- Messages
- 78,800
- Reaction score
- 43,764
POSTED 11:12 a.m. EDT, September 28, 2007
BULGER, JOHNSON PROVE THE VALUE OF A HOLDOUT
Although we continue to believe that a player under contract should honor that contract, there definitely are situations in which a holdout can be effective.
In pro sports, withholding services is a player's only true leverage, regardless of whether or not the player is already a party to a contract requiring him to provide such services.
In the cases of quarterback Marc Bulger, who was entering the final year of his contract with the Rams, and running back Larry Johnson, who was embarking on the last season of his rookie deal with the Chiefs, the decision to stay away from the start of training camp helped both of them get the kind of deals now that they might never have seen otherwise, given their performances to date in 2007.
As one league source opined to us this week, "Bulger would be SOL right now if he hadn't pushed the issue" by not showing up when camp kicked off.
Ditto for Johnson, especially since there is speculation in league circles that the football world might never again see the bruising back who churned out near-dominant performances in 2005 and 2006. There's a lot of wear on the tires, and the offensive line is diminished. Though the contract pushes enough money to the out years to somewhat protect the team in the event that L.J.'s fastball is gone, Johnson's decision to take a stand has helped him to get money that simply might not have been there in March 2008, from the Chiefs or from anyone else.
-------------
ROMO'S BEST BET IS TO HOLD OUT, TOO
We mentioned last night that the Cowboys plan to simply slap the franchise tag on quarterback Tony Romo if his agent, Tom Condon, continues to insist upon more than $30 million in guaranteed money for the undrafted signal-caller turned budding superstar.
But this strategy presumes that Romo will sign the one-year tender and report for duty. If he chooses not to sign the tender and stay away from training camp, the preseason, and up to ten weeks of the regular season, the Cowboys will be screwed for 2008.
The smart move for Romo, from a money standpoint, would be to stay away. From a football standpoint, the question is whether he'd be able to fend off his desire to play.
And, as a reader pointed out to us this morning, the fact that the Cowboys are reluctant to pay Romo more than $30 million guaranteed even though he has proven his abilities in an era where the No. 1 overall pick in the draft gets more than that without ever putting on an NFL helmet highlights the serious problems with the player compensation system.
For the Cowboys, they could get to pay two guys that much money in 2008, since they hold Cleveland's first-round pick as a result of the trade that allowed the Browns to draft Brady Quinn.
BULGER, JOHNSON PROVE THE VALUE OF A HOLDOUT
Although we continue to believe that a player under contract should honor that contract, there definitely are situations in which a holdout can be effective.
In pro sports, withholding services is a player's only true leverage, regardless of whether or not the player is already a party to a contract requiring him to provide such services.
In the cases of quarterback Marc Bulger, who was entering the final year of his contract with the Rams, and running back Larry Johnson, who was embarking on the last season of his rookie deal with the Chiefs, the decision to stay away from the start of training camp helped both of them get the kind of deals now that they might never have seen otherwise, given their performances to date in 2007.
As one league source opined to us this week, "Bulger would be SOL right now if he hadn't pushed the issue" by not showing up when camp kicked off.
Ditto for Johnson, especially since there is speculation in league circles that the football world might never again see the bruising back who churned out near-dominant performances in 2005 and 2006. There's a lot of wear on the tires, and the offensive line is diminished. Though the contract pushes enough money to the out years to somewhat protect the team in the event that L.J.'s fastball is gone, Johnson's decision to take a stand has helped him to get money that simply might not have been there in March 2008, from the Chiefs or from anyone else.
-------------
ROMO'S BEST BET IS TO HOLD OUT, TOO
We mentioned last night that the Cowboys plan to simply slap the franchise tag on quarterback Tony Romo if his agent, Tom Condon, continues to insist upon more than $30 million in guaranteed money for the undrafted signal-caller turned budding superstar.
But this strategy presumes that Romo will sign the one-year tender and report for duty. If he chooses not to sign the tender and stay away from training camp, the preseason, and up to ten weeks of the regular season, the Cowboys will be screwed for 2008.
The smart move for Romo, from a money standpoint, would be to stay away. From a football standpoint, the question is whether he'd be able to fend off his desire to play.
And, as a reader pointed out to us this morning, the fact that the Cowboys are reluctant to pay Romo more than $30 million guaranteed even though he has proven his abilities in an era where the No. 1 overall pick in the draft gets more than that without ever putting on an NFL helmet highlights the serious problems with the player compensation system.
For the Cowboys, they could get to pay two guys that much money in 2008, since they hold Cleveland's first-round pick as a result of the trade that allowed the Browns to draft Brady Quinn.
