You have no idea what this sport is about do you? You think players hold out just be jerks? Get real, the only leverage a player has is to hold out. If a player doesn't play up to the potential a team expects he can be cut, released, traded if he over achives, he doesn't get squat. The owners don't have to pay them a penny more. Sure incentives are there to premote good work ethic and motivation, but they don't equal security. The reason players want new deals is because they want the guaranteed money. They don't want to worry about their futures. They want to know if they have a career ending injury, that also ends their ability to earn money in this sport. If you wish to ignore the obvious that's your choice, but the players have to secure their futures while they can and you don't have to do a damn thing but sit there and crticize players on a subject you clearly don't understand. Peters was looking out for Peters, cause no one else is going to. It's the same with 99% of the players in the NFL, try reading up on the subject before you try to pretend you have a clue.
I guess you haven't really followed the BILLS then. RW, albeit a shrewd ass businessman, has been known time and time again to reward players who show up and do their job (see Lee Evans last year for one example). The fact is Peter$ numbers dropped slightly from 2006 to 2007. One could argue that it was the QB shuffle of 2007 that had to do with the drop in production. 2008 however was entirely his doing. It was his decision to miss TC and show up right before the season opener, not the teams. As a result, he showed up unprepared. I understand why players hold out, but when they feel that they don't have to perform at a high level because they are unhappy just tells me that they are seriously unprofessional. I'm not one who supports rewarding players who throw temper-tantrums. And seriously, who pissed in your Cheerios? Do you have the ability to have a conversation with someone without getting a pubic hair caught in your vagina? We disagree, so what? That doesn't mean that you or I are stupid. Peace of mind goes a long way in this life.
Uh huh, If RW were so "shrewed" why do the Bills have players constantly unhappy with their contracts? Why is there always Bill players holding out or wanting to be traded? Fact is the Bills do everything ass backwards and are about as counterproductive as an organization can be. I've said it before and I stand by my opinion. I think Peters level of play in 08 was intentional. The Bills and Peters were on two different pages. Peters wanted to get paid and the Bills didn't want to pay him. So imo Peters didn't give the Bills the effort they expected because the Bills weren't willing to pay him what he wanted. Peters could have held out and forced the Bills hand that way, but he would have lost a lot of money, Peters already felt underpaid he wasn't going to lose even more money, so he decided to play, just without the pro bowl effort. As long as Peters was there the Bills couldn't fine him, but they couldn't force him to play his best football either. In the end Peters won, he got what he wanted. He got his money. If the Bills would have just tried to make an effort to resign Peters, I'm sure Peters would have complied, but there were many reports over the last two years that the Bills and Peters weren't even close to a new contract. Infact many times it was reported the Bills were happy paying Peters the money he was making and had no intention of renegotiating a new contract. So where are the Bills for refusing to renegotiate with the best player on their roster? They are without a starting pro bowl LT who can dominate his position. Now the Bills have Langston Walker as their new starting LT. That's a serious downgrade of talent and ability. Do the Bill draft a young T to repalce Peters aven though they had more then enough chances to do so? Nope! Just plain and simple piss poor managment.
They actually took the focus of their OL towards the middle, which is where they were blown up last year. Being that MIAMI, JETS and PATS all play a 3-4 with the NT dominating the middle, they are gambling on shoring up the interior, while sacrificing a little on the Tackle position. What have we got to lose? We didn't make the playoffs with Peter$ here, in fact, our record was crap with him in the lineup. The part in bold is where we ultimately differ in opinion. Players are payed millions to play a game. They should ALWAYS give top effort. Name the NFL team that gave in to contract demands of a top-tier player that PURPOSELY gave a half-assed effort? You are arguing for greed over team. If players want guaranteed money, then owners want guaranteed effort. Being the owners have the money, the players need to show they have the effort in order to get paid. EDIT: If you're going to correct my spelling, make sure you don't mistakenly correct my correct usage of the word "shrewd" to the incorrect, and non-existent word "shrewed". It just dilutes your point.
