National Football League

Marvin Miller praises NFL union leadership

Published Jun. 29, 2011 11:44 p.m. ET

foxsports

Former baseball union chief Marvin Miller says NFL players have strong leadership in their labor negotiations with the league.

''I think DeMaurice Smith is a bright man with his head in the right direction,'' the 94-year-old Miller said Wednesday of the NFLPA head.

Miller emphasized the NFL lockout was the result of owners' demands, not those of players.

''This is entirely caused by a $9 billion a year industry, their demands, that despite their affluence the players should give up a billion dollars off the salary cap, that the players with the worst and most serious injury rates should have their season extended with two additional games,'' he said.

Under Miller's leadership from 1966-82, baseball players gained free agency and multimillion dollar contracts. Miller was attending a screening of a documentary about Curt Flood, who unsuccessfully sued Major League Baseball to try to gain free agency. The film, ''The Curious Case of Curt Flood,'' is scheduled to premiere July 13 on HBO.