Remember The Wizard of Oz? Remember the scarecrow? Feel free to sing along with this updated ditty…
I’m football playin’ boy king,
But don’t think much on nothing,
‘cause I never use my brain. (and now the lilting flutes)
I can play for lots of money,
But must make more than you honey,
‘cause I don’t need any brain.
I am free to lose my temper,
Until the start of September,
‘cause I never use my brain. (flutes again)
I don’t know from accountability,
‘cause I have all this athletic ability,
And really, who needs a brain?
Is it just me, or are we perpetually hearing the same stories over and over again with NFL players, just with different names, faces, and teams? Ben Rothlisberger rapes young woman in Tahoe. Ben Rothlisberger rapes college girl in Georgia. Santonio Holmes throws drinking glass in face of woman in Miami bar. Antonio Cromartie is in doo-doo for multiple counts of back child support. Pacman Jones… well, what hasn’t Pacman Jones done?
Someone drives drunk. Someone’s busted with pot. Someone’s connected to an international performance enhancement drug ring. So-and-so isn’t happy with his contract. Wah, wah, wah… gimme, gimme, gimme, but please don’t punish or hate me.
Puleeeeze!!!!!!
Since this new week started, here’s a sample of what we’ve heard about NFL players:
My first story is about New York Jets superman cornerback, Darrelle Revis, unhappy with his current contract, and quite deservedly wishes to renegotiate it. Is he the best corner in the NFL? Of course he is! Does he deserve to be compensated accordingly? Of course he does! Are the New York Jets necessarily going to pay him more than the $15.1 Million Al Davis is paying Nnamdi Asomugha to play corner for the Oakland Raiders? NOOOOOOO, and nor should they.
This reminds me of this “logic” lesson our mothers used to give us when we did something questionable but defended ourselves by saying we weren’t the only ones doing it – If Johnny jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you jump too?!
Just because Al Davis has lost all of his fiscal senses doesn’t mean Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum need to follow suit. Al Davis runs the Oakland Raiders like he’s stuck in 1980 and still trying to beat Pete Rozelle and the all the other owners into submission for the AFL-NFL merger and not naming him league generalissimo, er, commissioner. He operates by his own rules and thinks he can still impact the league to follow his lead. Sorry, Al; you’re no longer a genius, but an old man who’s trying to play by outdated rules and logic.
Furthermore, even though the NFL is going into an uncapped season for 2010, who knows what economic winds will be blowing for 2011 if and when a new collective bargaining agreement is ever going to be finalized. Owners and general managers are rightfully concerned about the future, and so should the players. Why else would NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith advise players to start putting away money before the end of the 2010 season? Does he honestly anticipate a potential lockout being the only issue awaiting players in 2011?
A superb athlete, Revis is in the fourth year of a six-year deal he negotiated as a rookie, and is due to make a mere $1 Million for the 2010 season. However, the last two years of his contract are voidable at $20 Million assuming he’s met certain performance levels. Chances are very good he’s already met those levels or will meet those levels this season anyway. There is lots of money in his future. However, the question is what about now?
Why is now so important? Yes, being the best corner in the NFL making approximately $14 Million less than someone less talented and accomplished than you should trouble a player. But there’s also the fear of being here today, Leon tomorrow, as in Leon Washington. Washington serves as a cautionary tale for all young players that the NFL is a cruel business with very few guarantees in life. All players are one broken leg from losing their career, having a contract evaporate, or wearing another uniform a few thousand miles away. And rightfully so, Leon Washington’s 2009 season with the Jets must be influencing Revis’ mindset regarding contract negotiations.
