VIDEO: NFL's DeMaurice Smith Visits CBS THIS MORNING

NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith discussed the ruling to overturn the New Orleans Saints Bountygate player suspensions and urged the NFL to apologize in an interview with co-hosts Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell that was broadcast live today Dec. 12, 2012, on CBS THIS MORNING on the CBS Television Network (7:00 AM – 9:00 AM). Watch the interview in its entirety below!

 Below is the transcript of the interview:

ROSE: Are you satisfied with what former Commissioner Tagliabue said?

SMITH: Well, certainly satisfied in the ruling that he did not believe that there was any evidence supporting the suspension of The Players. Frankly, I'm still disappointed in the National Football League, and certainly disappointed in the way in which they conducted an investigation because I now know, having read and seen all of the testimony, that there was certainly no evidence that the bounties existed. And frankly, I was a prosecutor in this city for 10 years. I understand how to do investigations, and the investigation that the League did was sloppy, the investigation that they did was more outcome-focused than frankly process-focused.

ROSE: But Tagliabue also said that the system was at fault.

SMITH: Well, I think what Paul indicated in the transcript, having seen all of the evidence, was that there was no basis to punish The Players. And I think that-

ROSE: But? 

SMITH: And I think that as soon as the transcript is released and everybody can read the testimony under oath, I think it's important for all Americans to see what Greg Williams said when he said that there was no bounty.

O'DONNELL: But doesn't this-by Tagliabue, doesn't this undermine Roger Goodell's authority?

SMITH: Well, at times when you make a wrong decision, perhaps your authority should be undermined.

ROSE: But are you saying in your judgment there was no bounty at all on the part of the New Orleans Saints? None at all?

SMITH: Having seen nearly 50,000 pages of evidence and nearly 20 hours of testimony, I know that there was no bounty put on players by Saints players. 

ROSE: There was no payment for taking somebody out of the game.

SMITH: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

ROSE: So what should the commissioner of the NFL do now?

SMITH: Well, first and foremost, they should say they're sorry because they've maligned the character of good players, and if they certainly believe that they are right, the one thing that Roger Goodell could do is simply release the transcripts and we will all know the truth. 

ROSE: Should they apologize to the coach of the Saints, who's not being able to participate in this season? 

SMITH: Should the League?

ROSE: Yes. 

SMITH: Well, I think that the League has an obligation to search for the truth, and I believe that the truth is that there were no bounties put on other players. 

ROSE: But what does the League do other than apologizing? They have said-Tagliabue said let's lift the suspension on The Players, but he did not say that with respect to the coach. 

SMITH: Well, there's a difference between where The Players were and where the coaches are.

ROSE: What's the difference?

SMITH: The difference is The Players have a union.

ROSE: Ah.

SMITH: And at a time when unions are under attack, this is what unions do. So we fight, and we believe there are times when our players are wrongly treated, that we will fight for their fairness and we will fight for fundamental fairness. Today we're going to be filing another lawsuit against the National Football League and against some member teams because those teams are making our players sign waivers of liability before they get medical treatment and before they get some shots, and I believe that a medical professional making a player sign a waiver before you provide that player with medical treatment is not only something that is wrong ethically, but at a time when the League professes to care about player health and safety, do you think that's consistent with player health and safety?

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