The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Man, I kind of want to put this in Talking Smack, so I could say what I REALLY feel about treating a pro like McNair like this... but here it is:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2395953

McNair was told by a team trainer that he would not be allowed to work out until his contract situation is resolved, according to James "Bus" Cook, who represents McNair.

"Steve was told that until he got his contract straightened out, he wasn't welcome at the facility," said Cook. "Heck, he's got his contract already straightened out and now he's trying to fulfill it by reporting for the offseason."

Steve McNair is one of the best players in Oilers/Titans history, a full out team player, a guy who gives nothing less than 100% every time he takes the field, and is a probowler, as well as being one tough SOB...

And the Titans want to jerk his chain like this?!

God, this makes me so mad. First the Houston Astros backstab Jeff Bagwell, now the Titans try to mess with McNair?

Yeah, I know, these atheletes are "overpaid" but they were GIVEN these contracts. You can't just decide you want to bend the rules, and take the money off the table.

McNair has been a star for the Titans/Oilers for years, he's been the ultimate pro and team player and now the Titans want to screw him over?

I've got something for the Titans...

titans suck ass

Not that I disagree, but this is AtL, not TS... are we allowed to say "arse"

Skinsfan55 wrote:Not that I disagree, but this is AtL, not TS... are we allowed to say "arse"

It's allowed on cable...

ok, titans suck butt

Thats fine, I think McNair sucks anyways.

i think steve mcnair is a good guy, but the rest of his team just sucks flat out.. except for keith bulluck

Don't forget -- it's easy to do -- the NFL is a business. When a guy is no longer needed, or worth his salary, he's gone.

I don't feel sorry for McNair, he's made a great living and will have some teams vying for his services -- the Ravens for one!

Don't suppose it occurred to any of you to try and figure out why?

I mean... you know not to believe half the stuff the press writes when it comes to the Redskins... why do you forget when it's another team?

The fact of the matter is that the Titans will pay... ready for this... 24 MILLION IN CAP THIS YEAR TO MCNAIR. It will cost about 9M JUST to cut the guy.

So the team doen't want him at voluntary workouts because if he gets hurt on the premises... they're really in a lot of trouble... a lot of trouble.

I'm sure the Titans want to rengotiate the contract... deal him if they can... or both. If he even jams a finger at the workouts... they're out almost 10M in cap this year NO MATTER WHAT and they WOULD STILL NEED A QUARTERBACK.

I know it's easy to jump on management and make snap decisions.. but it doesn't mean there isn't valor to what the team is doing.

I know it's sexier to paint a picture on how hard done by Mcnair is in all of this... but he's going to be VERY WELL COMPENSATED for his troubles. In my opinion, McNair's agent realizes this and has kicked up this smokescreen in the press to force Tennessee's hand to do something with him soon.

Business is business... and this is all about ONE QUARTER of the Titans 2006 cap... nothing more... nothing less IMO. Were the shoe on the other foot, and the Redskins had a guy slated to make 25M this year, I think more of you would find a way to understand why the team thought it best to remove him from seemingly inconsequential workouts.

If he even jams a finger at the workouts...

And, given his history of injuries, this is (sadly) a real possibility.


If it's apparent to everyone that the Titas can't employ McNair in his current contract, then this isn't that irrational of a move. There's no reason for McNair to be coming in to the workouts if, at this rate, he won't even be a Titan this season. Add to that the injury concerns, and it gets worse.

Think about it this way. The 49ers draft a wide receiver X and signs him to a standard contract. X plays well but isn't exceptional, and a new contract is signed 2 or 3 years down the road. The same year in which X signs the new modest contract, he has an incredible breakout season.

Predictably, before the next season X wants a new contract, and if the team doesn't negotiate a new one X misses workouts that, according to his contract, he has to attend.

But how many people would ever feel bad for the 49ers in that situation? Not many, I don't think. Contracts are almost never seen to their completion in the NFL; it's just the way that it works. If McNair had only the team's interests in mind then he'd probably be working harder to make sure they could afford to employ him this season.

(Note: I think there is nothing inherently wrong with a player seeking their self-interest. My point is that McNair can't have it both ways: he can't be a 'team player' by showing up to workouts while simultaneously trying to keep that unrealistic contract).

BossHog wrote:
[SNIP]

Business is business... and this is all about ONE QUARTER of the Titans 2006 cap... nothing more... nothing less IMO. Were the shoe on the other foot, and the Redskins had a guy slated to make 25M this year, I think more of you would find a way to understand why the team thought it best to remove him from seemingly inconsequential workouts.

Actually, I doubt this would ever happen to the Redskins because they are not retarded with money like the Titans apperantly are.

My point is that the Titans gave him this contract, no one forced them. He's been the good soldier and played hurt, led the team, done everything the team asked of him... and because of their screw up they aren't going to let him come to camp?

It's ridiculous.

Skinsfan55 wrote:
Actually, I doubt this would ever happen to the Redskins because they are not retarded with money like the Titans apperantly are.

