July 24, 2006

It's All About The Benjamins Baby: Although he is apparently the savior of New Orleans, both as a football player and figurehead, Reggie Bush is holding out. Not only that, but he and his agent are threatening to stay sidelined for the year and re-enter the draft next season.

posted by NightingalesGone to football at 07:26 AM - 58 comments

I don't care if he has made multiple donations to hurricane relif. That is not what the Saints drafted him for. They got him to play football and that is what he said he would do. I hate it when players hold out for more money. That 10 million signing bonus isn't enough?

posted by kidrayter2005 at 07:51 AM on July 24, 2006

Oh, give me a break. I don't think it even counts as holding out before camp has even started. First round picks are routinely not signed before camp starts. The article's speculation that he might not sign for the entire season is completely ridiculous. Who comes up with this bullshit?

posted by bperk at 08:46 AM on July 24, 2006

It's NEVER enough. These days, the value of a player is interpreted almost entirely by how much cash he can haul in. "I'm the best player in the league cuz I got a record contract!"...until someone signs a bigger one next week anyway. Add to that the commonly held belief that he was PISSED that he didn't go first in the draft, and he's really got something to prove. It's too bad. He'd prove a lot more to me by saying something like, "New Orleans is a great city. They're already rebuilding and it's going to come back strong. I think the Saints can contribute a great deal to that and I'm proud that I'll be a part of it. We're currently negotiating the details of the contract. Until the contract is done, my participation may be somewhat limited because I cannot afford to take the chance of a career ending injury, but I'll be in training camp when it opens, and I've directed my agent to get a deal done as soon as possible." Would it mean he'd make less money, at least for now? Sure. Would he still be a very rich man? Again, sure. Would the buzz he created get him more endorsements? I'd bet on it. After all, if he did something classy and, if not exactly selfless, then certainly not selfish, I know that I'd be more likely to give the products he hawks a more serious look. Right now, I'd be more likely to NOT buy something, simply because he's pitching it. On top of all that, the people of New Orleans would be ready to have him raised to actual Sainthood. Will anything like it happen? Nah... he'll hold out for every penny he can get from that contract, and to hell with the town, the team, and the companies that have paid big (and guaranteed) money for his endorsement of their products.

posted by ctal1999 at 08:48 AM on July 24, 2006

BTW, bperk, I hope you're right and I'm wrong. I'm just going on the general buzz that's been spread through the media since the draft, and we all know that's not always exactly reliable. It would be great if they can just get together and hammer out a deal that works for everyone.

posted by ctal1999 at 08:56 AM on July 24, 2006

I hate it when players hold out for more money. That 10 million signing bonus isn't enough? A running back lasts 4 years on average.

posted by yerfatma at 09:01 AM on July 24, 2006

Why would anyone expect Bush to play for charity? This sort of contract dickering goes on everywhere; does someone here actually think that the NO NFL franchise is somehow exempt from the haggling that goes with every big NFL contract? Because he had the bad luck to be drafted by a team from an emergency-stricken town, Bush should forego this part of the process? If the NFL were requiring all its players to skip the contract adjustment process and give the difference to the recovery of NO, I'd be all for it. But the NFL isn't doing that, and the idea of requiring a rookie to do so stinks of sanctimoniousness and jealousy.

posted by Hugh Janus at 09:04 AM on July 24, 2006

That's what I was thinking, Hugh. Just because Bush goes to a team in a city ravaged by a devastating hurricane implies he should play for whatever offer the Saints want to make? These holdouts DO happen all the time, and Bush knows he needs to get the best deal he can right now. Sometimes young stud running backs do suffer career-ending injuries in their first camp, so he doesn't need to be in any hurry. This doesn't mean, in any way, that I agree with holdouts, but they're part of the business. But the continued-recovery of New Orleans can't be tied to Reggie Bush's contract. That's simplistic and unfair. He was apparently looking to split time with Deuce McAllister, who isn't all that bad himself (until he breaks down).

posted by dyams at 09:13 AM on July 24, 2006

Maybe the Houston Texans knew what they were doing afterall.