For those who forgot, Washington didn’t think the Jets were offering him enough when he tried to negotiate a new contract prior to the 2009 season. Thinking he was worth more than the millions Mike Tannenbaum offered, Washington and his agent turned down the offer and took a chance with a lower number in his walk year, hoping a monster season in 2009 would translate to an open vault for 2010 and beyond. Unfortunately, Washington suffered a gruesome broken leg in the Oakland game and was lost for the season. Goodbye 2009, and goodbye open vault for 2010, assuming he could even fully recover from the injury. After much sniping through the media during the offseason, as Washington preferred to rehab his leg in Florida rather than Florham Park, the Jets tendered an offer to Washington but not with much warm fuzziness attached. Washington annoyed and alienated the Jets front office and coaching staff since before the 2009 season started, and ended up traded to Seattle for a low-round draft pick. If Leon Washington accepted the Jets’ offer prior to the 2009 season and hadn’t gotten too big a head from his highlights and statistics, chances are he might still be in Jets green and under a generous contract, even if he’s still rehabbing from that leg injury. Leon Washington is a Seattle Seahawk today because he cut his nose off despite his face negotiating with the Jets.
Was Mike Tannenbaum low-balling Washington last summer? Maybe yes. Maybe no. But Washington wasn’t a feature back, and Tannenbaum wasn’t trying to get Little Leon to work for minimum wage either. We’re still talking a salary in the millions here. But it wasn’t enough for Leon Washington and he rolled craps with his contract.
Darrelle Revis certainly deserves more than $1 Million for the 2010 season, and all indications are that the Jets agree and are offering much more than what Revis is slated to earn. But apparently this isn’t enough to Darrelle Revis, and he’s “insulted” by the offer. Insulted? Gee, remember when Big Vince Wolfork felt insulted when the Patriots were going to place the franchise player tag on him for $7 Million? $7 Million… Insulted. I don’t know about you guys, but I wish someone insulted me like that. Heck, I wish G-d in Heaven would come down and afflict me with such an insult. I’d take my bruised feelings and all that cash and start paying off all my bills in full. Yes sir, I could really use that kind of insult. Couldn’t you?
What is Revis so insulted about? It’s not enough money? Not enough of the money is guaranteed? He professes he wants to remain a Jet for the rest of his career, and the Jets certainly seem to want him to stay here the rest of his career. Why is he making more of a stink than he needs to? Why is he pulling antics like hinting he may or may not be in mini-camp, or that he needed to take a few practice plays off for feeling lightheaded, or that his hamstring felt tight. Do we really need another Pete Kendall fiasco again? Does Revis really want to risk being here today, Leon tomorrow, even if he’s healthy all season? Yes, Revis should be concerned about income and financial stability, and protection for his future and family if Heaven forbid he gets injured, but to play games with your teammates and coaches, not to mention the media, this is a great way to turn public opinion against you. Already some folks in the media wonder if Revis plays for the Jets or the name on the back of his jersey. As I said, you don’t cut your nose off despite your face when negotiating business with your owner and general manager. Healthy or not, incredibly productive or not, none of us are indispensable. We can all be here today, Leon tomorrow.
What I don’t understand is this – if Revis has $20 Million backloaded onto the value of his original contract, and he’s clearly worth more than $1 Million in salary, why can’t both sides compromise and use part of those $20 Million towards 2010 salary, and defer the remainder towards a new extension beginning in 2011? Furthermore, if Revis is so concerned about his future after his playing career ends, why isn’t he trying to negotiate a new contract that will give him a healthy but not outrageous salary for each year until he retires, then pay him a continuous salary in deferred payments afterwards, when he will really need the money? You think this is silly? Ask Mark McGwire about the salary he’s been collecting from the St. Louis Cardinals for all these years since his retirement. Ask Bobby Bonilla how he enjoys earning money from the Mets long after his days ended in Flushing after the 1993 season. The ego and desires of youth may not enjoy earning less than one wants while playing, but the body and mind feel less stressed and battered when money’s still coming in after you leave the field and cheers, especially if you’re not prepared to enter the real world and earn incomes like the rest of us working stiffs.