My point is that the Titans gave him this contract, no one forced them. He's been the good soldier and played hurt, led the team, done everything the team asked of him... and because of their screw up they aren't going to let him come to camp?

It's ridiculous.

What's ridiculous... your statement?

There's drinking the kool-aid... then there's drowning it.

Never happen to the Redskins eh?

How much did it cost to not have Laveranues Coles last year? Any idea?

Nine million plus.

... nahhh... it'd never happen to the Redskins.

... what's Lavar's dead cap hit this year... any idea? no?

About 8 million.

So it's already happened... twice... in consecutive years. Were it not for some excellent forecasting on the state of the NFL cap... we might have had some cap problems.

The Redskins keep finding ways to circumvent cap issues, but that certainly doesn't mean that mistakes don't cost money.

Hey, BH, does LA's buyout mean this is the only season the Skins have to contend with dead cap money from his contract?

At the least, it was classless for the Titans to deliver the news in the manner they did. McNair shows up to workouts that he was previously encouraged to attend, only to be told by a TRAINER that he was not allowed to participate. The least Bud could do is to deliver the news himself.

It is not unrealistic for McNair to expect his contract to be honored. The Titans have two choices: pay him, or cut him. Those are two very realistic choices. Right now they are trying to have their cake, and eat it too. They don't want to pay him, and they don't want to cut him. They want to retain his rights, but not allow him to prepare for the season.

Sometimes, the players are in the wrong. Sometimes, the team is.

BH, we have Gibbs now. You can't deny the Redskins have been smarter with the cap then in the Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders days...

Schlereth wrote:At the least, it was classless for the Titans to deliver the news in the manner they did. McNair shows up to workouts that he was previously encouraged to attend, only to be told by a TRAINER that he was not allowed to participate. The least Bud could do is to deliver the news himself.

On the surface it sounds bad, yeah. But, if the boss sent out a memo to the staff asking them to disallow McNair from participating in team activities, and the trainer happens to be the FIRST guy to see him (hyupothetically speaking, of course), is it wrong for the trainer to carry out his boss' request?

To illustrate my point, if you were trapped in a fire, would you wait for the Fire Department to arrive to climb out the window, or would you listen to a neighbor telling you to jumpo out to safety?

Schlereth wrote:At the least, it was classless for the Titans to deliver the news in the manner they did. McNair shows up to workouts that he was previously encouraged to attend, only to be told by a TRAINER that he was not allowed to participate. The least Bud could do is to deliver the news himself.

It is not unrealistic for McNair to expect his contract to be honored. The Titans have two choices: pay him, or cut him. Those are two very realistic choices. Right now they are trying to have their cake, and eat it too. They don't want to pay him, and they don't want to cut him. They want to retain his rights, but not allow him to prepare for the season.

Sometimes, the players are in the wrong. Sometimes, the team is.

Actually, i don't think that's true at all... at least that's not my understanding of it and I happened to talk to somebody today who would probably know. That's the media spin perhaps but that doesn't make it so.

McNair was told to go home Monday when he showed up at the team's headquarters for the start of the third week in the Titans' off-season conditioning program. The team's general counsel had called agent Bus Cook earlier Monday and informed him McNair would be told to leave.

Read the bold part... Cook knew what would happen and told McNair to go anyway... because he knew it would kick up dust. Like I said to my 'source' (I hate to do that but I didn't ask for permission to relay the conversation)... isn't it funny how well thuis will work out for the agent?

By kicking up this stink... it's going to be even harder for the Titans to reach a contract re-negotiation with McNair now... Billick and the Ravens seem to want McNair pretty badly... so I guess Cook is going to get his chunk of a nice new contract with a lot of front end money instead of what would have likely been a much smaller chunk of a contract re-negotiation.

I'm not defending the Titans 100% either... there were definitely better ways to handle the situation when it did actually occur, but I personally find it difficult to find them guilty of 'kicking him out of the facility' when he had actually been told not to come. I do think their guilty of extremely bad taste for letting it be a trainer that relayed the news to McNair.

I find less fault with McNair and the Titans than some of you obviously do, but I have trouble over-looking the guy that this benefits the most - Bus Cook. And while it was a little manipulative... it was very good 'use' of the press by an agent. A stroke that will likely land him, and McNair a pretty good chunk of coin thanks to the media's willingness to print the sexiest possible headline.

"I'm not defending the Titans 100% either... there were definitely better ways to handle the situation when it did actually occur, but I personally find it difficult to find them guilty of 'kicking him out of the facility' when he had actually been told not to come. I do think their guilty of extremely bad taste for letting it be a trainer that relayed the news to McNair."

I can see your side, and I respect it.

Maybe my initial reaction was outrage, but I can see things from the Titans perspective.

Still, letting this happen in the first place, having a trainer break the news and handling the situation like this are pretty bad... especially with all McNair has done for the franchise.

I just hate to see player loyalty "rewarded" this way.