posted by jaygolf at 09:16 AM on July 24, 2006

Until the contract is done, my participation may be somewhat limited because I cannot afford to take the chance of a career ending injury, but I'll be in training camp when it opens, and I've directed my agent to get a deal done as soon as possible." Would it mean he'd make less money, at least for now? Sure. Bush isn't negotiating the City of New Orleans, he is negotiating with Benson. Benson is an asshole. He does not deserve Bush's charity. If Bush can get an extra $10 million out of Benson, then I wish him the best!

posted by bperk at 09:22 AM on July 24, 2006

Saints season ticket sales skyrocketed after Bush was drafted, to over 55,000, and if any of you think that Reggie Bush is not the reason you better think again. But here we go again with the ridiculous greedy player/greedy owner argument.

posted by billsaysthis at 10:27 AM on July 24, 2006

I'm not sure that the best way to market your future is by alienating the city that the rest of the country has adopted as its own. It seems to me that even if he gets the contract, the city might have reason to not like him at all.

posted by hawkguy at 10:54 AM on July 24, 2006

It seems to me that even if he gets the contract, the city might have reason to not like him at all. Break a few long runs, score a few TDs, and everything's forgiven.

posted by dyams at 10:59 AM on July 24, 2006

Reggie Bush is a low class idiot. The most overrated player in the history of college football. And now he is taking advantage of the vulnerability of the city of New Orleans to get more money. What a piece of trash. Take advantage of a natural disaster to get more money when there are other people who need it. I hope this idiot waits until 2007 because then he will be completly worthless and his NFL career will be over so he can go back to the street corner and beg for money.

posted by tim at 11:04 AM on July 24, 2006

What a piece of trash. Take advantage of a natural disaster to get more money when there are other people who need it. So if this football player signs a contract for what the owner (who wanted to get the team out of New Orleans) wants to offer, all will be well in the city again? By God, Reggie, sign the thing!!

posted by dyams at 11:09 AM on July 24, 2006

Having witnessed a contract holdout in Chicago with Cedric Benson last yesr I can tell you that it has a big effect on the player and the team. Bush should endear himself to the Saint fans and teamates by signing as soon as possible

posted by Cubfan276 at 11:11 AM on July 24, 2006

My point, only stated much better. Thanks cubfan.

posted by hawkguy at 11:32 AM on July 24, 2006

1) Aside from Mario, what other 1st round picks have signed? Have even 5 signed? Yet everyones already talking about him sitting out the year? What a piece of trash. Take advantage of a natural disaster to get more money when there are other people who need it. How on earth do you jump to this conclusion? Are the 30 other 1st round picks all taking advantage of the natural disaster since they're holding out for more money as well? What does the natural disaster have to do with any of this? He's a guy who has a very short time frame (4 year average NFL career for a RB, as stated earlier) to earn as much money as he possibly can. On top of that it is pretty obvious his draft had much to do with a huge upswing in ticket sales which will directly affect revenue for his club. How anybody can fault the guy from getting every possible cent from a business that has recieved an obvious benefit from him already is beyond me.

posted by bdaddy at 12:21 PM on July 24, 2006

While drafted players do make the ultimate decisions on what they are going to do, I would stick a lot of the blame on the agents. The Rams drafted a RT last year, who would have been great for us, if he had gone to camp. The agent he had recommended he wait until the guy drafted beneath him got signed, then they'd know how much money to shoot for. I suspect he's not the only agent to play the "look how much I got this guy paid" game. These guys play differently in college than they will in the NFL; gotta figure the more time they spend prepping in the first few years the better careers they'll have.

posted by Thisguy at 12:41 PM on July 24, 2006

If he was holding out with any other team, it would hardly merit a blip on the radar. Greedy? Yes, but so would I be. After 24 yrs in a steel mill, I am just now feeling the effects of those jobs on my body. would I have done it differently? Probably not. Given the short career of the running back in the NFL, and the punishment given to their bodies, players in that position have to go for what they can get whne they can get it. More money after a torn ACL? I doubt it.

posted by steelergirl at 12:42 PM on July 24, 2006

Whatever the reason, holding out for even more money when you are making millions a year leaves a sour taste. It's hard to have any empathy for a guy that makes more in one year than most of us will make in a lifetime, and get it while playing a game at that. Given that its New Orleans, it makes him appear more churlish still.

posted by irunfromclones at 01:00 PM on July 24, 2006

I'm not in his place, so I can't pass judgement. But didn't he say, on draft day, that this was the one thing he specifically did not want to have happen? I wonder what changed.