Do you notice the Dolphins don't have players holding out? EVER! Of course you don't you can't even remember how things happen with the Bills, how could you possibly know anything about the Dolphins? And BTW, Peters effort was only halfass after he tired to negotiate a new contract and the Bills refused to even discuss it.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/dolphins/2006-08-08-allen-signs_x.htm http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-112022955.html http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-14441129.html Just a few off the top of my head...... EDIT: Oh, I completely forgot about Dan Marino's in '85.... Here ya go.... http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/06/05/0605george.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=46
Ummm, genuis and I use that word lightly, two of those were rookies and they weren't holding out, they're trying to negotiate their first contract based on what the other rookies ahead of them sign for. 99% of the time they are letting their agents handle that aspect, but of course this is common knowledge for anyone who really watches this sport and doesn't pretend they understand the sport. Basically it's a waiting game nearly all Rookies play on a yearly basis. As for Humphries.....give me a break, what was that 20 years ago? Don't waste my time with this ignorant crap.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/06/05/0605george.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=46 Oh, I forgot Marino's holdout of '85..... Here ya go......
Yes well we are truly suffering the effects of holdouts that didn't even make it through camp 20 years ago, gosh you are so right.
Do your homework, you'll see you're wrong. The BILLS took the stance "show up and we'll talk". He never showed up. He never returned phone calls. He never spoke out in the media. How do you negotiate with someone who doesn't even tell you what they were demanding. Fact is, Peter$ was injured at the end of 2007. No one talked to him since the end of the season leading into 2008. No one knew if his injury was healed. No one knew if he became Mike Williams and added 800+ pounds. Peter$ was the one who refused to talk. Why should the FO offer top $$$ to a player who doesn't even have the courtesy of returning a phone call? Was he underpaid, sure. Did he go about it the right way, no way. He wanted to leave the BILLS. He had no intention of staying here. I say, get some value for him, which the BILLS FO did.
I don't need to do my homework. The Bills and Peters were going back and forth for the last 2 years over contract talks. The Bills were in position to lock up Peters for the better part of his career, after all look how much money the Bills gave Derrick Dockery, they give a giant contract to a worthless football player then they wait and piss away the chance to lock up the LT poision, possibly the most important offensive poisition outside of QB and they screw it up...typical. The Bills do nothing right, they have unhappy players on a yearly basis. And you bring up minor Dolphin holdouts from 20 years ago. It's utterly laughable. You don't even know what your own team is doing, but you can google Dolphin holdouts. You must be proud.
Two years? So he signs a 5 year deal in 2006, and you're saying by 2007 he's asking for more cash, BEFORE his first pro-bowl? His contract dispute was because of the fact he was the third highest paid lineman on the team last season. It started after the 2007 season. That would be before last season, one season ago. Don't try to re-invent history because of your shaky and flawed argument. The problem this off-season is that he said he didn't want to even BEGIN negotiations until it started at $12 million. This was after he had a shaky season. If he came in last year and tore it up, then I'd say he may have a leg to stand on. His play was suspect. Period. The BILLS got rid of alot of dead weight on the OL. We'll see this season if they made the rights moves to replace it. We can disagree. I'm fine with that. Go ahead now, it's your turn to question me on my knowledge of my own team and tell me how much I don't know, and ask if I watch the game, etc...... You've become very typical and boring.
Your so called "knowledge" is typical bill fan exaggeration. You honestly think the Eagles, who know a thing or two about offensive linemen would spend the kinda money on Peters on top of a first day pick if he was dead weight? How stupid do you think people are, hmm? What are you smarter than the entire NFL? Seriously, your trying to convince someone Peters sucks, because you can't accept the fact that Buffalo sucks and players HATE being there, so they have to create ways to get the hell out of one of the worst franchises in the NFL. Theres the reality, it's why the Bills landed TO, CAUSE NO ONE ELSE WANTED HIM, except your desperate Bills. Tony Gonzalez could have been a Bill, but he didn't want to be, Pias Tinoisamoa could have been a Bill, but he didn't want to play there....what the hell don't you get? Why does this have to be spelled out for you? Here's you, if a player wears a Bills uniform he's great, if he doesn't wear a Bills uniform, he sucks. That's your motto, no need to actually understand this sport, it's much easier to assume everything then pretned you have a clue. I find it rather amusing how the Bill fans think Peters is "dead weight", but now TO (Mr. Malcontent, Mr.lockeroom divider, Mr.QB killer, Mr.team obliterator) is suddenly this awsome player with no flaws...or flaws that will be ignored simply because he offers the slightest hope. Again typical Bill fans, all hype no substance. You make trashing the Bills way to damn easy.
