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Earl Thomas flips off his own team after injury


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So the notion from this guy (in subsequent tweet) is that this proves Thomas was right.  I would disagree.  Thomas is a safety on a team that isn't what it was a few years ago.  He is not on a league minimum deal, he makes a fairly hefty salary/guarantee.  He held himself out of practices and even admitted he was going to take care of himself on the field.  One of the first thing they tell you about playing afraid of injury is that this is exactly the sort of thing that happens.  You play tighter, and less naturally.  

 

To flip off your own sideline, even if it was the coach or GM down there, shows that Seattle made the right move.  If they had paid him, they would have just paid for someone to be sitting on IR the rest of the year.  This isn't about whether he had a case that he could get more money but if he's not a FA, then I fail to see why he must receive a new, rich contract on the wrong side of 30.  This petulant gesture just demonstrates that Seattle would be well-served by getting rid of him as soon as possible. 

 

I can't believe the comments in support of him (other than wishing him well on recovery) and frankly, I find it a little funny that he got hurt after all that whining.  I'd have more respect if he just decided to retire rather than play on an "unfair" contract that pays him in the top handful of safeties.

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I understand him being upset, but this impossible to support.  He’s not a free agent and his team did nothing wrong by not extending his contract early.  He’s not entitled to a new deal anymore than anyone else in the league on the last year of their contracts and yet he acts like the Seahawks had their hands in his pockets.  He chose to make it ugly and doubled down with that gesture. 

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"This is the business we've chosen" - Hyman Roth

 

That being said, it's hard to tell what happened  exactly so I'll just stick with what's factual. They didn't have to do jack, as he was under contract. An NFL non quarterbacks ONLY leverage in these situations is to simply not play. If you decide that you're just gonna skip training camp/preseason, you are playing with fire, as you may not be in prime condition/sync with the team, opening the door for an injury.

 

Thomas sealed his own fate by deciding to play. If he truly wanted that new contract he should've put his money where his mouth is like Bell. Now you just lost some $$ caught up in trying to be a hero.

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Frankly I don't think Thomas had much to argue about.  I tend to always side with the franchise in situations like these.  Thomas was under contract.  The Seahawks were not obligated to pay him, re-sign him, or give him a contract extension.  He should play out the string of his contact then become a free agent.  It is simple as that.  Football is a violent sport and there is an injury risk.  Every player knows that when they sign up.  Maybe Seattle didn't want him anymore.  It is their choice as an organization if they want to re-sign someone or not.

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1. Who was he flipping off? Seems like everyone's jumping to conclusions without knowing who that was directed towards. Has he come out and said who he was addressing officially yet? 

 

2. Injuries happen. The only certain thing from playing in the NFL is that your going to get injured. He got injured. Happens to guys who sit out training camp and guys who are there every single day even optional ones. There is no correlation between him getting injured now and what he did in the offseason. That injury will cost him millions of dollars. That injury cost the Seahawks a third or maybe a second round draft pick. 

 

3. The NFL owners have the edge on all salary issues and this is not a fair market. This a controlled market in favor of the owners. The players lose money when they don't play great. The players lose money when they get injured. When the players play great they get nothin. When players don't get injured they don't get anything either. And the contracts are controlled in such a way that they have glass ceilings that players can't break through.

 

Take Earl Thomas. He is a safety. Earl last season was selected to an All Pro (5th time in his career) and the Probowl (6th time for that). Yet Lamarcus Joyner another safety is making more money than him this year on his one year deal and has never been either to the Pro bowl or selected as an All Pro. Is that fair to you? Do you not see an issue with that?

 

Players like Earl Thomas should have a favored nations clause in his contract. When someone who never been to a pro bowl or an all pro make more than he does he should get the difference in money given to him after he signs his long term deal. In a perfect world the best players would be the best paid. That's not the world Earl lives in. So Earl had two choices. Play and take what is under his own value and risk injury or not play and take a hit on his image. The fix for this is simple. Favored nations clauses. The owners would never go for that of course it just makes too much  

 

 

 

 

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Everything is pointing towards a lockout once the current collective bargaining agreement ends.  It is obvious the players are not happy with how their contracts are structured and it remains to be seen how much the owners will or won't budge.

 

Regardless of whether you think the players are doing the right thing currently by not honoring the contracts they've signed, it really feels like a precursor of what is to come.

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4 hours ago, NoCalMike said:

It is obvious the players are not happy with how their contracts are structured and it remains to be seen how much the owners will or won't budge.

Yea, and I get why the players are upset.  The team can cut him without any real lose even though he is under contract.  But he can't walk away as easily because he can't "cut" his team.  There is definitely a power unbalance here that needs to be addressed.  That was once way Kirk was smart by doing a 3 year deal that is fully guaranteed.  I think we will most certainly see a lock-out in the near future.  Hope the players are saving up because they can't last as long as the billionaire owners.

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On 10/1/2018 at 6:20 PM, bobandweave said:

Take Earl Thomas. He is a safety. Earl last season was selected to an All Pro (5th time in his career) and the Probowl (6th time for that). Yet Lamarcus Joyner another safety is making more money than him this year on his one year deal and has never been either to the Pro bowl or selected as an All Pro. Is that fair to you? Do you not see an issue with that?

I agree and this is why in the real world you get paid based on your current value and not what you might become.

 

The way things are going in the NFL its next man to free agency gets the mega-deal, it's not sustainable and if I was an owner I would say F the players after the collective bargaining agreement ends and just sit out all year as they did in Hockey.

 

The players need the owners more than the owners need the players, they could liquidate assets and still be billionaires when its all said and done.

 

We're looking at a nasty holdout after the CBA is over.

 

 

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Going out with class. Nice.

 

i don’t feel bad for the players. It’s a game of leverage and employers usually hold the cards.  We as common people don’t get to get out of unfortunate contracts we make and neither do pro athletes, unless they have leverage like a good qb can have.

 

they know what they are getting into by signing these contracts and if they don’t they are being nieve.

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