And, in a win-win situation for Revis and the Jets, all that deferred salary likely won’t count heavily against the team’s salary cap, if at all. The Jets aren’t forking out tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money to a player who could possibly suffer a career-ending injury, the salary cap would not be threatened relative to the other 52 players on the roster, Revis would still earn all his money, albeit some of it spread out over many more years, he’d still have a very handsome salary as compensation for playing, his agents would still earn their commission, and no one will ever starve. Cold someone please explain to me why this isn’t a reasonable compromise?
Our next unhappy camper is Patriots guard Logan Mankins, about to balk at his $7 Million salary offer in New England. Just like Vince Wolfork, he’s insulted by the pittance and years of guaranteed financial security. On Twitter yesterday, Bob Glauber of Newsday noted how Mankins reminded him of former Knick Latrell Sprewell turning down a similar contract offer because “I have to feed my family.”
Well, if $7 Million ain’t enough to feed your family, this leads me to some very pointed questions:
1) How many family members do you have?
2) How much do they eat, so that $7 Million can’t meet your grocery bill?
3) What kind of food are you buying for $7 Million?
4) Is your kitchen stocked with stuff other than caviar and Grey Poupon?
5) Have you ever heard of clipping coupons from Sunday newspaper circulars?
6) Do you grocery shop at designer food stores?
7) Have you heard of Wal-Mart? COSTCO? Target?
8) Do you budget the number of times you eat out?
9) Have you ever heard of “buy one, get one free” specials?
10) Is anyone on a diet?
I don’t mean to be insensitive or crass, but my total grocery bill for one week, including non-food items (household products, paper goods, health and beauty products) generally averages $150. If I earned $7 Million per year and it all went to the grocery store, I would need to feed approximately 900 folks who eat just like me – fresh fruits, a salad for dinner, whole grains, and tofu. Heck, I bought fresh salmon and tuna this week because it's good for my neurological health, and felt guilty about spending the extra money.
This leads us to Jets center Nick Mangold, who is also, rightfully so, unhappy with his contract situation. Now in the last year of his rookie contract, he’d like to have a new one in place before the start of the 2010 season so he has more security and peace of mind. I don’t know what his salary is, but it clearly isn’t enough compared to his performance as an All-Pro, and he’s certainly more deserving of $7 Million than Logan Mankins is (at least Nick can verify his food purchases and eating habits, whether I agree with his love for KFC or not).
I like Nick. He’s a good kid, quiet, and thoughtful. He’s also a good sport, considering I tease him a tad too much via Twitter (thank goodness a 6’-4”, 300-LB kid has a decent sense of humor). Like Revis, he also hinted at maybe he would come to mini-camp this week, or maybe he wouldn’t. Thankfully he did and has pretty much kept his mouth regulated. But it’s not cool with me when players hold out or threaten a hold out. Do I understand this is sometimes a player’s only tactic for getting a new or improved contract? Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s right, it doesn’t mean it’s smart, and it doesn’t mean it won’t backfire on you in this age of a wacked out economy.
My advice to Mangold, Revis, their agents, and Mike Tannenbaum is to put all of your heads together and think about how to negotiate contracts cooperatively, optimistically, and honestly. Put all your cards on the table and brainstorm how to make everyone’s cards help each other. It can’t be that complicated – Revis and Mangold both want and deserve better salaries and more security. Both want to remain Jets until their careers end, and both want a reciprocal commitment from the Jets. Mike Tannenbaum obviously wants Revis and Mangold to remain as cornerstones of the franchise for as many years as possible, but he also has a long-term vision for maintaining a stable 53-man roster for as many years as possible so the team can sustain winning, enjoy continued support from the fans, and make as much profit for Woody Johnson as well as the other 31 NFL team owners. Remember, what’s good for the Jets is good for the league’s revenue sharing, and what’s good for the league is also good for Revis, Mangold, and the other 1,694 players enjoying a roster spot in this league – now AND when they eventually leave the game and need further taking care of.