posted by chicobangs at 01:04 PM on July 24, 2006

By the logic that decries stars holding out for larger contracts, you'd basically have to despise all professional sports players, really, for any contract negotiation (because none of them dicker for less money). The city in question is a red herring: it's the team and the NFL who pays Bush, not the citizenry or the municipality (except there are all those owner-friendly deals with municipalities held hostage by expensive stadia the NFL pay little for and the owners even less). Bush should give up his chance for legal (and commonplace) bargaining because NO had a disaster? I applaud the communist leanings of the posters here who think these rich guys have an obligation to share their money around: "from those with the greatest means, to those with the greatest need." Karl Marx and I are very proud of you.

posted by Hugh Janus at 01:19 PM on July 24, 2006

It's hard to have any empathy for a guy that makes more in one year than most of us will make in a lifetime, and get it while playing a game at that. And they're stealing that money from the plates of rich old white guys who are always there when we need them, ready to lend a helping gouge or price increase whenever the opportunity presents itself. Many's the time I've been invited up to the free luxury boxes to eat boyflesh with the rest of the Illuminati and thought "If those damned trashy players could settle for a few million less, there'd still be some thighmeat left. These knees are a little tough."

posted by yerfatma at 01:44 PM on July 24, 2006

Well put, yerfatma. Disturbing as hell, but well put.

posted by dyams at 02:18 PM on July 24, 2006

What is up with all these people throwing Reggie Bush under the bus and calling him names based on what a few unnamed "league sources" told an Internet reporter. Or second guessing what statements Bush should have made, instead of the professional silence he has maintained on the issue? Then there's the "getting paid millions of dollars to play a game" routine - if you're so outraged by the long-established economics of professional sports, why do you even bother following them? If you think Reggie Bush was an overrated college player, you obviously were not watching USC games. He hasn't even begun a holdout or said that he would hold out. I guess all it takes is a biased FPP to turn some SpoFites to Reggie-hatred.

posted by Venicemenace at 02:26 PM on July 24, 2006

But didn't he say, on draft day, that this was the one thing he specifically did not want to have happen? I wonder what changed. Who said anything changed? This article indicates that perhaps teams have an interest in signing their lower round draft picks first. It seems like the Saints might be taking that route.

posted by bperk at 02:28 PM on July 24, 2006

But didn't he say, on draft day, that this was the one thing he specifically did not want to have happen? I wonder what changed. Two words: Tom (worst owner in sports) Benson. Six words, sorry. This is Benson trying to take advantage of Reggie. And anyone who takes Benson's side probably roots for Ken Lay (so sorry he's dead) vs. the thousands of people who lost their savings in the enron debacle.

posted by cjets at 02:38 PM on July 24, 2006

I AM sorry Ken Lay is dead. It would have done much good to sentence that bastard accordingly. Oh well, dying in shame and all that. I fall very much on the side of those that choose to give Reggie the benefit of the doubt here. In the game of pro-football with non-guaranteed contracts, a short career and a $16 billion TV deal, I'm inclined to get what I can, when I can. Wouldn't you? We have a severly maladjusted tendency to hold 22-year old athletes who have worked their whole lives for one moment to standards that we wouldn't put on ourselves on the best of days.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:45 PM on July 24, 2006

You will not get paid what you deserve, but what you negotiate. If that involves holding out, reneging on a verbal agreement, or anything short of felony threatening, then so be it. Reggie Bush is not yet under contract, so unless I am mistaken, he is not even subject to being fined the $14,000 per day for holding out that is in the CBA. Yes it does rankle me that he should make all this money for playing football, but until all of us stop buying beer, throw the TV into the trash, and reduce that big stadium to a parking lot, it will continue (See Venicemenace, above). That is not too likely to happen, and I'm too old to lead a revolution (not that I want to anyway).

