Around The League: 2018 Offseason

[wbbfan]

3 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

No one is saying that. You've specially said he gets paid for 6 months of work. That is not true. Even if he's working out 1 hr a day (which is probably a bit modest but regardless) he's still working. He's not training to get better at selling TV's. He's working to get better at football.

That's all I'm saying. He's working year round on his football career. And he, like everyone other pro athlete, has to in order to compete at a pro level.

hes talking about his ability to earn per year. working 1 hr a day for 6 monthes would have a TON of people in north america ruined and homeless. Tons of people work out or train 5 days a week or more. And still hold down full time jobs. You cant complain about supporting your family on the amount you earn in a year when you only fill up half your time. Plenty of CFLers have held down jobs in the off season, some very high level careers.  

[Bigblue204]

2 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

hes talking about his ability to earn per year. working 1 hr a day for 6 monthes would have a TON of people in north america ruined and homeless. Tons of people work out or train 5 days a week or more. And still hold down full time jobs. You cant complain about supporting your family on the amount you earn in a year when you only fill up half your time. Plenty of CFLers have held down jobs in the off season, some very high level careers.  

Again, I'm not talking about his earning power. Simply stating that pro athletes don't stop working on their craft once their sport is in an off season. It's not a 6 month job.

[Atomic]

7 minutes ago, wbbfan said:

hes talking about his ability to earn per year. working 1 hr a day for 6 monthes would have a TON of people in north america ruined and homeless. Tons of people work out or train 5 days a week or more. And still hold down full time jobs. You cant complain about supporting your family on the amount you earn in a year when you only fill up half your time. Plenty of CFLers have held down jobs in the off season, some very high level careers.  

Easier said than done.  Not every business is willing to accommodate someone who can only work six months a year.

[SpeedFlex27]

41 minutes ago, Bigblue204 said:

I'm honestly surprised players actually want to re-sign in TO. Regardless of the money. The way he describes their practice facilities etc sounds like complete trash. Especially when you compare that to what WPG and SSK has. Even CGY/BC/HAM.  Pretty pathetic.

MLSE should change all that. The Argos practice facility burned down in a fire a few years ago when David Braley owned the team. In typical Braley spend no money & grind the team into the ground style of ownership he never replaced it.

[Floyd]

Doesn't Butler say he signed a one year deal?  So what's the problem?

[Rich]

2 minutes ago, Floyd said:

Doesn't Butler say he signed a one year deal?  So what's the problem?

First CFL contract so he has the 2 year minimum, just like Wilder.

Quote

Last February, I signed a one-year deal with the organization that included a team-held option. I made it painfully clear to the team that I was only interested in playing the 2017 season. I saw this as a great opportunity and possible chance to relaunch my NFL career where I had played 65 games over seven seasons. I was told that the Argos have a history of working with guys who have the opportunity to play down south, so if it did not pan out there was always a home for them back in Toronto.

The problem is options don't exist in the CFL anymore.  So this was a "verbal option" with an administration who is no longer in charge.     Which comes back to the old rule unfortunately .... get it in writing.  Or, even more likely, his agent did a poor job explaining what this option agreement actually meant.

[17to85]

Silly players not understanding that a team held option for a second year isn't a one year contract, it's a two year contract unless the team decides that they don't want you again. 

Swear to god these guys must have useless agents who don't explain things, or they're dumber than a bag of rocks and don't care to understand what they're signing up for. 

[Atomic]

18 minutes ago, Rich said:

First CFL contract so he has the 2 year minimum, just like Wilder.

The problem is options don't exist in the CFL anymore.  So this was a "verbal option" with an administration who is no longer in charge.     Which comes back to the old rule unfortunately .... get it in writing.  Or, even more likely, his agent did a poor job explaining what this option agreement actually meant.

The option still exists, it's just only on the team side... the player can't exercise any option.  Which is silly because teams can void contracts at any time, whether there is an option or not.  But I'm sure it has some kind of fine-print legal implication.

