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- Mar 31, 2016
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- Mike
Mackeyser had a really good post and point in #418 or so of the Ramsey thread in regards to the manner in which frustrated players are standing up for themselves. Here is is:
Nope, this is a result of Seattle doing Earl Thomas the way they did.
Many teams and the NFL in general has a sordid history of doing players dirty. Players are realizing that they have to be creative in order to make things happen.
Look at Earl Thomas. He ended his holdout and shut up and play like ownership and fans like. And...he got injured and lost MILLIONS (his 4 year 55M deal is very good, but the competition for him coming out on a broken leg diminished likely pushing his salary down a bit).
So those days are over.
Thanks Seattle.
It used to be if a player was unhappy/dissatisfied enough, they would hold-out and simply not be paid. Now it appears the direction has changed....let the front office know you want out, make the choice as to whether you want (or need) to hit social media and/or disrupt the team or not, and then fake an injury. Essentially, cause disruption while still getting paid until the team has no other choice but to work with you. It worked for Antonio Brown and Ramsey as two recent examples.
I think we'll see fewer and fewer players willing to play through the final year of their contract without an extension as a result. And I don't foresee "holdouts" going up in number, either. With this new tactic, it almost seems as though the only way to get what you want is to throw the fit and fake the injury.
I wonder, for example, if L. Bell would have handled it differently, he would have had to sit out a prime year of his career with no salary? If he had to do it over again, could he have simply been a jerk (and demonstrate "poor character") to get what he wanted? I wonder if he had become a locker room disturbance, went off on coaches/players in social media, AND faked an injury (thus getting paid by the club) if it would had led to the club being more willing to work with him? At minimum, he would have gotten his service time in and collected on the millions he left on the table for "doing it the right way."
I wonder, for example, if Melvin Gordon wishes he wouldn't have been so classy about how he simply held out while not getting paid, essentially succumbing to the power the team had over him. Would he be in his current spot, lighter in the wallet and still playing/risking his health in his contract year, had he been more of a pain in the ass and faked injury?
I can't help but wonder if A.J. Green is silently doing the same and that we just have yet to see it hit the media? I honestly have no idea. I wonder if he's let the Bengals know he's not happy with team and/or direction as he enters his early 30's in the last year of a contract, would like to be moved, but will remain silent until they can get something done. Doing so would keep his reputation in tact, his legend in Cincy would remain, and the Bengals would retain leverage in trade talks.
It doesn't really apply to the Rams as I had no intention to spark A.J. Green interest. If anything, I do think he would be a great fit for the Niners or 'Hawks and that would really suck. And I can't help but wonder if as fans we sometimes buy into the whole "diva/bad character" thing of guys like Ramsey or Peters at the time of these transactions.
Mackeyser's reference to Thomas really made me look at the big picture from the players side, that's all. And it's easy to see the best way to keep the negotiation with a club is to keep them on the line for paying your salary while you talk, otherwise it's entirely up to them as to whether they want to.
And a final note, especially for the over 40 crowd that read this and cringe; I am old-school, too, when it comes to contracts. I appreciate it when guys play out what they signed up for. In the NFL's case, I just think there is an imbalance that is being self-corrected in the only way possible. The clubs don't have to honor that contract/can drop it anytime. And they don't "take care of the player" in the event of an Early Thomas-like injury occurs, either. I can see why the players are doing it.
Wisconsinram
(and a big Badger fan!)
Nope, this is a result of Seattle doing Earl Thomas the way they did.
Many teams and the NFL in general has a sordid history of doing players dirty. Players are realizing that they have to be creative in order to make things happen.
Look at Earl Thomas. He ended his holdout and shut up and play like ownership and fans like. And...he got injured and lost MILLIONS (his 4 year 55M deal is very good, but the competition for him coming out on a broken leg diminished likely pushing his salary down a bit).
So those days are over.
Thanks Seattle.
It used to be if a player was unhappy/dissatisfied enough, they would hold-out and simply not be paid. Now it appears the direction has changed....let the front office know you want out, make the choice as to whether you want (or need) to hit social media and/or disrupt the team or not, and then fake an injury. Essentially, cause disruption while still getting paid until the team has no other choice but to work with you. It worked for Antonio Brown and Ramsey as two recent examples.
I think we'll see fewer and fewer players willing to play through the final year of their contract without an extension as a result. And I don't foresee "holdouts" going up in number, either. With this new tactic, it almost seems as though the only way to get what you want is to throw the fit and fake the injury.
I wonder, for example, if L. Bell would have handled it differently, he would have had to sit out a prime year of his career with no salary? If he had to do it over again, could he have simply been a jerk (and demonstrate "poor character") to get what he wanted? I wonder if he had become a locker room disturbance, went off on coaches/players in social media, AND faked an injury (thus getting paid by the club) if it would had led to the club being more willing to work with him? At minimum, he would have gotten his service time in and collected on the millions he left on the table for "doing it the right way."
I wonder, for example, if Melvin Gordon wishes he wouldn't have been so classy about how he simply held out while not getting paid, essentially succumbing to the power the team had over him. Would he be in his current spot, lighter in the wallet and still playing/risking his health in his contract year, had he been more of a pain in the ass and faked injury?
I can't help but wonder if A.J. Green is silently doing the same and that we just have yet to see it hit the media? I honestly have no idea. I wonder if he's let the Bengals know he's not happy with team and/or direction as he enters his early 30's in the last year of a contract, would like to be moved, but will remain silent until they can get something done. Doing so would keep his reputation in tact, his legend in Cincy would remain, and the Bengals would retain leverage in trade talks.
It doesn't really apply to the Rams as I had no intention to spark A.J. Green interest. If anything, I do think he would be a great fit for the Niners or 'Hawks and that would really suck. And I can't help but wonder if as fans we sometimes buy into the whole "diva/bad character" thing of guys like Ramsey or Peters at the time of these transactions.
Mackeyser's reference to Thomas really made me look at the big picture from the players side, that's all. And it's easy to see the best way to keep the negotiation with a club is to keep them on the line for paying your salary while you talk, otherwise it's entirely up to them as to whether they want to.
And a final note, especially for the over 40 crowd that read this and cringe; I am old-school, too, when it comes to contracts. I appreciate it when guys play out what they signed up for. In the NFL's case, I just think there is an imbalance that is being self-corrected in the only way possible. The clubs don't have to honor that contract/can drop it anytime. And they don't "take care of the player" in the event of an Early Thomas-like injury occurs, either. I can see why the players are doing it.
Wisconsinram
(and a big Badger fan!)
