04/25/24
November 29, 2005
Arlen Specter takes T.O.'s side: Huh? Anti Trust suit?
posted by Wrigley South to football at 08:10 AM - 33 comments
I agree with Specter. As he himself has proven on occasion, all Americans do have the unalienable right to make asses of themselves.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:56 AM on November 29, 2005
Is this the most pressing issue currently in the state of Pennsylvania? Is this specifically what Specter was elected to do? When practically any citizen in the state wants Specter to respond personally to them regarding a viable issue, I'm sure it's nearly impossible. Yet the guy thinks this issue has any bearing on the lives of the residents of that state, as a whole? I work in a place where several good employees have been sent home, with pay, for a rather long period due to conduct detrimental to our organization. This is how business is run sometimes. He's still being paid and is not enduring any hardships (at least none not brought on by himself). Why should the Eagles be forced to send the guy elsewhere, at this point, if they're not ready to do that? But my main issue is Specter trying to get in the news by attaching himself to this non-issue (except for football (Eagles) fans). Is T.O. even a resident, year around, in Pennsylvania?
posted by dyams at 09:28 AM on November 29, 2005
T.Blow was suspended for 4 games without pay because of well established conduct detrimental to the team. Fair enough. After that, he will sit home while receiving pay, which should be any business's option as to how they may want to utilize their assets. This is nothing more than another politician grandstanding. Instead of non-fighting a non-issue, why doesn't Spectator actually involve himself with a struggle for real rights for real workers? Garbage.
posted by RedStrike at 09:28 AM on November 29, 2005
Couldn't have said it better Dyams, (though I tried).
posted by RedStrike at 09:29 AM on November 29, 2005
We must have been typing them at the same time, RedStrike.
posted by dyams at 09:34 AM on November 29, 2005
I think T.O. had a house in Jersey. Thus not even making him eligible to vote for Specter. His primary residence is in Atlanta though isn't it? Again, out of Specter's congressional district. This whole topic smells of dead horse. I'll discuss it more in February.
posted by timdawg at 09:47 AM on November 29, 2005
Arlen Specter is a Moron. I have read the article and I do not understand what he is talking about. At the end of the article he says that the Eagles have a right not to pay him or sue him for damages, but he says that "TO is not a criminal" and that is unfair to not let him play but pay him. That is the most backwards statement I have ever heard. T.O. has a contract and a labor deal. He was suspended under the terms of the contract and was given a fair hearing in front of a neutral arbitrator. Under the labor deal, the Eagles have the right to do what they are doing. Also, there are tons of examples everyday of people under contracts who are suspended from there jobs with pay. I just don't understand what Specter is arguing. Personally, a government official has no business getting personally involved in a contractual labor dispute.
posted by mcstan13 at 09:50 AM on November 29, 2005
T.O. falls into the who in the hell cares category with the likes of Mike Tyson, Raffy Palmiero and Lawrence Taylor. Quit the talk and the hype and maybe he will just go away! The media has helped create a monster.
posted by CountDracula58 at 09:53 AM on November 29, 2005
If my principal came to my room and said, "Chandler, go home, but we will still pay you for the rest of the year", I would be a GONE A$$. Why is T.O. complaining? He should do what I would do. Go to the house, drink beer and play video games. Chandler
posted by Wrigley South at 10:02 AM on November 29, 2005
We should have predicted this happening. Congress succeeds in forcing MLB to adopt a stricter drug testing program and now they will look at butting into the NFL's dirty laundry.
posted by MPeter at 10:16 AM on November 29, 2005
Soon we'll have elected GMs!
posted by DrJohnEvans at 10:18 AM on November 29, 2005
Jesse Jackson and now Arlen Specter? Does everyone have T.O. in their fantsay football league?
posted by tron7 at 10:20 AM on November 29, 2005
Is Congress this BORED during wartime? Did Congress question baseball players during WWII? More opportunistic rabble. Congress should pass a law that stuff like this should be investigated when senators should have better things to do. I'm sure the people of the great state of Pennsylvania are not too pleased that he even bothered with this considering all of the other issues in the state.
posted by tadley86 at 10:22 AM on November 29, 2005
Congress may be bored. We are not at war anyway. There has been no official legal declaration of war against Iraq or Afghanistan by Congress. It's business as usual.
posted by Run's House at 10:46 AM on November 29, 2005
tadley86 Congress? Wartime? Didn't you hear? Mission Accomplished!
posted by HATER 187 at 10:47 AM on November 29, 2005
Maybe T.O. has Arlen Specter in his congressional fantasy league.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 10:47 AM on November 29, 2005
Arlen's got T.O. in the Senatorial Fantasy Pool, and he'll be damned if that asshole Frist is going to win because he was lucky enough to get Dallas Clarke in the 8th round. Mystery solved.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:54 AM on November 29, 2005
TO's state of residence is irrelevant -- the Eagles run a business in Pennsylvania. But yeah, this is ridiculous. Does Congress just play the antitrust card whenever MLB or the NFL does something controversial? I wish Specter would save this for the next stadium deal, when they really do extort people like the monopoly they are. But it's too late for that; Specter sat as the people of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were all railroaded into buying new stadiums for both cities' baseball and football teams in the last 5 years.
