Count Kolb among those against big rookie deals
by JasonB on May 23, 2008 10:00 AM EDT
in Philadelphia Eagles News
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You may have heard earlier this week that Falcons' rookie QB Matt
Ryan signed a 6 year $72 million deal with over $34.75 million in guaranteed money, which is the 3rd richest deal in NFL history. He's never set foot on an NFL field and he is guaranteed to make more money than Tom Brady, who wears 3 superbowl rings, and Peyton Manning.
If Matt Ryan is anything less than great, that contract could be crippling to the Falcons. It certainly appears that a top 5 pick in the draft can be more of a curse than a blessing...
NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw declared that the player's union will "never agree to a rookie wage scale in such a short-career sport" that would help curb these salaries... However, it seems that Upshaw's declaration is the opposite of what the actual players are saying. Current NFLPA president Kevin Mawae spoke out this week.
"As a guy who has been in the league for 14 now going on 15 years and being around other veteran guys, for a young guy to get paid that kind of money and never steps foot on an NFL football field, it's a little disheartening to think of," Mawae said. "It makes it tough for a guy who's proven himself to say 'I want that kind of money' when the owners, all they're going to say is, 'Well, you weren't a first-round pick.'"And I know there is sentiment around the league amongst the players like, 'Let's do something to control these salaries and control these signing bonuses' and things like that, and I know that's something that the owners are talking about and I'm sure that's going to play into this round of negotiations for this collective bargaining agreement," he said.
It's not just the old guys that are talking either... our own Kevin Kolb, just a year removed from being a rookie himself, had some things to say .
"It's too much and this has nothing to do with Matt Ryan as a quarterback, or as a person, be cause that is awesome for him. He's set," said Kolb, who is ex pected to begin the season as the Eagles' primary backup to Donovan McNabb. "It is also too much pressure. I was somewhat of a high pick and I'm still saying this. It's not like I was a fifth-rounder."
"There are guys in this locker room that may not make as much, but they deserve it more than the guys that are just stepping in off a college field," Kolb said. "It didn't take me that long to realize that once I got here. You should have to prove yourself, at least somewhat."
This next statement is probably a good indication of what kind leader Kolb might be one day...
"Here's what gets me," said Kolb, the former record-setting quarterback at the University of Houston. "There are guys that were rookies last year that played their butts off and they are not making as much as I am ... and I didn't do anything. That's just not fair. They deserve to make as much, or more, than I do until I go out there and prove myself. There can be a better system, and I'm sure eventually it will all even itself out and the guys that are suppose to get that money will get the money."
I'm never one to shed a tear for NFL owners, I think the real story with these rookie contracts are what these players are talking about. It's penalizing veterans and guys who have proven they can play. It may sound callous, but the players' union represents the interests of it's current members... not some kid playing in college right now that may make it to the NFL. Shouldn't Upshaw be working on behalf of the members of his union and not the potential members?
Reading the tea leaves here, I think there's a pretty good chance that Upshaw could be pushed out as the owners and players try to work on a new labor deal. We know that would make JoeD happy!
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I’ll preface this by saying that I too, don’t feel bad for professional athletes. In the big picture they are all doing very, very well.
But, it’s really an indictment of Upshaw that the NFL players have the worst labor deal of the 3 major sports in the country—and the NFL is by far the richest and most popular of the three.
His statements over the last year really make him seem incompetent . Combine his clueless public statements with his track record negotiating for the players—and yeah, it’s pretty clear that the players are tiring of his act.
plain and simple
Player salaries are ridiculous.
They’re getting paid way too damn much money to play a kids game when there are tons of people in the world who can hardly survive. Im all about free enterprise, and I understand that the demand for sport calls for high salaries. But this is going way too far.
At this rate can you imagine what a top draft choice will command 15 years from now. The sports gonna eventually implode on itself
Is it training camp yet?
That's a little contradictory
” Im all about free enterprise, and I understand that the demand for sport calls for high salaries. But this is going way too far.”
Free enterprise is called as such because it involves unregulated exchanges of value. You can’t call one transaction “way too far”, because two indiependent parties agreed to the contract. Neither was coerced into accepting the deal. That’s the true meaning of free enterprise, you can’t go halfway.
Also, it seem’s like there’s alot of indictment of Matt Ryan…..someone had to agree to pay this obscene amount !! What about the other owners beating up the owner of the Falcons for paying this kinda cabbage? But that’s not going to happen. A funny corrollary is when A-Rod was negotiating with the Texas Rangers, every bidder had fallen away by $180 MM over 10 years. The rangers were bidding against themselves for that final $70 MM of the contract. They looked like idiots, and they were (are). But don’t release the owners from their culpability, their paying these ransom’s!
"Dig In....Hit Hard"
The minimum salary for a rookie is
$225,000
225k is a lot of money for someone right out of college and plenty to live. I think that a “short-career” sport reasoning for the money these guys are getting paid is sending the wrong message to kids. These guys should be going to college with the expectation of starting a career and with hopes of going pro, not the expectations of getting a fat pro contract and the dissapointment of going into the “real” world.
A recent study on payscale.com shows that the median salary for someone with 20 years experience is $73k that means that some no name rookie is making more than 340% more than someone who has been working for 20+ years in there profession. There is no way they should be making more than a proven veteran in the same trade.
I understand the ways of the world and I know kids coming out of college will make more than I did starting out but if a young buck came out of college and got hired at my company and was making more than me a proven worker I would be demanding a raise or looking for a new job. It’s simple respect.
What's so bad about Upshaw?
I like the guy. The NFL is the most successful pro sport in part because of him, and there’s been no real labor crisis or major threat of one since the 80s. As a fan of the game, to me that speaks to his credit, rather than as a negative.
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