Am I missing something? (TO holdout situation)

[VTGreg]

Someone fill me in if I am missing something. Owens is threatening to hold out, although he has said he will report for camp (Rosenhaus says there is a 50/50 chance), saying that he is being underpaid based on his performance. This is where he loses me.

Owens salary puts him in the top 5 for receivers in the NFL. It is debateable that he is the best receiver in football (he wants to be the top paid receiver), but when you compare his stats with those of Marvin Harrision, Randy Moss and Torry Holt over the past few years he is comparable but does not outperform any of them.

I'm wondering why no one has pointed out the fact that he is already in the top 5 of receivers in salary when he talks about how underpaid he is based on the deal he signed last year. I just don't get it. Any thoughts?

[bachviet]

He needs to support his family.

[MikeD]

He needs to support his family.

Nah man, that's Sprewell! Wait, T.O. too...

I'm wondering why no one has pointed out the fact that he is already in the top 5 of receivers in salary when he talks about how underpaid he is based on the deal he signed last year. I just don't get it. Any thoughts?

I think his basic point is that he was the man who put the Eagles over the top (Super Bowl), and now he wants to be paid. I think he's due a $6 million roster bonus next spring, so it's going to get redone at some point. He should just shut up and report.

[TofuNinja]

I wish I could sign a contract for 46 million or something then complain that it is not enough....

Same old T.O. man I am glad he is not a niner.

[gear02]

I have to wonder how much of this situation is due to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, whispering sweet nothings in his ear. Drew took TO from his previous agent who negotiated his current contract and he doesn't get any money from TO unless he gets a new contract...

I wonder how much better off the league would be if an alligator ate Drew Rosenhaus at an early age...

[VTGreg]

Nah man, that's Sprewell! Wait, T.O. too...




I think his basic point is that he was the man who put the Eagles over the top (Super Bowl), and now he wants to be paid. I think he's due a $6 million roster bonus next spring, so it's going to get redone at some point. He should just shut up and report.

Funny enough, he didn't play in any playoff games until the Superbowl, so the Eagles actually got to the Superbowl without TO (although he did help them achieve home field throughout the playoffs) and when they did get to the Superbowl he was not enough to get them over the top.

[JLemonjello]

Not only does he want more money, he wants it restructured so he gets HUGE chunk of the cut right now up front, in a bonus, he doesnt want to have to wait a few years to get most of his millions (manana economics, think NY Yankees who pay the big contracts in the last few years of them)

[attgig]

Not only does he want more money, he wants it restructured so he gets HUGE chunk of the cut right now up front, in a bonus, he doesnt want to have to wait a few years to get most of his millions (manana economics, think NY Yankees who pay the big contracts in the last few years of them)

the nfl's screwed up that unless it's coming in a bonus, up front...that money ain't guaranteed. he could have a contract for 46 mil, but 2 years, if he isn't performing like a 6 million dollar player, eagles can cut him and not pay any of it.



TO wants his big bonus cuz he got a contract, but just a regular bonus. I bet he'd be happy if he could get the same contract, but just bigger bonuses (the only guaranteed money).
Next time, he should just put those "performance" incentives in the contract....like if he's the WR in the superbowl, an automatic million. if he catches 12 td's, that's 1/2 mil and 1/4 mil for each additional.... junk like that. makes it seem like he earned his money...

but to will be to, and he'll talk no matter what.

Funny enough, he didn't play in any playoff games until the Superbowl, so the Eagles actually got to the Superbowl without TO (although he did help them achieve home field throughout the playoffs) and when they did get to the Superbowl he was not enough to get them over the top.

I'm sorry, but you can't knock TO on his on field play. I can't take his big mouth, but when he's on the field...he brings his game.

He played well all year, he got hurt with like 2 weeks left....philly proceeded to lose both of those games.

and in the superbowl, the dude caught for 122 yards. it was donovan who didn't take them over the top in that game.


it seems like i'm doing a lotta defending for TO, but don't get me wrong... I can't stand his jibber jabber. Dude has tons of money....but when u look at the ridiculous contracts that people get away with in baseball and basketball... it's amazing that the football players asociation actually agreed to some of these practices by owners.

[VTGreg]

I'm sorry, but you can't knock TO on his on field play. I can't take his big mouth, but when he's on the field...he brings his game.

He played well all year, he got hurt with like 2 weeks left....philly proceeded to lose both of those games.

and in the superbowl, the dude caught for 122 yards. it was donovan who didn't take them over the top in that game.


it seems like i'm doing a lotta defending for TO, but don't get me wrong... I can't stand his jibber jabber. Dude has tons of money....but when u look at the ridiculous contracts that people get away with in baseball and basketball... it's amazing that the football players asociation actually agreed to some of these practices by owners.

I'm not trying to knock TO's performance on the field. All I'm saying is that his pay puts him in the top 5 for receivers and his performance puts him in the top 5 for receivers. TO, including his bonus, got paid more than every receiver in the NFL last year except for Marvin Harrison.

I'm not saying that TO didn't perform on the field, I'm just saying that the Eagles got to the superbowl without him (by the way they lost the two final games of the season because they rested everyone, not because TO was hurt. McNabb didn't play either).

As for the contracts not being guaranteed, that's why they get such huge signing bonuses. You typically don't see the huge signing bonuses in baseball and basketball because the contracts are guaranteed. It's also foolish to compare the magnitude of football contracts to those of basketball and baseball becuase a football team has to pay around 60 players, while baseball has to pay 25 (at the major league level) and basketball has to pay 12.

[MikeD]

I'm not trying to knock TO's performance on the field. All I'm saying is that his pay puts him in the top 5 for receivers and his performance puts him in the top 5 for receivers. TO, including his bonus, got paid more than every receiver in the NFL last year except for Marvin Harrison.

Again, I think the guy is an a-hole. But I understand the logic behind his thinking. He's saying that he's more valuable to his team than those guys. In reality, we all knew the Eagles would never get over the hump with the crappy WR's they had. Once they added TO, it was a whole new ballgame for their offense. That was due to him...

It's also foolish to compare the magnitude of football contracts to those of basketball and baseball becuase a football team has to pay around 60 players, while baseball has to pay 25 (at the major league level) and basketball has to pay 12.

I dunno, football players have to get their $$$ becaue their careers are normally much, much shorter than the other two. Baseball has guys who can still draw huge paychecks well into their 30's and 40's. Basketball is similar, though it's players don't often last as long. Football? Often you'll hear of guys hitting their decline at 30. So your opportunity to draw the monster paychecks is much shorter...therefore the holdouts.