Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips spent about 10 minutes talking with new NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith last week before he visited with Bears players, and Phillips came away feeling positive about the chance of extending the league's labor peace. "He's a high-energy guy," Phillips said. "He seems like he's real detailed and is going to have a thoroughly thought-out plan. What I like is that he gets the fact that we've had 15 years of labor peace, and the goal is to have 15 more years. So I think that's a positive first step." While the negotiations between the NFLPA and the league's owners have already been categorized as contentious, Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips doesn't see it that way. "I don't look at it as contentious," Phillips said. "The reality is there's two more years left of football. So that's a long time. And the goal of both sides is 'Let's find some middle ground.' Let's make the league as a whole -- with international opportunities, digital-media opportunities, and technology -- hopefully we can grow the business even more, so there's plenty for everyone to go around, and we can avoid any kind of work stoppage, which is not on anybody's mind right now at all." Source: FOXSports.com