[Noeller]

I just absolutely LOVE that this drama is happening anywhere other than Winnipeg.....for so long I've heard that players only want to go to places like Toronto, but this makes them look like a bag of ****, and not a place people want to play. Awesome. The good players can all come play for the saviour, MOS...

[Dr. Blue]

55 minutes ago, Rich said:

First CFL contract so he has the 2 year minimum, just like Wilder.

The problem is options don't exist in the CFL anymore.  So this was a "verbal option" with an administration who is no longer in charge.     Which comes back to the old rule unfortunately .... get it in writing.  Or, even more likely, his agent did a poor job explaining what this option agreement actually meant.

This is exactly it. The Argos announced Butler's signing on February 1, 2017 and Barker was only fired a week before that on January 24th. Given those timelines, Butler had most likely been negotiating with Barker, who often released players to try the NFL, and probably agreed to do so if the opportunity came up for Butler. Barker is fired and a new regime comes in, which doesn't operate that way, and now... he's stuck. 

[Atomic]

16 minutes ago, Noeller said:

I just absolutely LOVE that this drama is happening anywhere other than Winnipeg.....for so long I've heard that players only want to go to places like Toronto, but this makes them look like a bag of ****, and not a place people want to play. Awesome. The good players can all come play for the saviour, MOS...

I just came up with a new term.

WWMO'SD

What Would Mike O'Shea Do?

That's mine, I created it.

[bigg jay]

20 minutes ago, Atomic said:

I just came up with a new term.

WWMO'SD

What Would Mike O'Shea Do?

That's mine, I created it.

We all know the answer to WWMO'SD... he'd put on some shorts & smirk.

[bluto]

26 minutes ago, Atomic said:

I just came up with a new term.

WWMO'SD

What Would Mike O'Shea Do?

That's mine, I created it.

That's genius!

 

[SPuDS]

So he saw wilder's mini rant and was like " aww hell naw, if hes getting his 2 cents in, I want my 25 bucks worth!"

 

long story short,  the post on 3rddownnation was tl;dr but what I gleamed from it was exactly the same BS from Wilder's situation.. signed a contract, agreed to terms and suddenly those terms don't work for the player anymore EVEN though they put their names on the dotted line..

 

good luck to toronto in trying to get this **** sorted out now though,  this is going to become an absolute fubar if they don't handle it right.

[Stickem]

The player has to be told, in no uncertain terms, that the team has the discretion on where you play after the one year deal has expired... Make it perfectly clear...If the team chooses to exercise the right to keep said player for the next year, then that's the way the cookie crumbles...Misunderstanding what you sign is not the fault of the team but the player and/or agent...Sounds like a bunch of sour grapes from Butler, for sure, who wouldn't have had any opportunity to play football, if it wasn't for the Argos ...Maybe he could renegotiate that option year the club holds, because of the great year he had...I see that as his best option...or he could choose to sit or seek other employment other than football for next year

[Goalie]

Seems like this isnt a league issue thing... Seems like its a team thing. BC let bighill go to the NFL... Montreal let Mincey go early... Other teams have let other players go and try.. The Argos dont it seems. Not sure how you fix that... Seems like 8 out of 9 teams let guys go to try the NFL and 1 doesnt. Its not a CFL thing... Its an Argos thing... Of all teams you would think they would try harder to accommodate their players. I see it from the players side now... If Wilder was the only one id stick with my **** him let him rot stance but its now 2 guys so... Gotta say... **** the Argos cuz the CFL reputation is being dragged through the mud now. Yet its only 1 team being dicks. 

 

However with all that said... Perhaps these guys should be more aware of rookie contracts. Seems Wilder and Butler weren't so hard to blame the Argos when apparently these 2 players are dumber than bricks

Edited January 27, 2018 by Goalie

[MOBomberFan]

6 hours ago, mbrg said:

Not even.

I mean really, 18 regular season games, 3 playoff games, 2 exhibition games.  That's 69 hours of work.

