12/03/24
May 30, 2010
Raiders: Russell Owes Us $9.55 Million: The Oakland Raiders are trying to get $9.55 million back from recently released quarterback JaMarcus Russell, claiming the money was salary advances for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons. "The money in question was fully guaranteed," said Russell's agent Eric Metz.
Quarterback? Is that what that was?
posted by roberts at 06:39 PM on May 30, 2010
Russell's lack of playing ability aside, it was the Raiders' choice not to keep him around the next 3 years, not his...why should he have to pay them back?
posted by MeatSaber at 07:54 PM on May 30, 2010
Russell should be able to keep every penny. Stupid fucking Raiders.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:15 PM on May 30, 2010
Wow, maybe if Darth Vader, I mean Al Davis, had listened to Lane Kiffen he could have saved $10mill. Speaking of Kiffen, what ever happened to Lord Voldemort's, I mean Davis' effort to withhold the cash that Kiffen was due?
At some point doesn't the league need to step in and remove Freddy Krueger, I mean Davis, from this equation? Yes Russell was a joke of a first overall pick, but at somepoint Jack Torrance's, I mean Al Davis's, actions will just make the league look bad.
posted by Demophon at 09:38 PM on May 30, 2010
This NFL contract guaranteed vs. non-guaranteed money has got to be the stupidest thing on earth.
I'm beginning to think they have a committee whose sole purpose is to make everything related to football more complicated than it needs to be.
posted by fabulon7 at 09:44 PM on May 30, 2010
Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell - NFL - Sports - Football
I saw that episode of Jeopardy.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 09:50 PM on May 30, 2010
If he's as good with a dollar as he is with the football, that money is on the ground, and a fella came along quick, picked it up and headed the other way with it.
posted by beaverboard at 10:46 PM on May 30, 2010
This post and the comments are one of the reasons I read Sportsfilter....I almost spewed my Dove Bar onto my laptop screen...I'm still laughing. Can hardly type.
posted by yzelda4045 at 10:46 PM on May 30, 2010
Why were you eating soap?
posted by BoKnows at 12:28 AM on May 31, 2010
Had to figure the day would come when an owner decided to test his theory that guaranteed money is not, in fact, guaranteed if you can prove that the player failed to live up to his own end of the deal.
posted by MW12 at 07:11 AM on May 31, 2010
That's a great system - we'll pay you what we think you might be worth, but if it turns out we thing we were wrong and you didn't do what we thought you would, you need to give us that money back.
Let's skip the lawyers and take this to its logical conclusion. You only get paid if you make the playoffs. You play the regular season for free.
Also - Russell is probably going to need a sizeable portion of that money to spend on therapy.
posted by fabulon7 at 09:34 AM on May 31, 2010
Part of the scouting process is feeling out a player for any potential character issues - Raiders are clearly negligent here.
posted by cixelsyd at 10:10 AM on May 31, 2010
I'm beginning to think they have a committee whose sole purpose is to make everything related to football more complicated than it needs to be.
They complicate things to perpetuate the system in which NFL players, who make a bigger physical sacrifice than any other pro sports athletes, have the least guaranteed money.
If I was king of the NFL, the first thing I'd do is guarantee all of the money.
At some point doesn't the league need to step in and remove Freddy Krueger, I mean Davis, from this equation?
The Raiders last draft was so good it made me wonder if Davis is really in charge any more. He's 80 years old and his son Marc Davis has taken a more visible role with the team lately. It could be another Steinbrenner situation.
posted by rcade at 10:29 AM on May 31, 2010
It could be another Steinbrenner situation
Marc Davis has a much harder task. NFL teams are built through strong draft choices and a few key acquistions, adherence to salary cap is mandatory.
The Steinbrenner's simply spend more money than their dad did - buy the best players for more than any other team can afford and hope it buys them championships.
posted by cixelsyd at 11:29 AM on May 31, 2010
The Steinbrenners also had to put the right people in place and avoid the urge to fire them during rough spots, two skills that sometimes evaded their dad.
posted by rcade at 12:58 PM on May 31, 2010
I was eating a Dove Ice Cream Bar....
posted by yzelda4045 at 02:38 PM on May 31, 2010
Yeah, it was much funnier after the first 6-pack.
posted by BoKnows at 07:30 PM on May 31, 2010
Darth VaderLord Voldemort just loves litigation. i think he still has some insane number of lawsuits still pending or in process against the NFL, against players, against the NFL, against agents, against the NFL, against cities, against the NFL, against former coaches, against the NFL.
This is just one more opportunity to keep those leaches, I mean lawyers earning their salary.
posted by irunfromclones at 04:16 PM on June 01, 2010
How about paying them back PLUS a few million more for impersonating a quarterback?