Where's LA?

andyjens89 · Post by **andyjens89** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 7:48 pm

How come LaVar's name isn't in any of the football games like Madden and such? He's always like "LB 56" or stuff like that and i cant figure out why.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 7:52 pm

He only just recently reached an agreement with the various "trademark" people and such. This is why is jersey is only just recently available with his name on it.

joebagadonuts · Post by **joebagadonuts** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 8:08 pm

if i may be so bold as to expound on tcwest's post, i believe that lavar declined to join the union when he first entered the league. the various companies that purchase the licenses from the nfl to sell official nfl stuff (including video games) need approval from the nfl itself to do so, and the nfl needs approval from the nflpa (the players' union) to use their names and images. because lavar was not a member of the union, he did essentially declined to allow his name and image to be used for such things. with his latest contract, i believe that he signed up with the union, and so you will soon see his name and image all over the place.

long winded, yes, but uninteresting.

Jake · Post by **Jake** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 8:15 pm

LaVar signed with the NFLPA when he signed the extension with us in December. IF you updated your rosters on Madden during the first week of the playoffs, his name is on the game. I got his jersey a couple of weeks ago. I wanted white but settled for red.

Texas Hog · Post by **Texas Hog** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 8:21 pm

did the team/contract require him to join the union? if so, was there an advantage to the team for doing so?

Jake · Post by **Jake** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 8:27 pm

Signing with the NFLPA is optional but it is rare if someone doesn't sign with them. I think LaVar has been the only one in recent memory to not do so.

Texas Hog · Post by **Texas Hog** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 8:30 pm

he's unique, that's for sure...and hopefully a Skin for life

Redskin006 · Post by **Redskin006** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 10:47 pm

I think he wanted to wait for a long-term contract with a team, so that no fans that bought his jerseys and other accessories would have to put them in the closet. (an example is champ bailey.)

cjpck44 · Post by **cjpck44** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 7:12 am

Yeah, to expand on Joebagadoughnuts comment. Lavar didn't want anyone else to make money off of his name. At the time he said it was against us "principles" that he was raised in. (Sound familiar?) Anyway, he only gets a low percentage of sales that the NFLPA gets for liscensing his name, and he wanted more. Typically a player gets 3 or 4 percent, and he argued that since he will sell more jerseys than most, he should get a higher percentage. (That's our highly principled LB).

Randy Moss was another one that didn't sign right away, but it only took him a month or two. It's at least 2 million more a year for higher recognized athletes, so Lavar could have had his 6.5 million by now if he had signed with the NFLPA as a rookie.

cjpck44 · Post by **cjpck44** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 7:16 am

If you played Madden last year and made a tackle with #59, then the announcer would say: "sack by arrington" which I thought was great.

And the good news is next years NFL Street will now have Arrington to play, and he'll be a beast in that game. Now I can play against my buddy (Chicago fan) and whoop up on Urlacher!!!

joebagadonuts · Post by **joebagadonuts** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:31 am

cjpck44 wrote:Yeah, to expand on Joebagadoughnuts comment. Lavar didn't want anyone else to make money off of his name. At the time he said it was against us "principles" that he was raised in. (Sound familiar?) Anyway, he only gets a low percentage of sales that the NFLPA gets for liscensing his name, and he wanted more. Typically a player gets 3 or 4 percent, and he argued that since he will sell more jerseys than most, he should get a higher percentage. (That's our highly principled LB).

Randy Moss was another one that didn't sign right away, but it only took him a month or two. It's at least 2 million more a year for higher recognized athletes, so Lavar could have had his 6.5 million by now if he had signed with the NFLPA as a rookie.

well in la's defense, i think i'd be a bit pissed too if someone was going to sell merchandise with my name/image on it, and then give me just 3 or 4 percent of the profit. now, i don't want to get full into it here, but there are many people involved with the league who, it seems, feel that the whole setup exploits the players. yes, they make a TON of money, but the owners and the nfl execs (tags gets $9 mil a year!) make so much more. i can see from la's perspective how he would not want to perpetuate that relationship.

cjpck44 · Post by **cjpck44** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:06 pm

Yeah but they all get paid the same percentage. They have a players' union for a reason. That union put a contract into effect for all the players to get that percentage out of merchandise with their name/number, and all the players ratified it. For a guy who just is getting into a league that doesn't like it take it up with the players.

And if Lavar had is way, he'd get 10 percent. Than Ray Lewis would say I'm a better linebacker I should get 15 percent. Than Moss would say I should get 20%. And on and on and on, where would it end? And all the cost would be passed on to us, so that we would be paying for $300 dollar jerseys. It's fine as it is, all the players get some money depending on how much they sell, which in turn depends on how well they perform. It's a good cycle.

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:32 pm

(tags gets $9 mil a year!)

:shock: holy crap. no wonder they impose such outrageous fines on teams/players at fault. if they didn't, tag couldn't get paid.

joebagadonuts · Post by **joebagadonuts** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:35 pm

i would imagine that tags' salary is just a drop in the bucket of the amount of money the nfl rakes in. incidentally, fine money goes towards charity, i believe.

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:45 pm

yea, i read somthing about the fines going to charity. just makin light of the 9 mil. with directv paying over 500 million for the exclusive rights to sunday ticket, the leauge isn't hurting for $$$, thats for sure. and the regular tv contracts will be renewed in 06, and you can bet the house that it will be a pretty penny as well.

joebagadonuts · Post by **joebagadonuts** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:52 pm

well, i guess they desrve it too. the nfl started out as the sport that no one wanted to put on tv. now, just forty years later, they're making money hand over fist, and it's got to be the most watched sport on tv.

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 12:58 pm

joebagadonuts wrote:well, i guess they desrve it too. the nfl started out as the sport that no one wanted to put on tv. now, just forty years later, they're making money hand over fist, and it's got to be the most watched sport on tv.

there are other sports on tv?

joebagadonuts · Post by **joebagadonuts** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 1:08 pm

hailskins666 wrote:there are other sports on tv?

that's what i hear!

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 1:12 pm

joebagadonuts wrote:
that's what i hear!

hmm, too bad i don't like other sports

redskincity · Post by **redskincity** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 2:20 pm

He better be in the weight room. I would like see the benefits :idea:

of the speed classes added to his workouts.