Doing some quick math...he's getting paid about $7million dollars an hour!  And he could easily sneak out at halftime and do a quick 15 minute shift at 7-11!  Probably was!

For that matter, it's not like he even plays every minute of every game. Can you really call sitting on the bench drinking Gatorade work?

[JCon]

25 minutes ago, MOBomberFan said:

For that matter, it's not like he even plays every minute of every game. Can you really call sitting on the bench drinking Gatorade work?

What about the time that runs off the clock after the whistle blows? Arguably, he has 10 second shifts, then gets a break. Good lord, what a sweet gig. 

[Eternal optimist]

I understand Wilder's frustration, but I think he needs to realize that he is under contract, and as much as this is bad press for the Argos, it is also bad press for him. Also, a contract is just that - a contract.

[Zontar]

6 hours ago, bigg jay said:

We all know the answer to WWMO'SD... he'd put on some shorts & smirk.

WWMOSD ? 

The same MO'S who tells his coach if NFL tryout fails I'll come back and re sign and then signs with another team for more money? 

[Fatty Liver]

1 hour ago, Eternal optimist said:

I understand Wilder's frustration, but I think he needs to realize that he is under contract, and as much as this is bad press for the Argos, it is also bad press for him. Also, a contract is just that - a contract.

Also bad press for the entire league. I think the P.A. should step in and explain to their members that slagging their employers publically is not a good strategy for growing the game or putting more money in their pockets.

[Jacquie]

Bob Irving is on fire:

Argos' statement about Wilder:

Quote

 

The Toronto Argonauts released the following statement today on RB James Widler Jr.:

“As per league rules, all players entering the CFL must sign a minimum two year contract. James Wilder Jr. is currently entering the second year of that entry contract. We have not had any discussions with James about extending or restructuring his current contract. Nor have we had any discussions with his representation. League rules also state that teams, whether in the CFL or NFL, are prohibited from contacting any player currently under contract.

We appreciate all of the contributions James made to the Argonauts last year. We certainly hope he changes his stance and would welcome his return.”

 

So Wilder claims he's "received expressions of interest from several NFL team". Butler is claiming NFL interest as well. If that's true then I hope Ambrosie is having a talk with the NFL reminding them to stop tampering.

[Stickem]

3 hours ago, Jacquie said:

Bob Irving is on fire:

Argos' statement about Wilder:

So Wilder claims he's "received expressions of interest from several NFL team". Butler is claiming NFL interest as well. If that's true then I hope Ambrosie is having a talk with the NFL reminding them to stop tampering.

You have to wonder why our league allows this b.s....and where the players get the audacity to walk on a signed contract...The NFL has to be reminded that these players are legally bound and to respect that fact

[Mark H.]

Sorry, but I'm with Wilder on this one.  On his side the contract is legally binding, on the team's side it's a piece of toilet paper that can be flushed any time, if they no longer want / need his services.  

Other CFL players have been released so they could take a shot at the NFL, which does create a precedence, which by the way can become law if it happens often enough.  Just ask yourselves which scenario is more common: giving players the opportunity for an NFL shot, or forcing them to abide by a contract that the other side can thrash at any time.

As for the NFL not being allowed to speak to Wilder while he's under contract, methinks the CFL would need to get their own house in order before they tackle that issue.  Let's not pretend it doesn't happen before free agency in the CFL - it's obvious that it does.

This does not look good, and it is not a good way to encourage talented players to come to the CFL.

[Bigblue204]

1 hour ago, Stickem said:

You have to wonder why our league allows this b.s....and where the players get the audacity to walk on a signed contract...The NFL has to be reminded that these players are legally bound and to respect that fact

Their response is likely "LOL ok there little cfl, good luck with that." NFL's legal team would slaughter the CFL. Legal contracts in the CFL are basically jokes to the NFL. And coaches/gms know it. Honestly what is the CFL going to do? sweet **** all.