grill each other over transactions. It’s a highly competitive group of people with a major stake in the success of their teams. It’s natural for them to discuss their league.
Furthermore, it’s essential to note that owners discussing their league and offering guidance does not constitute collusion alone. Teams must adhere to the recommendations for collusion to be found. Owners sharing opinions became a contentious point in the collusion case. Many people didn’t expect owners to treat their franchises with the same brevity as a fantasy sports league.
The discussion evolved from summarizing the collusion allegations to a strategy meeting over labor relations. Foxworth and Sampson provided excellent commentary, highlighting the concerns and issues from their perspective. The discussion ranged from collective bargaining to the possibility of labor strikes. Torre facilitated one of the best discussions about professional sports unions in recent memory. The episode is a must-watch for anyone wanting to understand the complexities of the resolved collusion case or labor disputes among professional athletes.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Former NFLPA and MLB Presidents join Pablo Torre Finds Out