Wise players can no longer just think about now; they also need to think about later, as the body gets older and all that battering takes its toll in middle age. The NFL is making more and more effort – whether it’s enough is still subject to debate – to take care of yesteryear’s players in terms of pension benefits, disability benefits, and extended-life care. There’s no guarantee the television network goose will continue to lay golden eggs, just like there’s no guarantee the US economy will ever return to the wide-spread levels we enjoyed towards the end of Bill Clinton’s presidency. Salary and contract negotiations need to take on a broader perspective, because today’s players don’t really know for sure if the NFL will be able to take care of them 20-30 years from now with excess profits. Anything can happen in that many years, including another recession much worse than our current one. Today’s players need to think just a little more carefully about who will be providing funds for all those medical bills when they’re 40, 50, or 60. It’s quite possible those funds may need to come from themselves while they’re 25.
In the grand scheme, it’s all Monopoly money to average folks like us. Actors make $20 Million to make a movie, regardless of how many people pay to see it. Athletes make almost as much per season, depending on their sport. To put things in perspective, consider that if I made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 1984 roster as a third-down back and special teams player, I would’ve earned $60,000. Did you count the zeroes? We’re talking thousands, folks, not millions – and that was an incredible amount of money to me, barely in my 20’s, barely out of college. Heck, I had worked as a quality control chemist for a pharmaceutical company on Long Island the year before and only earned $15,000! Think about it… I could’ve quadrupled my income and had a lot more fun in the process. Back then, all I cared about was having fun, playing ball, and saving as much money as I could for graduate school.
As we all know, John McKay wisely cut me and chased me off to graduate school and my masters degree. A year later, with my masters almost done, I took my first job as a high school science teacher and football coach. Yes sir… six periods in a classroom, teaching teenagers chemistry, physics, biology, and math, and coaching… for $10,800 per year! And I didn’t bring an agent into the principal’s office to negotiate. That was the starting salary. Take it or leave it. I needed the job and the teaching experience, so I took it. And two of my paychecks even bounced during that year of slave wages.
It took almost ten more years before I my salary was DOUBLE what I earned my first year of teaching, with a masters degree. It took another five years and completing my doctorate before my salary doubled again. It took another ten years before my salary doubled one last time. Yes, with a bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree, it took 25 years of teaching before my salary increased from $10,800 to $83,000. As you notice, the salaries still lack the number of zeroes our current professional athletes earn and are getting in snits over.
My point? These kids are making an awful lot of money playing sports instead of being part of the working stiff world where salaries are being frozen if not cut, and the national unemployment rate is still effectively double digits. Do you or I generally begrudge these kids their salaries? No, not really, but if they make too much stink over the money there will be a point where you and I aren’t going to be too sympathetic.
Last, but not least, is Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young and his “dust-up” caught on a security camera in a Dallas strip club. First, let me ask this – should the words “Dallas strip club” be a red flag to every NFL player as a place you shouldn’t be at? Come to think of it, why not simply follow the rule of thumb that any strip club, regardless of city, is NOT a smart place to be if you’re an NFL player?!
But I’ve never been one to brag that football players are categorically smart – if they are, there are certainly too many not doing smart things. Well, this week’s mental giant is Young. Without even commenting on his rookie Wonderlic test score, I’d honestly like to know what the hell he was thinking going all Mickey Rourke in a crowded hallway (I’m sure Roger Goodell is looking forward to Young’s explanation). Rumor has it that Young got all in a huff because someone ragged on his alma mater, the University of Texas.
Hey, Einstein (sorry for taking that name in vain)… this is NOT what the Beach Boys had in mind when they wrote and sang Be True to your School! Well, it’s nice to see how all that counseling the Titans got him last year is paying off…
But, what can we expect from twenty-something hotheads when they’re not on the field trying to kill each other for five or six months? It would be nice if these kids used better judgment and common sense, but as you and I both know, that requires using your brain.
No comments:
Post a Comment