The lesson I take from all this: Playing football must really suck

[TSO]

I see the one thing people keep missing, when they compare financially what football players make to athletes in other sports, is the fact that on a football team there are 53 players; plus practice squad members; plus a gigantic coaching staff that includes at least a dozen different assistants; plus a training and medical staff the size of a small community hospital, etc...

I don't know the exact numbers of employees a baseball team, for instance, must employ... but I know the roster alone is like half that of a football teams! So when one says something like "a baseball player on the Yankees will make x amount of dollars more than a certain football player", that person is definitely taking things out of their context, don't you think?

[The Rook]

Random Rook observations:

So, should John Smoltz demanded to be traded when he got shifted to the bullpen ... or when he was asked to start again?

Should someone settle being the chip blocker? No ... they should be the best chip blocker they can be.

Does football require alot from the players? - "This is the profession we have chosen." (I love that movie!)

When you are not in the 85%, there is a 50/50 chance you are in the bottom 15%.

:helmet:The Rook

[theTruthTeller]

AH has been paid $32M for one mediocre season. Essentially, the contract is for four years and $48. So he'll average a little over $5M per season for the next three years if he stays with the Skins.

I know everyone wants to think that he came here to be a Redskin. He didn't. He came here because the money was good. These other contracts that would have "paid more" probably didn't have the upfront money that the Skins offered. I doubt anyone else is stupid enough to put up $32M guaranteed for someone who has suffered mental problems on every team he's been associated with.

Further, Shanahan is an intense coach. He's not going to make excuses for players that take themselves out on key plays. Albert will have to work hard for the next three years. Who wants to work hard for only $5M/year? Certainly not someone that just made over $1M/tackle.

This 3-4 stuff is just a smokescreen. He wants out and he wants all his money. If he has to go to camp to keep his money, he will. And he'll be even lazier than last year.

[airs0ft3r]

I was hoping your post was written with tongue in cheek. Apparently it was not.

You're exaggerating the change they're asking Haynesworth to make. They're literally asking him to like up and play football a few feet to the to side of the spot he's played since high school. Nothing else changes: beat the guys in front of you and tackle the man with the ball. Oh, and you don't have to do it on every down. Oh, and here's $100,000,000. Oh, and nothing else changes: just beat the guy you're lined up against. Have you watched any of the new 3-4 hybrid teams? Nose tackle isn't exclusively a space-eating position anymore. Consider Jay Ratliff in Dallas: He's posted 13.5 sacks over the past two seasons as a NT. That's more than Haynesworth over the same period, who was playing in defenses that he thinks suit him best.

They're not asking him to clean lockers. They're asking him to take a step to the left. Get a grip.

I don't think you understand the nuances of a end and a tackle. They're completely different. Haynesworth shouldn't be complaining about being an end in the 3-4. But they are not similar positions.

[pvkeeper19]

I don't think you understand the nuances of a end and a tackle. They're completely different. Haynesworth shouldn't be complaining about being an end in the 3-4. But they are not similar positions.

How are they "completely different?" Enlighten me. Facing double and triple teams does not change your job: tackle the guy with the ball.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

How are they "completely different?" Enlighten me. Facing double and triple teams does not change your job: tackle the guy with the ball.

I think Haynesworth should be willing to do whatever we ask him along the DL, but there are differences.

In the 3-4, it's more important for the DL to occupy blockers in order to free up the LBs to make plays. If your job is to occupy 2 blockers and you split them to try to make a play in the backfield, it could cause your LBs to be blocked and a open up huge lanes for a big play.

[zoony]

Obviously' date=' Albert Haynesworth is a dick. And he would be a dick if he was working construction or bagging groceries at Piggly Wiggly.

But what I always enjoy about these player-management battles is a) how crazy management goes when a player misses practice, mandatory or otherwise, how badly the players seem to want to miss the practices, c) how little it seems to matter to talented veteran players in the end, and d) how little control a player has over his career in the NFL.

[/quote']

The players in the NFL get a raw deal. I really don't understand why there are any restrictions whatsoever on free agency.

If you think about it, you have to time things perfectly to "get paid". You either have to come out in the Top 10, or, prove yourself over the first 5 years of your career. But you can't peak too early, like Chris Johnson. By the time he is an UFA he'll be damaged goods.

And you can't peak too late, otherwise you're a one season fluke.

And you can't play for a good team. Otherwise, you're just a system player.

And you can't play RB- because everyone knows RB's in the NFL only have 3 good seasons in them.

And you can't play any position of real importance, otherwise you get the franchise tag.

