Hines Ward - Potential Holdout?

[JTrotter Fan]

Cowher's reaction to Hines Ward demanding more money.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Article from Eckel tomorrow:  Trade in the works between Pittsburgh & Philly!

[Sgt PSN]

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. 

[PhillyPhreak54]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2121284

Steelers 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.

[Who Dey]

Cowher's reaction to Hines Ward demanding more money.

LOL

[bowzer]

Laura needs to use some teeth whiteners...

[AutumnWind71]

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.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

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.

[Diomedes]

link

The Bus on this subject:

•  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.

[BigEd76]

dun

[PhillyGirl]

Not done?

STEELERS 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.

[hbionic]

Ain't. I like ain't.

[PhillyGirl]

Ain't. I like ain't.

Typical PFT talk. lol

[hbionic]

What's PFT?

[PhillyGirl]

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