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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/14/AR2005061401788.html

Arrington Hearing Is Back On

By Nunyo Demasio
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 15, 2005; Page E02

Linebacker LaVar Arrington's oft-postponed hearing for a grievance against the Washington Redskins is back on, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. The hearing is scheduled for July 18, almost one year after the sides had hoped to decide the matter through binding arbitration.

When Arrington filed a non-injury grievance in March 2004, arbitration became inevitable because the matter couldn't be resolved through meetings involving owner Daniel Snyder and Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association.

Arrington believes that the Redskins omitted $6.5 million in bonuses agreed upon for 2006 from an eight-year, $68 million contract extension signed in December 2003.

He contends that the Redskins purposely removed the difference from the final draft that he signed at Redskins Park under deadline pressure.

Although Arrington filed the grievance as an individual through Detroit-based attorney Don Petersen, sources said that the linebacker is receiving assistance from NFLPA general counsel Richard Berthelsen, as well as Jeffrey Kessler of the Dewey Ballantine firm in New York. The Redskins have been assisted by the NFL Management Council. However, in such matters the club is usually represented by Dan Nash of the Akin Gump firm.

The hearing is expected to last one day (possibly at Redskins Park), with Richard Bloch or Shyam Das serving as arbitrator. The hearing will include presentation of evidence under oath, and cross-examination.

The disputed contract was negotiated by Arrington's agent, Carl Poston, and Redskins salary-cap specialist Eric Schaffer, who was recently promoted to director of football administration. Poston has conceded that he didn't read the contract's final draft because of a looming deadline.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2005/06/14/PH2005061401514.jpg
Under Virginia law, the signed contract leaves Arrington with a high standard of proof to show fraud or an intent to deceive. Arrington's position, a source said, is that he agreed to roughly $28 million through the first four years of the extension, but instead received roughly $21 million.

Arrington, who is rehabilitating from right knee surgery on April 6, couldn't be reached for comment. Poston and Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson didn't return calls.

In May 2004, Upshaw met with Snyder at Redskins Park, but they could not reach a resolution. The hearing was scheduled for Sept. 21, 2004, before being moved to late July so it could be settled before Coach Joe Gibbs's first season back. The hearing was switched to Nov. 2, then was indefinitely delayed after a scheduling conflict by an NFL lawyer. Last month, the Redskins pushed to have the hearing occur before training camp starts July 31, sources said.

During a January 12 interview with Comcast SportsNet, Arrington hinted that he would drop the grievance, partly because injuries limited him to four games in 2004. But Arrington's resolve was strengthened after reports quoted anonymous sources saying that he never had a case in the first place, according to a person involved with the hearing.

If Arrington wins, it will have implications for the club's 2006 salary cap, bringing the linebacker's cap hit from $12 million to $18.6 million.

Redskins Note: Yesterday, the Miami-Dade state attorney's office held a pre-filing conference to begin determining whether to prosecute safety Sean Taylor for two felony counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one misdemeanor charge of battery. The procedure was closed to the public and Taylor's defense lawyer. The process is expected to last a few days. If the police's evidence is judged insufficient, the charges will be dropped. A decision isn't expected to be revealed until Taylor's arraignment June 24.

Punu wrote:jeez, anyone wanna go to his house in herndon and talk to him?

Punu wrote:Jake, who is it that lives in herndon then?

I saw Portis's house on cribs... he has a small front yard, no dogs, no fence...or any security crap that you mentioned

BossHog wrote:More 'unnamed sources' from DeMasio... what a surprise.

I guess that's what working for the Post is all about these days...

redskincity wrote:How many times does this make now? Please dont post 'Arrington Hearing' on again until the source is sure. Thanks.

Chris Luva Luva wrote:

redskincity wrote:How many times does this make now? Please dont post 'Arrington Hearing' on again until the source is sure. Thanks.

Ill make sure I post the very next one, hot off the press.

Arrington believes that the Redskins omitted $6.5 million in bonuses agreed upon for 2006 from an eight-year, $68 million contract extension signed in December 2003.

He contends that the Redskins purposely removed the difference from the final draft that he signed at Redskins Park under deadline pressure.


The disputed contract was negotiated by Arrington's agent, Carl Poston, and Redskins salary-cap specialist Eric Schaffer, who was recently promoted to director of football administration. Poston has conceded that he didn't read the contract's final draft because of a looming deadline.

The hearing is expected to last one day (possibly at Redskins Park), with Richard Bloch or Shyam Das serving as arbitrator. The hearing will include presentation of evidence under oath, and cross-examination.

Arrington believes the Skins screwed him because that is what Carl Poston is telling him. However Carl's agument makes no sense...
1. He says the Redskins removed a $6.5 million dollar bonus from the contract, the bonus was removed from where there is currently a $6.5 million dollar bonus. Why wouldn't it have been a %13 million bonus.
2. He checked off on every page of the contract. As long as he has been a sports agent and as many contracts that he has negotiated, he would know exactly where each bonus, yearly salary, reporting dates and everything else is at. He wouldn't have to read the contract but he would definately confirm all dollar amounts if nothing else just to make sure they are there.

...or not.

The premier source --other than THN-- for Exclusive Redskins news wrote:Redskins vs. LaVar in July
By David Elfin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 16, 2005

Linebacker LaVar Arrington's long-standing grievance against the Washington Redskins should be heard July 18, attorney Dan Nash confirmed yesterday.

...Arbitrator Shyam Das will hear the grievance.

Arrington's Grievance Is Postponed by NFLPA

By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 13, 2005; Page E03

The NFL Players Association postponed linebacker LaVar Arrington's grievance against the Washington Redskins yesterday at the player's request, according to NFLPA general counsel Richard Berthelsen, less than a week before the case was to go before an arbitrator. Arrington has alleged that the Redskins excluded a $6.5 million bonus from the eight-year, $68 million contract he signed last summer.

Redskins officials have denied any wrongdoing throughout the process, and the hearing was to take place at 9:30 Monday morning at the downtown offices of the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, according to a league source. No new date has been set. Arrington had recently hired a new lawyer to investigate the incident and spoke with Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA, before the union notified the NFL management council of the postponement. Arrington hopes to meet with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to rectify the situation rather than pursue the arbitration process, according to a source with knowledge of his thinking.

"It's Gene's hope that we can sit down with the Redskins and get it resolved," Berthelsen said.

"I heard about the request for postponement and was disappointed," Redskins director of football administration Eric Schaffer said in a prepared statement. "While we agreed to the postponement I think it is very important to finalize through arbitration that the Redskins did nothing wrong to our highest-paid player. I also feel strongly that the business ethics of the agent should be questioned and looked into."

Arrington did not immediately return a message left with his assistant, and his agent, Carl Poston, did not respond to a phone message.

"The more I think about it, and the more I just look around, I really don't want to be anywhere else," Arrington said. "I really love the fans. For $6.5 million, it's not worth my relationship with the fans. I don't want that to be the legacy that I leave behind. I really want to reconcile whatever differences there are."