NY Giants' LaVar Arrington to Testifiy in Court for Carl Poston

Another Great Piece by Mr. Staple-see my endnote:

LaVar to support agent before House
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Writer

December 7, 2006

LaVar Arrington will testify before a House subcommittee today on behalf of his agent, Carl Poston, who drew a two-year suspension from the NFL Players' Association for his representation of Arrington when he signed a contract with the Redskins in 2003.

The injured Giants linebacker, who thought he was cheated out of a $6.5-million roster bonus by the Redskins, yesterday lashed out at the union.

"They suspended [Poston] without a hearing, the NFLPA," he said. " ... They do a lot of foul stuff. It's like organized crime, to be honest with you. They are bad.

" ... Richard Berthelsen, general [counsel] of the NFLPA, was basically representing the Redskins. I'm a conspiracy-type guy. Then you've got a guy who's supposedly going to take Gene Upshaw's job, Troy Vincent, and he ends up in Washington with a good deal. Just seems like the whistle doesn't want to be blown. I know the PA does things they definitely shouldn't do. I don't think, by any stretch of the imagination, they have the best interests of the players at heart."

Poston was suspended after the NFLPA's committee on agent relations and conduct determined Poston erred in having Arrington sign the deal in which the roster bonus was omitted.

The hearing to which Arrington referred never took place, Berthelsen said. The case was settled and Arrington didn't get his money.

My take: i'm a union man and a moderate democrat, which may annoy some(sorry) but i can tell when union is acting like a Union and when it's only out to benefit itself. I was a rep. for the NYC teachers Union for over ten years(they leave something to be desired as well). Arrington isn't the first player to complain about Upshaw and Co. And they stopped calling themselfs a "UNion" a long time ago...so if a Player has an agent and a manager, why do they need a PA for?? Todays players aren't our fathers Players Playing in our parents NFL, when they needed the pensions they get. They is why it's more of a business now then it was 30 years ago..