http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/steelerslive/s_357837.html
Hines Ward has 1 year left on his current deal. The Steelers offered another contract, but apparently it doesn't meet what Ward wants. Why the farg would he holdout instead of looking to make some coin in FA next year?
If he does become a FA, maybe the Eagles could pick him up and just bench Owens for the remainder of his contract (unless a team out there is stupid enough to trade for him).
They are not going to "bench" Owens...but I do find it funny that the guy who everyone says is the "consummate team player" is threatening a hold out.
And why would you want a guy who threatens a hold out over TO...a guy who threatened a hold out?
Thawk-- you can't bench Owens for the rest of his contract, because of the bonus implications. You could bench him this year, and that's about it.
PG-- The Owens holdout and the Ward holdout situations couldn't be more different.
I don't really care what the "situations" are. You threaten a hold out, you threaten a hold out. Period.
It's not all that black and white. I'm not a fan of the holdout tactic-- but Ward has a legitimate gripe.
He signed a contract.
Period.
(sound familiar?)
Get Ward!
C'mon, PG...you can't honestly sit there and try to compare those two situations. I'm sure you know the background for both of those guys.
Quote from: PhillyGirl on July 28, 2005, 09:19:24 AM
I don't really care what the "situations" are. You threaten a hold out, you threaten a hold out. Period.
Ward, as far as I can tell, is not threatening to hold out. The author of this piece of shtein article is realizing the possibility. As previously posted, I can't imagine he'd hold out. The mofo will get paid huge if he becomes a free agent.
Hines Ward SHOULD hold out. They just mentioned he's the 37th highest paid receiver in the NFL. That's rediculous. I'm not saying he should be in the top 3, but he definitely should be a top 10 receiver.
It's all monkey business I tells ya!
Hines Ward = Low Paid, Deserves More Money
TO = Very Well Paid, Deserves A Spanking
There IS a difference here. Calm down, we're stating our opinions. ::)
Concrete Field, where no opinion goes un-scoffed-at.
Unless others' opinions agree with mine. My opinions are actually closer to fact than anything else though.
Quote from: rjs246 on July 28, 2005, 01:03:40 PM
Concrete Field, where no opinion goes un-scoffed-at.
That was previously discussed in the General section. ::)
Cowher's reaction to Hines Ward demanding more money.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a30/dawkinsdarthcore/O-face.jpg)
Article from Eckel tomorrow: Trade in the works between Pittsburgh & Philly!
A hold out is a hold out whether it's in the 2nd year of a contract or the final year. It's still a hold out. The circumstances between TO and Ward are drastically different but the bottom line is that if you hold out, you are not honoring your contract.
Ward threatened a hold out last year and Pittsburgh brass promised him that they would negotiate a new deal during the current offseason, so Ward showed up on time and had a great year. Should the team give him the type of money he wants? Of course they should. Especially since they lost Burress to the Giants. But it still doesn't change the fact that he's got a contract to honor.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2121284
QuoteSteelers players urge team to re-sign Ward
Associated Press
LATROBE, Pa. -- Hines Ward became the Pittsburgh Steelers' first major holdout in 12 years Sunday, keeping his promise not to report to training camp without a contract extension that would make him one of the NFL's top-paid wide receivers.
Once Ward missed the 6 p.m. ET reporting deadline, Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said negotiations were over until Ward shows up -- something the four-time Pro Bowl receiver has insisted that he won't do without a new deal.
Ward, with one year remaining on a contract worth $1.66 million this season, apparently has two choices: End his holdout and continue talks, as Steelers Pro Bowl running back Barry Foster did in 1993, or sit out the season, as three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Mike Merriweather did in 1988.
Several teammates made impassioned pleas for the team to re-sign Ward, with linebacker Joey Porter saying the Steelers "can't win without him." And Colbert himself seemed uncomfortable talking about a missing player he often has cited for his unselfishness and team-first attitude.
"We understand Hines Ward is a special player and always has been ... but, sometimes, there's going to be a disagreement," Colbert said. "The policy has always been that, if a player is under contact, he has to be in camp for any negotiations to go forward. Without the player here, there won't be any exchange."