posted by Howard_T at 02:47 PM on July 24, 2006

Whatever the reason, holding out for even more money when you are making millions a year leaves a sour taste. And that's your issue that you have to deal with. That has nothing to do with Bush or his other peers. It's hard to have any empathy for a guy that makes more in one year than most of us will make in a lifetime the same way a mom working 3 minimum-wage jobs to support her family might have a hard time feeling empathy for a programmer or accountant asking for a $10k/year raise or he will leave to a competitor. It's about perspective. Since he makes more money than you, you think it's greedy to ask for more money. Nevermind the average career is less than 5 years. Nevermind the average life expectancy for an NFL player is 55 years old (20 some-odd years shorter than the US average). Nevermind those shorter years are usually riddled with pain, surgery, and medication. And nevermind his salary is based on what the market will bear because joe six-pack, who bitches about how much it costs to watch a game, still hauls himself and his family each sunday to those games. But forget all that...keep thinking that he shouldn't be striving to get every penny he can and that he's a greedy SOB....simply because you can't put your head around that much money

posted by bdaddy at 03:46 PM on July 24, 2006

We have a severly maladjusted tendency to hold 22-year old athletes who have worked their whole lives for one moment to standards that we wouldn't put on ourselves on the best of days. amen to that!

posted by bdaddy at 03:47 PM on July 24, 2006

Reasons why NFL players should hold out for every penny they can get: Short earning careers - make it now because you might not make it later Crippling, lifelong injuries - playing in pain and living in pain for the rest of your life Non-guaranteed contracts - get it up front because the owners will cut you in a heartbeat to save money later This is why I was in the minority position of agreeing with T.O. (oh no, I said the name!) during his hold-out period, and I'd do the same for any player, even on a team I root for. *Note: this only applies to pro sports where contracts are not guaranteed. Otherwise, honour your contract!*

posted by grum@work at 04:08 PM on July 24, 2006

Reggie doesn't actually make more than I do, I was merely generalizing. I do what I say I am going to do no matter how much it costs me in the process. If you aren't going to honor your commitments, then keep your mouth shut. I have no empathy either for short careers or life spans that are less a result of strenuous phsyical activity, and more the result of illegal drug taking. I have always thought that paying millions to entertainers, no matter if they are on the stage or on a field is a stain on our national character, more so when so many people who contribute far more struggle at or below the poverty level. But then, few of us make what we are actually worth. And yerfatma, how many times have I told you not to watch that 24 hour "Dawn of the Dead" marathon?

posted by irunfromclones at 04:09 PM on July 24, 2006

This thread is hilarious! In my line of work my customers almost always read our first proposal and fixed price offer and say 'no way! - we're not paying you that! Get outa here'. Then we negotiate a contract together with all of its work scope, budget, terms and conditions, milestone payment schedule, incentives, disincentives, etc. Only when that contract is agreed upon and executed do we start work. There's no greedy this or greedy that. Neither us nor our customers discuss single moms or joe six packs. It's business!

posted by kuhlman at 04:44 PM on July 24, 2006

There's no greedy this or greedy that. Neither us nor our customers discuss single moms or joe six packs. It's business! Classic!

posted by myshtigo at 04:54 PM on July 24, 2006

When will people stop looking for some sense of fairness when it comes to compensation. Sports are a business and the players and owners will always behave as such. We live in a world that compensates people based on the revenue they generate and the rarity of their talents. Mike Tyson used to make more money for beating the shit out an opponent in 30 seconds than a president of the United States could make based on his salary for eight years in office. Corruption set aside of course. Don't blame the overrated Regie Bush, blame the sports fans who support the madness, and a society that doesn't care. Sorry but we as a society value Paris Hilton more than we value a Mother Teresa. What does that tell you? Speaking of New Orleans, based on the way the citizens that town, whinned and cried while many of them were defrauding the federal government out of billions in aid money, who cares about them. If you ask me, anybody that lives in a city, below sea level, where they sell a drink on every corner called a Hurricane designed to kick your ass, who doesn't have flood insurance, doesn't deserve sympathy. Maybe they should have evacuated sooner, hell they had plenty of warning. Hey I live in So. California on a mountain, surrounded by heavy dry brush, overlooking the ocean. If I cancel my fire, flood, mud slide, and earthquake insurance, can I count on the federal government (your tax dollars) to rebuild my house? Or how about the next top NFL draft choice? Give me a break. I am one tax payer that is sick of bailing out those who don't plan ahead for the obvious. Why should Reggie Bush care either.

