Bengals Raiders Make Blockbuster Trade: Who wins?

Bengals owner finally submits, but who is the real winner? Carson Palmer made a decision that he was no longer going to be a Cincinnati Bengal and sacrificed nearly half of the 2011 NFL football season to prove that he wasn’t bluffing. Bengals owner and CEO, Mike Brown, called Palmer’s hand, forcing the former USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner to either retire or show up at Bengals camp and honor his contract. Palmer was scheduled to make over $11 million in 2011, over $13 million in 2012 and over $14 million in 2014. Al Davis may have died a few days ago, but his spirit and his style have apparently lived on passed his physical body. In Davis-esque manner, the Raiders traded away next year’s first-round draft pick and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2013. This was a tidy sum to pay for a quarterback recovering from major knee surgery and an extended vacation in 2011 missing the entire training camp, the preseason and nearly half the regular season. It has been said, the Carson Palmer has been training with Ken O’Brien, the former New York Jets signal caller and that he has kept himself in shape and is ready to play. Being in physical condition and being game ready are thought to be completely different things to most NFL trainers and players who back up that theory.

My previous post really questioned the priorities of contracts and how the NFL only recognizes contract law when it applies to owners not paying and players not getting paid. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a professional athlete being sued for breach of contract when a player holds out for a reworked contract or plain won’t play for any particular reason, financial or otherwise (aside from injury). There’s part of me that is disappointed that Mike Brown gave in and allowed Carson Palmer to go to another team, but if the Raiders want to be stupid, that’s not Mike Brown’s problem. Giving up a number one draft selection for a veteran player like Carson Palmer is a pretty stiff price, particularly one that has been disgruntled about various team decisions and has also been through major reconstructive knee surgery. Palmer was considered one of the elite quarterbacks in football, before he sustained the injury. Since then, his performance has been met with mixed reviews and a roster that looks more like a revolving door of prima donnas and cocky, self-indulgent, self-proclaimed superstars. The team has been plagued by players with legal problems as well as the egos that bring nothing but distraction to a club that needs focus more now than ever. The Raiders felt they had little choice whether or not to approach the Bengals about Carson Palmer. Earlier this week, the Raiders Jason Campbell sustained a season-ending injury. This led them to inquired with former Jaguars quarterback David Garrard, before learning that he was scheduled for season-ending back surgery to repair a previous problem injury. Desperate, and maybe feeling the calling from the grave, the Raiders acted in a very Davis like manner going after the NFL’s most unhappy and out of work quarterback. Carson Palmer will be back in California and happy to be out of Cincinnati. Mike Brown has got to be feeling like he is the winner in all of this. Two first-round draft picks to go with a certain high pick of their own in 2012 will aid nicely in rebuilding for future seasons. Many teams are already posturing and scheming for a chance at all American quarterback from Stanford, Andrew Luck. NFL analysts believe that Luck might be the biggest sure thing since Peyton Manning. Either way, the Bengals have to be happy about coming out of this fiasco with a very handsome position to be in as the NFL approaches its next draft and a season that will likely have an entire schedule of OTA’s and minicamps as well as a complete training camp and preseason. Who’d a thunk it?

Priorities, Priorities, Priorities: Where have they gone?