Ward's absence threatens to create a major distraction for a team that went 15-1 and reached the AFC championship game last season, and leaves quarterback Ben Roethlisberger without either starting wide receiver from his breakthrough rookie season.
Plaxico Burress signed with the Giants because the Steelers couldn't afford to keep both him and Ward. They preferred to keep Ward, whose production and toughness -- he is widely considered the NFL's top-blocking receiver -- have personified the Steelers' offense for years. He is within 33 catches of breaking Hall of Famer John Stallworth's team career record of 537 receptions.
Ward's salary last season was only a fraction of that of top receivers such as the Colts' Marvin Harrison, the Raiders' Randy Moss and the Eagles' Terrell Owens, counting bonuses and the prorated share of signing bonuses. The current impasse is mostly the result of Ward wanting much of his money in an eight-figure signing bonus, but the Steelers preferring to pay him in salary -- something he wouldn't earn if the team ever cut him for salary-cap reasons.
Asked if Ward deserves a new contract, running back Jerome Bettis said, "What do you think? He's like the 40th paid wide receiver in the league."
All-Pro linebacker James Farrior said the Steelers' camp won't be the same without Ward's never-take-a-down-off attitude, attention to detail and production. Ward has surpassed the team's former single-season record of 85 receptions three times, including a team-record 112-catch season in 2002.
"The way he plays and the way he approaches the game, everybody kind of follows what he does," Farrior said. "He's a great player and does all the little things and a lot of the young guys look up to him to get their motivation and see how he does things, because he's always doing it right."
By the way...Ward's agent(s) are the same as Corey Simon...for whatever its worth. Roosevelt Barnes is a hard one to deal with.
Quote from: The Waco Kid on July 31, 2005, 09:58:31 PM
Cowher's reaction to Hines Ward demanding more money.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a30/dawkinsdarthcore/O-face.jpg)
LOL
Laura needs to use some teeth whiteners...
Quote from: Tomahawk on July 28, 2005, 09:01:38 AM
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/steelerslive/s_357837.html
Hines Ward has 1 year left on his current deal. The Steelers offered another contract, but apparently it doesn't meet what Ward wants. Why the farg would he holdout instead of looking to make some coin in FA next year?
He doesn't wanna leave the Steelers, but he wants a fair contract. I know, I know, "It sounds like T.O."...but not really. Ward took pay cuts for the last three years, so the Steelers could make a playoff run and keep defensive players. Now he wants a new contract, and in all fairness, I think he deserves it.
It doesn't sound or seem like T.O. one bit to anyone that has any clue about these things whatsoever.
Hines Ward is 100% justified in his hold-out. The Steelers should pay the man. He's the heart and soul of that team.
link (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2133908)
The Bus on this subject:
Quote• Hines' holdout: Jerome Bettis told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette all the Steeler players are watching the contract holdout by Hines Ward, and that, if the situation is not resolved properly, it would send a sour message to the entire roster.
"It's one of those things that, if there's anybody that this team would want to make sure they find a way to do the right thing, it would be Hines," Bettis told the Post-Gazette after practice at St. Vincent College. "Because I think the minute you don't, it shows a very, very negative sign to every player on this team -- not most of them, every player. Because if Hines is your marquee guy and you're not even going to consider working through the process, then when it's my turn, cancel Christmas.
"I just think it's not a positive sign for the rest of the players when it comes to contractual issues."
Bettis talked to Ward the past week, and he said the contract holdout that began over money is turning into a case of principle, and that Ward is prepared to stay away when the regular season opens Sept. 11, the Post-Gazette reported.
dun (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2134929)
Not done?
QuoteSTEELERS BAFFLED BY WARD'S BELIEFS
A league source tells us that the Pittsburgh Steelers and shocked and confused by the notion that a long-term deal with receiver Hines Ward is "close."