Unless you're a QB. That changes everything

"Have fun trying to walk the rest of your life. Enjoy your heart attack at age 42! Hey, the fans loved you! Thanks for your contributions to the game. Any inquiries about post-career health care plans, please send an email to hahahaColdChanceInHell@nfl.com.

Love,

The Commish"

[zoony]

Let's try to sum up LKB's post in simpler terms.

Haynesworth is an ass. But, if he were playing baseball, he'd be just another guy. The NFL sucks in every way except as a spectator. And I went to Princeton. Make your kids play ping pong. The end.

[SWFLSkins]

Let's try to sum up LKB's post in simpler terms.

Haynesworth is an ass. But, if he were playing baseball, he'd be just another guy. The NFL sucks in every way except as a spectator. And I went to Princeton. Make your kids play ping pong. The end.

At least the arithmetic in ping pong contract negotiations is simple. :pfft:

[charles mannley]

I hate it when people try to compare other sports to football it never makes much sense

[charles mannley]

The players in the NFL get a raw deal. I really don't understand why there are any restrictions whatsoever on free agency.

If you think about it, you have to time things perfectly to "get paid". You either have to come out in the Top 10, or, prove yourself over the first 5 years of your career. But you can't peak too early, like Chris Johnson. By the time he is an UFA he'll be damaged goods.

And you can't peak too late, otherwise you're a one season fluke.

And you can't play for a good team. Otherwise, you're just a system player.

And you can't play RB- because everyone knows RB's in the NFL only have 3 good seasons in them.

And you can't play any position of real importance, otherwise you get the franchise tag.

Unless you're a QB. That changes everything

"Have fun trying to walk the rest of your life. Enjoy your heart attack at age 42! Hey, the fans loved you! Thanks for your contributions to the game. Any inquiries about post-career health care plans, please send an email to hahahaColdChanceInHell@nfl.com.

Love,

The Commish"

Cry me a river, they have there choice and have all the oppurtunities to do something else. No one is forcing them to play, they want to. With all the rules to help protect players now. Like the great Deacon JOnes said if you don"t like, don't play.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Let's try to sum up LKB's post in simpler terms.

Haynesworth is an ass. But, if he were playing baseball, he'd be just another guy. The NFL sucks in every way except as a spectator. And I went to Princeton. Make your kids play ping pong. The end.

Tennis. But yes, that's about it.

[zoony]

I prefer table tennis.

[zoony]

Cry me a river, they have there choice and have all the oppurtunities to do something else. No one is forcing them to play, they want to. With all the rules to help protect players now. Like the great Deacon JOnes said if you don"t like, don't play.

Oh I definitely agree. **** 'em if they can't hang.

I'm also hoping the families from the coal mine disaster get jack ****. Nobody forced them to be coal miners. Buncha whiners.

[hail2redskns]

Albert has been playing nose tackle for his whole career. I don't see how taking on a double team every down in a 4-3 is different than taking on a double team in a 3-4. He's just a spoiled brat.

[Ryman of the North]

I think it's more like asking Shaq to do nothing but set screens' date=' play defense, and maybe clean out the locker room. I really can't imagine anything worse in sports than playing nose tackle. It sounds just awful on every conceivable level.[/quote']

I wish I had seen this sooner, yup pretty much.

I have played both, I was a 3 tech DT who led my league in Tackles and sacks in 2001 and then in 2002 after 4 games put up stats that the other Dts put up in a 10 game season, my reward was a switch to a 3-4 " to take advantage of Ryans size advantage and our two new OLBS" lamo, ended up playing 4 games and quitting because I ended up injuring a knee, a shoulder and a broken thumb in 4 games. I tried because thats what players do, we give it a shot, in hinsight I should have walked immediately and added 3 more years to my career.

[Ryman of the North]

Albert has been playing nose tackle for his whole career. I don't see how taking on a double team every down in a 4-3 is different than taking on a double team in a 3-4. He's just a spoiled brat.

if you havent played on the line you simply wont understand and if you only ever played high school ditto.

here is the difference, a nose tackles JOB is to force the double team, a 3 tech avoids the double team.

a NT is expected to make a pile and force backs to run away a 3 tech is expected to disrupot and actually make the tackle.

LBK's analogy is bang on, take a guy like kobe, now tell him he is to set screens and picks for odom and only ever pass the ball on defence hes not allowed to go for the steal and has to take charges all game long. its about the same.

[pvkeeper19]

if you havent played on the line you simply wont understand and if you only ever played high school ditto.

here is the difference, a nose tackles JOB is to force the double team, a 3 tech avoids the double team.

a NT is expected to make a pile and force backs to run away a 3 tech is expected to disrupot and actually make the tackle.

Jay Ratliff.

Your rebuttal?