posted by Atheist at 05:01 PM on July 24, 2006

Hey I live in So. California on a mountain, surrounded by heavy dry brush, overlooking the ocean. If I cancel my fire, flood, mud slide, and earthquake insurance, can I count on the federal government (your tax dollars) to rebuild my house? Or how about the next top NFL draft choice? Give me a break. I am one tax payer that is sick of bailing out those who don't plan ahead for the obvious. Why should Reggie Bush care either. Atheist, depending on where you live specifically and the nature of your insurance coverage, there is a decent probability that the federal government and my tax dollars (and the CA state government and Californians' tax dollars) are subsidizing your insurance company. See here for a good recap of some of the hidden costs of subsidizing insurance for people like you trying to live in the Southern California fire zones. Not to mention subsidizing fire prevention efforts and some fire fighting activities that wouldn't be necessary if people like you didn't live in areas that are highly susceptible to fires. Your broad-brush attack on New Orleanians who, in many cases, did not have access to flood insurance because it was prohibitively expensive or simply not available (a category into which my brother fit) is way off base and in poor taste.

posted by holden at 05:34 PM on July 24, 2006

tim: "Reggie Bush is a low class idiot. The most overrated player in the history of college football. And now he is taking advantage of the vulnerability of the city of New Orleans to get more money. What a piece of trash. Take advantage of a natural disaster to get more money when there are other people who need it. I hope this idiot waits until 2007 because then he will be completly worthless and his NFL career will be over so he can go back to the street corner and beg for money." This has to be one of the dumbest comments I have ever read. I think someone else is the real idiot here. Anyways, RB has every right to get as much as he can. Every other player tries to get the best contract possible, why shouldn't he? It would be fun to see what team he would end up with if he did sit out this season and sign up for the next draft? It would be hilarious if the Saints would end up having the #1 pick next year.

posted by STUNNER at 07:21 PM on July 24, 2006

Speaking of New Orleans, based on the way the citizens that town, whinned and cried while many of them were defrauding the federal government out of billions in aid money, who cares about them. If you ask me, anybody that lives in a city, below sea level, where they sell a drink on every corner called a Hurricane designed to kick your ass, who doesn't have flood insurance, doesn't deserve sympathy. Maybe they should have evacuated sooner, hell they had plenty of warning. we as a society value Paris Hilton more than we value a Mother Teresa. What does that tell you? It tells me you're part of that society.

posted by justgary at 07:33 PM on July 24, 2006

I have no empathy either for short careers or life spans that are less a result of strenuous phsyical activity, and more the result of illegal drug taking. That is an asinine statement with no basis in fact.

posted by bdaddy at 09:09 PM on July 24, 2006

mmmmmmmmmmmm................boyflesh...

posted by wingnut4life at 12:05 AM on July 25, 2006

Speaking of New Orleans, based on the way the citizens that town, whinned and cried while many of them were defrauding the federal government out of billions in aid money, who cares about them I take it you have not seen the news about the FEMA audits (including ipods and a big scren TV). I have no empathy either for short careers or life spans that are less a result of strenuous phsyical activity, and more the result of illegal drug taking All NFL players have a shorter life span because of the taking of illegal drugs? I had a feeling that Reggie White was high the 2 times I heard him preach. The way those old school Steelers are dropping off, they must have been super high. I don't want to know what you were thinking when you typed this comment, I want to know why you were thinking it made sense when you reread it, before you clicked post.

posted by Bishop at 01:12 AM on July 25, 2006

I don't have a problem with Bush holding out for more money. I've done the same with some of my former employers, hoping to get some extra benefits or a few dollars more an hour before I agreed to the job. But it does bother me that he or his "people" would float a rumor that he would sit out the season if he doesn't get the money he feels he deserves. It reminds me of when I was a kid and someone took my bag of Skittles or M & M's and said I could have it back, but first I had to give them some. It wasn't always bullies who did that. Sometimes it was an older brother or even a friend. Whatever. It was still a form of the dreaded purple nurple (aka Michael Jackson's way of saying "hi.") And it sounds like Bush's team will twist till it bleeds.

posted by forrestv at 02:45 AM on July 25, 2006

It was still a form of the dreaded purple nurple I'd rather have the nurple than the dreaded "noogie"/"noogy":the act of placing someone in a headlock and rubbing their scalp with your knuckles until they damn near have a stroke. I do believe this is the cause of male pattern baldness, I mean when is the last time you saw 1 woman give another a noogie. I call for an immediate ban on the noogie, and offer that it be replaced with and indian burn or pink belly for humanitarian reasons.

