http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/blog/ Ah, the joy of imagined leverage in the minds of average players.
"Baker, just now in a 16-minute press conference with reporters, all but called General Manager a liar, demanded a trade – as he did prior to this year’s draft – and basically promised another Pete Kendall circus during training camp, should he decide to show up for training camp, which he said was an “I don’t know” situation as of today."
Enough with the Pete Kendall comparisons. We needed Kendall badly on the O-line while we've already replaced Baker in the event he doesn't want to play.
Good point. Whatever the merits of Baker's case, this is not a Kendall situation where the FO in an extended moment of supreme idiocy pursued the course they did without having absolutely anything in the way of a Plan B.
Mangini has to be furious over this already. Wouldn't it be something if we traded his ass, like tomorrow morning? Nothing said, no further conversation, just a note on his locker door at noon saying: "To Chris Baker: Pack up all your things today, clean out your locker and vacate the building by 4PM. You are now a member of the Green Bay Packers. Contact Roger Smith at (809) 461-2300 in Green Bay for further instructions and airline ticket information. `Eric Mangini`"
Baker must be held in high regard when it comes to Mangini...the guy is going out of his way to keep Baker abreast of the playbook and changes being made....I don't remember him doing that with other players that held out in the past like Kendall...unless we weren't made aware of it. On a personal note...if he's not satisfied with his current contract and he's gonna bad-mouth the FO...then cut him. This team doesn't need a headache that's surely replaceable....
i think he has some trade value, maybe a 6th rounder that can turn into a 5th. i think it would be unwise to just cut him but our FO def covered their ass on this one by drafting keller and signing franks. hopefully they learn from all their mistakes from last year not just kendall.
shouldn't we be more than worried about this? i mean it gives the team a bad rep and may seperate the lockerroom no?
I was thinking more like Ari Gold style. When he comes in for his first meeting, Mangini should write goodbye chris on the chalkboard as he describes the first offensive play by showing chris's circle with an arrow pointing out the door, then say, "you're motherfukin' out of here...bitch!"
you raise a valid concern. But really what's the alternative? Give every player a raise that starts to whine about their contract?? There's too much "grey area" when it comes to these player/FO squabbles.....Based on what we hear in the media, and the fact that Baker just signed a new contract...we automatically assume that he's the clusterfuck and that he should shut his mouth and worry about playing football. But what the media doesn't know is "did the FO indeed make him any promises?"..What if Tannenbaum gave Baker the notion he was gonna be rewarded?.we're starting to see a pattern, because Coles and Kendall have made the same claims in the past...that's the grey area. Baker's mistake is following Kendall's example....shouldn't have gone to the media with this. Now i believe the only thing the Jets can do is either cut or trade him before this starts affecting the locker room (if it hasn't already).
well that's what i mean, we've seen this coming for months...he should've been gone the day after we drafted keller!
Exactly- its a terrible precedent to set. What happens next? I can understand if a guy has an All-Pro year and is being paid the league minimum. However, Baker is already being paid pretty well for his production. If Baker successfully gets a raise, a lot of crappy players are going to start doing the same thing.
yep..it's the snowball effect...if the Jets "give in"....it's only gonna get worse, and Tannenbaum will have a real shitstorm on his hands. The problem is...it's already started. It's no coincidence that 3 starters have bitched and complained about the same so-called empty promises within a calendar year. I mean...that's all we need....is for other players (like Mangold, Brick or even David Harris) to holdout because they aren't satisfied with their rookie contracts....and start citing "The FO promised i would get a raise" schtick.
As I've said before, Tannenbaum is a hell of a lot smarter than to run around giving every guy on the team who approaches him "the notion" that they're going to "be rewarded." If dumb-asses like Baker want to interpret a reply such as "Well, you already have a contract that you signed Chris, but you played well and I promise we'll take a look at it for you" as some sort of "promise," that's his f*cking problem. If another better TE comes along in the meantime, well, we'll take a look at it because that's what we said we'd do and guess what? We think we want Keller in there instead of you! And just look at the secretive and selective way the entire FO conducts all other business as an example. They are so reserved in letting out any information it isn't even funny. Do you think they'd run around "promising" contract renegotiations, knowing they're opening up a can of Kendal worms with every "promise?" HOGWASH. Baker is a f*cking dimwit who read WAY TOO MUCH into any "conversation" he thinks he had with Tannenbaum. The only "pattern" that I see here is the extortionistic pattern that Coles started which was then picked up by Kendall (and encoraged by his agent) and now Baker is being encouraged by this same agent. Pin a note to his f*cking door tomorrow morning ASAP.
I share your view...and frustration level. I don't think Baker has a case either. There has to be something said for "signing and honoring your contract", IMO. I just find it weird that Coles, Kendall and Baker all bitched with the same excuse.