posted by cl at 11:13 AM on November 29, 2005
Is this the same Arlen Spector that's too busy to get the Supreme Court nominee hearings underway in a timely fashion? Just wondering...
posted by STLCardinalfan at 11:33 AM on November 29, 2005
I understand by inactivating him they are freeing up a roster spot. But you know if the governemtn gets involved (like they have anything better to do) they can just activate him and never put him in the game. Of course then they have is disruption on the sidelines.
posted by scottypup at 11:40 AM on November 29, 2005
So apparently Arlen thinks that TO has a right to have his job no matter what he does while in the work place? Well, FINALLY an NFL team said WRONG! It does matter and TO was out. Really this wasnt that different than the Keyshawn Johnson issue. TO just had more talent so people think someone with talent should be playing....not if they are an a$$. I really wish Arlen would shut up and read what the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the NFL is all about. I really wish he would get the facts about the situation. I wish he would understand that the Eagles began documenting TO back in training camp. Then again, most politicians seem to think they deserve to be in office for life no matter what they do...or dont do either. It isn't as if TO didn't get paid either. It did cost the Eagles a cool million to sit the pain the butt that is TO.
posted by Future at 12:06 PM on November 29, 2005
TO is a prime example of what owners should not do. Why do they keep offering these idiotic, not guaranteed , long term contracts? Especially to assholes like TO.
posted by Richie Bee at 01:19 PM on November 29, 2005
i cant wait to go to the office tomorrow in shorts and a wife beater, try to start a fight with one of my co-workers, tell my boss i wont work with him, then fight that co-worker.... i hope i get time off with pay
posted by steelcityguy at 02:48 PM on November 29, 2005
steelcityguy: make sure you also say you would rather work with a co-worker with "more class" from another company. That should get ya a good week or two off with pay!
posted by jusafan at 03:23 PM on November 29, 2005
ya shut up and play and stop being a jackass about it
posted by Dav at 03:45 PM on November 29, 2005
Too many greedy players and too many greedy owners. They both deserve each other.
posted by usroute17 at 06:01 PM on November 29, 2005
Too many greedy players and too many greedy owners. They both deserve each other.
posted by usroute17 at 06:01 PM on November 29, 2005
If Specter didn't side with despicable and morally bankrupt people they would take his Republican card away from him. This is just another case of a politician that is so far out of touch with reality that he has to take up inconsequential causes that do not and should not concern him. He needs to focus on doing what the people of Pennsylvania pay him to do, get in bed with the Oil companies and big business and try to cater everything he does to the right wing religious zealots. That is the GOP way of life.
posted by ArtVandalay420 at 07:15 PM on November 29, 2005
T.O. is the prime example of what our society represents: SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!!!!!! And we wonder where we get all of the spoiled brats who fight hard to destroy our country. keep spoiling morons like T.O. and see how far this country goes!
posted by Tazz1 at 07:55 PM on November 29, 2005
You all forget poor old T.O. needed more money to take care of his family. It is a pity no one has stood up to these people before after they sign a contract and then immediately want to renegotiate. He's already overpaid. Let him rest at home with his family for a couple of years. It will do him some good.
posted by MrZee at 09:05 PM on November 29, 2005
The T.O. situation should have been taken a long time ago.A sportscaster said it best,You handle your affairs when your team is winning,not force to do something when your losing.The eagles knew about T.O. and his so call temperate.The eagles mang. should have laid out a code of conduct manual for all it's players from day one of their signing.T.O. does not need special handling,just a reminder of his original signing with the eagles in that there was no gun pointed to his head.
posted by dgut41655 at 11:50 PM on November 29, 2005
I am thinking about telling my principal that I plan to 'hold out' next school year for a bump up on the pay scale. That should last about long enough for her to pick up the phone, call system HR and replace me.
posted by Wrigley South at 07:25 AM on November 30, 2005
I am actually torn on this idea. Not on T.O. I think he is a punk. Having been acquainted with 2 NFL players, I do understand that these guys have invested their lives into a sport. I believe you have got to get what you can, while you can. The career span of these guys is fairly short and they are disposable. The NFL doesn't have guaranteed salaries, so the next play could be your last. On the T.O. saga, he signed for 7 years, 7 MILLION a year and then last off season wanted more money, because "I have to feed my family". How damn big is his family? 7 million/52 weeks is $134,150 a week. T.O. makes more in a week than I do in four years as a teacher. Who ought to be complaining about feeding their family? He could have 100 kids and feed them Loch Ness Monster sandwiches and Bigfoot milk for $134,000 a week. SHUT UP AND PLAY. And quit being a jackass about it or I will sic' "the Jaw Breaker" Olin Kreutz on you. Chandler