CaptainHook Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 The Steelers want Hines to report in order to get a new deal. Hines wants a new deal before he will report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgcoach Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 I don't know how the Steelers are with their players. I don't see a problem with him reporting and getting the deal done, so I went with management but, if a deal wasn't worked out in short order I think it wouldn't be out of order for Ward to take his leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted August 14, 2005 Author Share Posted August 14, 2005 Remember, the Steelers promised Ward he was their "#1 priority" at LAST year's training camp. Seems to me they've drug their feet for a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgcoach Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 You're right and I did't take that into consideration but, I think he could come to camp to see if they honor what they say, if not just leave unless it does some type of damage to him monitarily by reporting. I do see what you're saying though; if they didn't honor their word to him the first time, then why would they now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donutrun Jellies Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Get to camp, Hines. You have a contract. Your hold out got things in motion, mission accomplished. Now don't hurt your team's chances of working together preseason by staying out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 From the other thread. Local talk said that the offer that the Steelers hit Ward with was pretty close to what he wanted.  Now we are at a point where the Steelers will not cave in and negotiate with Ward while he is still not in camp. This is the Steeler way and each and every one of those players knows it. I am sure that each agent knows it as well. I am a supporter of this policy and as must as I want Ward back, I don't want the Steelers to start caving in at this point.  If I am Steeler brass, or Cowher, or anyone with any pull in the Steeler organization, I am going to call Ward and tell him to report to camp and we will start on your contract the same day. I am telling him that we are 100% committed to making sure you remain a Steeler forever. Report and we start. If we are not negotiating in good faith then go ahead and walk but if you want to meet us half way then report and we will get this done.  I say put the ball 100% in Wards court and see what we see. Otherwise, I fear that Hines is near the end of his Steeler days.  926008[/snapback]    Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeohiostate Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Once again, i support the player. Â Â Â The only difference between the TO and Ward disputes is Ward doesn't speak, TO can't shut up. Â Had TO just been quiet, he'd had EVERY single fan and player behind him , speaking out on his behalf like Ward does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted August 14, 2005 Author Share Posted August 14, 2005 Once again, i support the player. The only difference between the TO and Ward disputes is Ward doesn't speak, TO can't shut up.  Had TO just been quiet, he'd had EVERY single fan and player behind him , speaking out on his behalf like Ward does.  927046[/snapback]     Hines Ward is in the last year of a contract the Steelers promised to renegotiate.  TO is in the first year of a seven year deal that paid him handsomly last year.  Big difference. TO never had my support, whether he opened his mouth or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Neutron Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 If a player is under contract, they should report. Â Heck, I want a raise. Maybe I should not show up to the office for a few weeks and see where that gets me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runner Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Remember, the Steelers promised Ward he was their "#1 priority" at LAST year's training camp. Seems to me they've drug their feet for a year. 927036[/snapback]      Remember, the Steelers offer him a contract which would have made him the hightest paid player in Steelers history. The contract included $9 million guaranteed. Pretty nice gesture on behalf of the Rooneys.  Looks like Hines is being a bit greedy. He wants Marvin Harrison type money ($16 million guaranteed), and I don't think he'll get it. He's definitely not worth that much money.  Bottom line is that he needs to get to camp. If not, then he can test his "fair market" value in Free Agency. I can't see anyone paying a "possession" receiver that much money. We'll see, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Hines Ward is in the last year of a contract the Steelers promised to renegotiate. TO is in the first year of a seven year deal that paid him handsomly last year.  Big difference. TO never had my support, whether he opened his mouth or not.  927051[/snapback]    bingo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted August 14, 2005 Author Share Posted August 14, 2005 Remember, the Steelers offer him a contract which would have made him the hightest paid player in Steelers history. The contract included $9 million guaranteed. Pretty nice gesture on behalf of the Rooneys.927066[/snapback]     This is a good point as well. Could somebody post the specifics from the contract that he turned down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenokee Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Although NFL owners have access to billions, contracts are still a crap shoot. College players are not an automatic success in the NFL, yet owners must fess up ungodly contracts for unproven talent. Â Pittsburgh drafts Hines Ward to a fair market value contract based upon where he was drafted coming out of Georgia. Nobody knew Hines would perform the way he has. So in essence, Pittsburgh found great return with this particular investment. Should they (management) be held in a bad light for making a great business deal? Owners get blasted for failures, and in-turn appear to get the same treatment when they succeed. Â From a business perspective, should Pittsburgh protect this invest - absolutely. But should they be held accountable for squeezing every dollar they can out of a fantastic deal before they restructure? I say no. That would be considered bad business in some circles. Â Pittsburgh stepped up and make it public that they would reward Hines for the Pro-Bowl play he has consistenly displayed. Waiting till the beginning of training camp to make good on that promise was bad timing to be sure, but, an offer was made, just not to Hines liking. I really see no difference between TO and Hines here, other than the way its been treated by the media, and the amount of personal input by these two players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PantherDave Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Two polar opposites exsist in Penn at the same time-man, does anybody in that state just to play some football. Also, think of the native Penns who support both teams equally-pure purgatory!