04/15/05
04/15/05
Most of the Sports Pundits are beginning to sound like NFL apologists. Their employers should check to see if they are on an NFL payroll. The prevailing themes are that Terrell Owens signed his contract last year and should honor it or that Drew Rosenhaus has cast a line and Owens has swallowed the bait, hook, line, and sinker.
What may be just sport to most observers, however, is a business to these athletes, coaches, agents, and owners. If Owens can influence the renegotiation of his contract for more money, then he should. He would be imprudent not to try.
The contract that Owens signed has a 5 Million roster bonus, payable next year, that the Eagles will be unlikely to pay. In other words, there is a strong chance that the Eagles will probably trade or release Owens after this year anyway. In the NFL, it is fine for Owners to ask players to renegotiate their contract ala John Runyon or to cut players during the term of their contract but a player better not ask to renegotiate. Give me a break!
Owens is not just a star; he is a superstar with production that the Eagles can not replace in that WR position unless they have Marvin Harrison in their back pocket. There is a strong concern that renegotiation will set an unwelcome precedent. But, other players realize that they do not possess Owens’ talent or value and are unlikely to follow suit.
After seeing Owens play, it is obvious that the Eagles along with Owens have short changed themselves. It is obvious that Owens has more than one year left of productive playing time in his career. The current contract assumes that Owens would be with the Eagles for 2 years. It may be mutually beneficial to restructure the contract in a way that would avoid next year’s cap burden and allow Owens to be an Eagle for a longer period of time.
Owens in Control Fact 1 - Owens is in the driver seat with nothing to lose. If the Eagles do nothing, Owens will probably hold out to the beginning of the season and then return. The Eagles will be glad to have him back regardless of what they do in the draft. Owens loses no money.
Owens in Control Fact 2 – If the Eagles trade Owens, he will make it known to the new team that he will not show without a renegotiated contract. Another team does not need to take that chance. Owens gets more money.
Owens in Control Fact 3 – If the Eagles release Owens, he will be gladly signed by another team after what he did last year in the Regular Season and in the Superbowl. Owens gets more money.
Owens in Control Fact 4 – If the Eagles decide to renegotiate his contract, Owens gets more money.