posted by Bishop at 04:43 AM on July 25, 2006

Reggie Bush is a low class idiot. The most overrated player in the history of college football. And now he is taking advantage of the vulnerability of the city of New Orleans to get more money. What a piece of trash. Take advantage of a natural disaster to get more money when there are other people who need it. I hope this idiot waits until 2007 because then he will be completly worthless and his NFL career will be over so he can go back to the street corner and beg for money. And, you're dumber than a bag o' hammers, but thanks for playing. By the "taking advantage of a natural disaster" logic, Drew Brees should have actually paid the Saints to pick him up, and Joe Horn, Deuce McAllister, and the rest of the Saints should immediately tithe their entire paychecks to hurricane relief. Say Reggie Bush caves in and the Saints save $25 million in the negotiations. Guess where that 25 large is going? If you said, the people of the City of New Orleans, you're dumber than dogshit. It goes right into Tom Benson's pockets. And let's not forget about Benson, aptly and deservedly labeled by many as one of the worst owners in professional sports. How many times before and/or since Hurricane Katrina has he threatened to move the Saints out of New Orleans? My advice to you: focus your rage on a more appropriate target.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:06 AM on July 25, 2006

This topic was slapped around on the ESPN talk shows yesterday. More than one bloviator said that since thousands of season tickets were sold in the wake of the draft, Bush owed it to the city to sign right away. That makes zero sense to me -- if the Saints have made a bundle of money off of Bush already, when he hasn't even seen a dime, they owe it to HIM to extend a reasonable offer! But it does bother me that he or his "people" would float a rumor that he would sit out the season if he doesn't get the money he feels he deserves. READ the article. The writer quotes a "league source". Why are you so sure this rumor came from Reggie Bush or his "people"?

posted by Venicemenace at 11:32 AM on July 25, 2006

I may have been too harsh on this guy, but really, why is he asking for # 1 money when he wasn't (nor should he have been) the # 1 pick. We are looking at another Rashaan Salaam. Reggie Bush will be getting in trouble with the law and does not deserve a penny. He is already benefitting from multiple endorsements. But Bush isn't even the biggest low-class user. Owner Tom Benson has been taking advantage of Hurricane Katrina ever since it happened. So I apologize for not mentioning Benson before but don't say that Bush isn't taking advantage of the city because he is. And why should a RB be given more money than other positions just because the average career-span is shorter? Runningbacks have every chance to make a full career just like anyone else, look at Curtis Martin. And if Bush does wait until 2007, he would not be selected anywhere close to the first round.

posted by tim at 03:21 AM on July 26, 2006

READ the article. The writer quotes a "league source". Why are you so sure this rumor came from Reggie Bush or his "people"? Why are you so sure it didn't? Oh, that's right. Your undying loyalty and love for Pac-10 football has dulled your senses. It's OK. It happens to the best of us, Sport.

posted by forrestv at 03:44 AM on July 26, 2006

Short earning careers - make it now because you might not make it later Crippling, lifelong injuries - playing in pain and living in pain for the rest of your life Non-guaranteed contracts - get it up front because the owners will cut you in a heartbeat to save money later While i am not sure what i think about this yet, i have to comment on something i have noticed. It seems that people who want to justify bush's behavior appeal to the rigors and potential dangers of being an NFL running back. My question is this: why is this relevant? Reggie Bush, and all professional athletes, make a conscious choice to play sports for their career. It seems like we want to give people a free pass to behave in crass and inappropriate ways (not referring to bush here yet) b/c they are "forced" to play in the NFL. If Reggie bush really cared so much about his body, he wouldn't be in the NFL; he would be behind a desk. Now if he does decide to play football, i would agree that the Saints should make that worth His while (although i must confess that a 10 million dollar signing bonus would seem to be enough for a fun life, regardless of perspective differences). However, if he is being a jerk, then this appeal to pity falls on deaf ears, because there are others things he could be doing. He is not "doomed" or "predestined" to play football. He is Reggie Bush, not Odysseus.

posted by brainofdtrain at 04:40 AM on July 26, 2006

Reggie Bush will be getting in trouble with the law and does not deserve a penny. I'd really, really like to know how you can say this and ever expect to be taken seriously as a sports fan, first, and a decent human being, second. For all I know, you're going to be in trouble with the law soon.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:48 AM on July 26, 2006