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeler Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 I really see no difference between TO and Hines here... 927156[/snapback]     Yer blind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenokee Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Well thank the gods for my braile monitor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 (edited) I really see no difference between TO and Hines here, other than the way its been treated by the media, and the amount of personal input by these two players. 927156[/snapback]     Way off, my brotha. Ward's contract is coming to a close while TO's has barely been open. Edited August 14, 2005 by Ruffian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeler Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 I really see no difference between TO and Hines here 927156[/snapback]     Lets review:  TO forced his way out of SF... then out of Baltimore... and now he is causing turmoil with his current team because they wont renegotiate his contract in it's 2nd year.  Ward has led by example both on the feild and off the field over the last several year. He is an emotial team leader who played under a subpar contract for the last couple years and didn't complain about it at all, except for considering a holdout last training camp. He didn't hold out, showed up and gave his normal 110% effort, and last season never brought up his contract again.  So yeah, if you only look deep enough to see that the situations are similar because they are both holding out.. then you are blind (perhaps willfully so). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenokee Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 If you want to focus in on one minor part of my post to make your points, then maybe I should be sending you one of my spare walking canes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS Miscreant Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 (edited) Remember, the Steelers promised Ward he was their "#1 priority" at LAST year's training camp. Seems to me they've drug their feet for a year. 927036[/snapback]    This is why I voted for Hines' side. Derrick Brooks did this a few years back here in Tampa. They promised and promised and he sat back quietly and watched everyone else get new deals for two years and finally put his foot down. I hate to see anyone hold out but I understand when a guy is being jerked around. Although the question was asked in the same way, this is in no way similar to the TO situation.  Edit to add: Actually, what was the offer that Ward was presented? That could change my perspective, even if only slightly. Edited August 14, 2005 by BS Miscreant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 As I've said various times, I respect the Steelers and how they have handled player contracts throughout the years. In this case though, I side with Hines Ward. The Steelers did not have to wait so long to begin negotiations. I do think Hines Ward deserves top 5 receiver money, because he IS a top 5 all-around receiver. The only thing I can say that upsets me about Ward is his refusal to come to camp. Come to camp, see if things can be worked out, if they can't leave camp again. Once again, this whole situation is making me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steeler Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 If you want to focus in on one minor part of my post to make your points, then maybe I should be sending you one of my spare walking canes.  927224[/snapback]     It was the most outlandish thing in your post so it stuck out :p   Pittsburgh drafts Hines Ward to a fair market value contract based upon where he was drafted coming out of Georgia. Nobody knew Hines would perform the way he has. So in essence, Pittsburgh found great return with this particular investment. Should they (management) be held in a bad light for making a great business deal? Owners get blasted for failures, and in-turn appear to get the same treatment when they succeed. From a business perspective, should Pittsburgh protect this invest - absolutely. But should they be held accountable for squeezing every dollar they can out of a fantastic deal before they restructure? I say no. That would be considered bad business in some circles.   Ward "let" the Steelers continue to get a good return on their investment by not holding out, complaining, and/or trying to get a new contract over the last few years. Not many players in Ward's situation would have waited until the last year of their contract to holdout for more money. I respect Ward immesurably for that and I thought the Steelers did too... that's why I'm pissed it has gotten to this point.  How many times do we fans call atheletes overpaid, selfish, primadonas, only interested in themselves? Ward is not that at all! He's been a loyal Steeler and has proven his worth to the organization time-and-time again over the last several years; both on and off the field. Ward has been the consumate team player in an organization that thinks "team first".... I think he should be rewarded for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenokee Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Steeler......I agree. He should be compensated (because management said he would be), and Pittsburgh needs to make good on their promise. But bottomline is, he isnt in camp and the "team" is suffering for it. All the good things he's done in past years are somewhat tarnished by his actions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squeegiebo Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Hines Ward has gone to 4 straight Pro-Bowls and he's the 37th-highest-paid receiver. I'm on Hines' side. Â Pay the man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 There's no doubt that the Steelers need to make him a good offer. He needs to be top ten for sure. I'm just not sure he's the kind of receiver that deserves 21 mills over three years. And everyone forgets that the offer they made Hines Ward wasn't a slap in the face--he would have become the highest paid Steeler ever to date. He wanted more than that. I am a hugh fan of Ward's but I am a bigger fan of the Steeler franchise. The Steelers have been a run first offense forever, so to pay Indy WR money is a little crazy IMO. If the offer they make is fair and he wants more than the problem is his. That's where I am on the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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