Labor lawyer Ed Garvey, influential in labor action taken by the NFL, died on Wednesday. Garvey was instrumental in getting rid of the 'Rozelle Rule' in 1975. The rule stated that after signing a contract with a team a football player would only be able to sign with a new franchise if compensation, determined in the case of an impasse by Pete Rozelle, was paid. After an unsuccessful NFL strike organized by Garvey, the law was found to be in violation of antitrust laws. Garvey also negotiated with the NFL during a strike in 1982, and achieved higher wages for the football players, although many criticized the deal he reached for being too low. Garvey later resigned from the union to become a deputy state attorney general in Washington.
See "Ed Garvey, Leader of N.F.L. Players Union, Dies at 76", Richard Sandomir, The New York Times, February 23, 2017