-Where were the EAGLES and the rest of the NFL when Peter$ went undrafted? Which team spent the time to help make Peter$ a two time Pro-Bowler? Your bias of everything anti-BILLS is fully on display here. -Peter$ would have been dead weight with the BILLS. He didn't want to play there. Even if he tears it up with the EAGLES, he wouldn't have done the same with the BILLS. As far as T.O., he is an awesome player. Read most of the comment coming from the COWBOYS, they love him as a teammate. There are a few that don't. I personally think it's brilliance to bring him in. He signed a one-year contract. If he acts up, the BILLS don't have to resign him. If he toes the line, he upgrades the skill positions. Either way is fine by me. As far as TG and PT, those guys are at the ass end of their careers. Sure I would have loved to have them, but they were a short term solution. In conclusion, because of your continued ignorance, expect me to not respond until you have something credible to respond to. Life is too short to waste on you.
Lame argument, where was the rest of the NFL when Brady fell to the 6th round? Where was the rest of the NFL when Marino was drafted with the very last pick in the first round? Hindsight is 20/20. Who cares where the rest of the NFL is or were. The point is Peters can play this game, bottom line. And BTW, Maybe the Egles weren't looking for a T at that time. So rather than say, "Yeah the Bills screwed themselves yet again with their lack of ability to manage their team" you ignore the obvious and pretend the Bills are better off without him? Ummm, I believe the technical term is, DENIAL! As for TO, you aren't jst getting an "awesome" player, you're getting a head case, a malcontnet, and player with major atttitude problems. Once again Bill fans only see what benefits their needs and to hell with everything else. TO is old, he drops a lot of passes and he isn't playing for a team with a dominant Oline or a QB that is highly talented, like Donavan McNabb, Tony Romo or Jeff Garcia. And once again look at how a Bill fan sees something the Bills do, quoting you: "I personally think it's brilliance to bring him in. He signed a one-year contract. If he acts up, the BILLS don't have to resign him. If he toes the line, he upgrades the skill positions. Either way is fine by me". Well of course you do, it's what Bill fans do, they see only what they want to see and not the whole picture, there is no concern in your opinion whatsoever. No, nothing but a positive viewpoint. And what a shock too. Like I said, if they wear a Bills uni they're great, if they done't wear a Bills uni, they suck! Typical Bill fans same song, same dance. Pisa is 27 going into his 7th season, hardly the "ass end" of his career. TG made the probowl yet again on a team that won just 2 games last year. He's one of the top 2 TE's playing in the NFL. He would have been the best player on a very weak Bills roster, but you go ahead and pretend his age makes him less desirable, rather than acknowledging the fact he refused to play for a lousy Bills team. In other words, I've run out of ignorant, off topic, meanigless responses and I'm being forced to explain why my team is a pathetic joke and that bothers me. It's OK Billy, take your ball and go home. Oh and BTW, do you notice your team hasn't had a winning season in what, 6 years and no playoffs in what, 10? Yet every converstaion I have with you, it's never about what your team is doing wrong, only about what your team "in your opinion" is doing right. Or hadn't you noticed that? Maybe you should consider a reality check.
2004 the BILLS went 9-7. Since 2004 the AFC East is as follows.... Regular season record...... PATRIOTS (63-17) JETS (37-43) BILLS (35-45) DOLPHINS (31-49) Last playoff appearance was 1999, last game was the Music City Miracle. That's all history. No one can change that. Time to move forward. The BILLS, like 31 other teams, have a shot at the playoffs this year. No team has been eliminated yet. Anything else is just shit talk. And if my talk of the BILLS is so offensive to you, why talk about it? Why not talk about something else? Why not discuss your DOLPHINS squad? Or the PATRIOTS? Or the JETS (this is, after all, a JETS message board)? I'm wondering why you are continuing to rail on a team that you find so repulsive? Move on man, you've made your point, I don't agree. You hate my team, I get it. We don't see eye to eye, I get it. You think I'm ignorant, I get it. I highly doubt we'll ever agree. These are just my observations, nothing more, nothing less. Something happened to you in your life to find such offense to reading something on a message board. It's just opinion. Set your priorities dude. Get over it.
