“When it comes to the deal itself, I’m not sure there is a deal,” Edwards says when asked about the validity of the partnership. “As I look at it, the devil isn’t in the details, it’s in the delivery. … There’s nothing wrong with the civil rights bill or the voting rights bill or the equal housing opportunity bill or the Brown vs. the Board of Education decision — except it breaks down at the point of delivery. Unless you substantially control and manage the delivery, you’ve been took, you’ve been had, you’ve been bamboozled.” The uncertainty over so many of foundational details was another factor in why some players contend they broke from the coalition. One asked; “How can you agree to something without knowing the details of how it will work?” Boldin and Jenkins understand the criticism but contend they were running out of time to get anything at all done. And on the eve of the Super Bowl, there is now a formal committee and a process for identifying recipients, says Boldin. On the national level, the Players Coalition has chosen recipients including the United Negro College Fund to receive monies from the first round of funding. #nfl #issues #divide #politics #social_issues #pub