Wow. I'm amazed that so many of you are hammering on RB so hard. I was pretty negative in my first comment, but it wasn't directed strictly at Bush. I can't believe all the assertions that he's certain to use illegal drugs and be in trouble with the law. Not just speculating, but stating it as fact. Jeez, give the guy a chance and he may surprise you. I just get frustrated with the whole "us vs. them" attitude between the players and the owners. IMO, too many players think only of themselves and insist on getting every penny that they can, regardless of the effect on the team as a whole. It's really refreshing when you hear of a player who turns down a higher offer elsewhere to stay with his current team because he loves playing there, or a guy who volunteers to take a pay cut in order to make some cap room so the team can keep some other players or pick up some free agents to improve. It takes a special individual to do something like that, though. If they all did it, it wouldn't be exceptional, would it? I guess it's asking a bit much to ask that kind of sacrifice from every player. On top of that, the owners can be just as bad (and Benson is widely reputed to be THE worst), but I usually object to their treatment of older players more than their high draft picks. When you see a great player who's slid to being only a good one, who's been a good soldier his entire career, and then gets treated like crap, it ticks me off. There are usually business arguments for it, but I believe in repaying loyalty whenever you can. Not most team owners. Use 'em up and throw 'em overboard baby! In almost all employment situations, there are negotiations over the terms, but usually everyone is working toward an agreement that all sides are satisfied with. In major sports, that's not the case. It's too often a very antagonistic process (at least the ones we hear about), with everyone clutching his own wallet and nobody looking at the big picture.

posted by ctal1999 at 11:11 AM on July 26, 2006

I have no empathy either for short careers or life spans that are less a result of strenuous phsyical activity, and more the result of illegal drug taking. That is an asinine statement with no basis in fact Are you drunk or just stupid? Do you honestly believe that all of these NFL players dying before they reach 50 are a result of natural causes? When 99.9% of them exhibit classic symptoms of long term steroid use?

posted by irunfromclones at 03:19 PM on July 26, 2006

Please be specific. Take the last year. Which NFL players' deaths in the last year are attributable to steroid use? Or what specific causes of death are attributable to steroid use? Please provide links if you have any.

posted by bperk at 04:17 PM on July 26, 2006

look .. so reggies is going to make multi-millions for carrying pigskin? so? look at the CEO's of big corparations? they make more than reggie..hell there's usually a bidding war to get the best CEO working for your company..just like in the construction business, if you know a top notch carpenter are you going to pay him 15 bucks an hour or are you going to let him walk away makin $25 an hour?? i know of several non-union carpenters are makin $40 an hour..almost every thing is bartered,the price of your car,your home,your salary, so if reggie thinks he can stiff benson for lets say 10 mill a year for 10 years ..good for reggie..he has no obligation to N.O,his obligation is only to the Saints/teamates and tom benson.period

posted by ktown at 04:46 PM on July 26, 2006

The items listed in the "specific causes of death" link above are also listed on a bottle of Tylenol that I have here at home. Prolonged use is the key term here. If steroids use is so deadly, why aren't bodybuilders dropping like flies? Arnold did juice and smokes cigars, he's damn near 60. Barry bonds is accused of being the biggest juicer in the US, yet he lives. Perhaps unhealthy eating habits/family history might also contribute to untimely death in certain types of athletes. How can they be "long term" steroid users and have "short careers" at the same time?Saying these football players are being killed by steroids alone is easily proved untrue, just look at the top 50 bodybuilders in the world over the past 30 years. Ronnie Coleman is 40 yrs old, 8 time Mr.Olympia, and an obvious juicer. He has been in the sport for upwards of 15 years and doing 3x the juice that most other athletes do, yet he lives. Perhaps bodybuilders are more educated when he comes to self administering steroids, or maybe it's a mental thing. If you tell yourself it's just flax-seed oil, maybe there is less likely to be side effects.

posted by Bishop at 05:50 PM on July 27, 2006

good point bishop and remember what Arnold told us, "I'll be Back".:)

posted by ptluigi at 03:31 PM on July 28, 2006

Hey, Reggie signed! All the city of New Orleans' problems are solved!

posted by dyams at 08:02 AM on July 30, 2006

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