Kevin Mawae, elected president (2011) of the NFL players Association took on Roger Goodell and the NFL regarding player conduct policy violations during the lockout in 2011.  His unsavory job was to convince the NFL commissioner that player conduct during the preseason lockout should not be punishable by the league because the players were, in his words, “unemployed”.  Goodell rejected the PA’s president’s assertion that it would be outside NFL control to punish players who violated personal conduct policies by suspending eight players to violated those policies during the lockout, including; Adam “Pac-Man” Jones (Titans), Albert Haynesworth (Patriots), Kenny Britt (Titans), Cedric Benson (Bengals), Aqib Talib (Buccaneers), Clark Haggans (Cardinals), Johnny Jolly (Packers), and Brandon Underwood (Packers). The violations come from a wide variety of infractions including; personal assault, sexual assault, various drug charges, and conduct unbecoming National Football League representatives. Who would envy that job? Kevin Mawae may have wanted to represent the players, but to stand in front of league officials and a judge must be a very embarrassing position to put yourself into.  Pro sports has really evolved over the last 50 years and not this is early in a good way.  The evolution of mankind is not been a proud hallmark in professional sports as the money has created incredible greed and has blinded common people into believing that there is a difference between those who have money and those who do not.  Irony at its best when you consider that most of the athletes in pro sports do not come from wealthy upbringing.  Putting money, sometimes disgustingly large amounts, in the hands of those who don’t really understand the lifestyle of people with discretionary income is and has been creating undesirable people in pro sports and has created a media public relations nightmare.  Americans in particular have a serious problem prioritizing the important things in our lives.  Money seems to trump everything and entertainment has completely eclipsed the priority of Americans over the job crisis, healthcare, education, law enforcement and the economy.  Chris Johnson with the Tennessee Titans held out for more money, even though he was under a signed contract he agreed to earlier.  The running back wanted quarterback money, even though it’s a proven fact that running backs are practically a dime a dozen.  He was offered a contract to make him the highest-paid running back in football, despite the fact that Adrian Peterson and Arian Foster are more complete running backs and without the huge baggage of Johnson and his inflated ego.  It wasn’t enough to Johnson to be the highest-paid running back, he wanted to be the highest-paid player.  Well, he didn’t get what he wanted, he got precisely what he wanted.  He and his agent knew that there was no chance he was going to be paid as highly as players like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and other elite quarterbacks, but they knew darn well that by holding out and demanding quarterback money, they would be not only paid higher than any other running back, it would be a contract of over $13 million per season and over $30 million guaranteed.  The owner of the Titans is an absolute moron.  There was no way that a running back in the prime of his career was going to hold out the entire season and lose out on the money was already making and the opportunity to become the highest-paid running back in the NFL.  The bluff worked, which leads me to ask the most obvious question; “How in the world did Bud Adams get so rich being so stupid?”God bless Mike Brown, the owner of the Cincinnati Bengals.  Carson Palmer, considered an elite style quarterback by many, demanded a trade from the only team he’s ever played for.  I’m happy with his place on the team and the philosophy of the ownership as well as the coach and entire front office, he wanted out and put the squeeze on the franchise to trade him by holding out and threatening to hold out the entire year.  Mike Brown called his bluff and told him that he would either play for the Bengals are had the opportunity to retire if that’s what he wanted to opt out and do.  This was a high-stakes game of poker and nobody had a tell to go on.  Brown held tight to hiromise of requiring Carson Palmer to honor the contract he signed and Palmer refused to report to camp and is still currently a holdout three games into the regular season.  This is how ownership should deal with players who are disgruntled either with the system, the ownership, the coaching or his contract.  A contract is a contract and the only thing I’m disappointed in is that Carson Palmer should be in court right now being charged with breach of contract as he demanded a trade and now is withholding his services.  Pro sports is a crazy animal and it functions much differently than normal business outside the NFL confines.  Anywhere else in business and lawyers would be involved and there would be a winner and a loser based on the outcome of a trial.  Now, nobody wins and the sport continues to be contaminated by those who believe they’re above the rules, the laws and normal human behavior.  Money seems to change people quickly.  What wasn’t legitimate yesterday, interestingly became legitimate just by adding a but load of money to one’s bank account.  During the tragedy in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana, America heard from politicians, organization leaders, emergency response teams and those directly affected by the hurricane.  However, for some strange reason, the media that we needed to hear from high profile athletes and entertainers.  Why?  I have no idea what insight they would have to share about the tragedy, but because they have money and because the money has given the notoriety, they are now considered legitimate.  Without any certification, education or qualification, money makes people legitimate and it’s ridiculous.  America needs a revolution in prioritizing the important things in life and that can only be done by a mass boycott of the entertainment business including but not limited to; professional sports, musicians, actors and reality-based stars either born into money or falling ass backwards into money by just being outlandishly stupid and shallow (i.e. Jersey Shore, are you listening?)  More later, but that is my rant this morning.

I’m back! Lay It on the Line Blogs Again…

Hello everyone, yes it’s me… Brad Hobbs writing about tennis and other things sports related.  Would love to hear from you.  Subscribe to my blog, if you like.  It’s free and you don’t get much free any more, so there ya go.  I typically write about ATP and WTA Tennis, but I just can’t leave my beloved Football alone, college and professional alike.

I really hope to hear from you all. -Brad Hobbs