Per the source, the only way the deal is "close" is if agent Eugene Parker plans to take the last offer the Steelers made before training camp, since there have been NO substantive discussions between Parker and the team since Ward showed up for training camp last Monday.
But since Ward says that Parker told him that a long-term deal was close, there are only three possibilities. Ward is lying to the media, Parker is lying to Ward, or Ward has misunderstood Parker.
Regardless, there ain't no deal that's close to being done.
Ain't. I like ain't.
What's PFT?
profootballtalk
Hines signed a 4 year extension.
Steelers | Ward Extension Breakdown
Mon, 5 Sep 2005 11:10:03 -0700
Updating previous reports, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports Pittsburgh Steelers WR Hines Ward's new four-year extension is worth $25.83 million and he can earn another $2.5 million through incentives. Ward receives $10 million in the deal through bonuses, with $5 million coming through a signing bonus, $4 million through an option bonus and another $1 million via roster bonus.
Here's the Pasquarfatty column...
QuoteUpdated: Sep. 5, 2005, 5:32 PM ET
Steelers sign receiver Ward to 4-year, $25.83M dealBy Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Hines Ward, regarded as the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, on Monday signed a four-year contract extension that will keep him with the team through the 2009 season.
The extension is worth $25.83 million and includes total bonuses of $10 million. Ward can earn an additional $2.5 million in incentives. Ward had one year left on his previous contract, at a base salary of $1.669 million. Without the add-on, he would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring.
"I think they went out of their way," Ward said of an organization that has long set its own value on player contracts and ignored the huge money deals given by other teams. "It was far more than what I expected."
The accord ends months of negotiations that included Ward's 15-day holdout at the start of training camp. Steelers officials had announced late last season their intention to sign Ward to an extension aimed at having him finish his career with the team. Negotiations between Steelers officials and agent Eugene Parker heated up over the weekend and the two sides completed the final details of the extension on Monday morning.
"These things can get ugly and can become major distractions," team president Art Rooney II said. "While these things can be difficult, it was something we got through without having it become the kind of distraction that can really disrupt a team."
Ward, 29, is viewed locally as a player who epitomizes the blue-collar mindset of the city and its team. Even with his three Pro Bowl appearances, he is probably underappreciated around the league. But the seven-year veteran, who turned himself into a premier player through hard work, is a wide receiver who excels at far more than catching the ball.
"I look good in black and gold," Ward said. "The contract is going to make me work even harder, just to prove I'm worth every penny of what they gave me."
He is arguably the best blocking wide receiver in the league and his versatility -- he played four positions in college, at the University of Georgia, including quarterback -- provides the Steelers coaches opportunities for considerable creativity.
"I was a little worried with the holdout, of people questioning my character and being put in the category of a T.O.," Ward said. "But I went to pick up my wife and son at the airport yesterday and the lady at the Great Steak place said, 'I can't give you a million dollars, but I can give you a steak sandwich for free.' I got a kick out of that."
Relieved at finally reaching a deal the Steelers previously called their top offseason priority, Ward went out Monday and had what he called "a great practice" before Sunday's opener against Tennessee.
"I can go into the season focused now. ... I'm going to play until the wheels fall off," he said. "I know only one style and one way to play it, and that's how I have to play."
A third-round pick in the 1998 draft, Ward has twice been named the Steelers' Most Valuable Player, as voted on by his teammates. Over the last four seasons, Ward has averaged 95.3 receptions, 1,124.8 yards and 7.5 touchdowns. He posted at least 80 receptions in each of those seasons and went over 1,000 receiving yards each year.
For his career, Ward has 505 catches for 6,055 yards and 41 touchdowns, and he is poised to break most of the franchise's key receiving records. Ward has appeared in 112 games and has started in 93 of them.
Good for him. He's a very good player who was being paid like a chump.
:yay
As opposed to Warren Crap who's a chump but being paid like a very good player.
Quote from: Sgt PSN on September 05, 2005, 07:44:50 PM
As opposed to Warren Crap who's a chump but being paid like a very good player.
Warren Sapp is a slave, bro. Just ask him.
:-D