Fletcher Smith vs. ProFootballTalk

[PhillyPhreak54]

NO FAN IN FLETCHER

It took a few weeks, but we finally heard from agent Fletcher Smith. 

Smith, you may recall, represents Eagles running back Brian Westbrook.  After we explained that Westbrook's unexpected holdout would have to end by August 9 or he would lose his shot at free agency in 2006, published reports indicated that neither the Eagles nor Smith had previously known about the rule.  (Additional information we've gleaned from league insiders confirms that Smith wasn't aware of the provision that requires all players under contract to show up at least 30 days before the start of the regular season or lose an year of service toward free agency.)

Writes Smith, in an e-mail we received Wednesday evening:

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To whom it may concern,

You have reported on more than one occasion that I didn't know about Article XVIII, Section 1 (b) of the CBA that requires a player, under contract, to report within 30 days before the start of the season otherwise he will lose his accrued season for that year.  To begin with, I was well aware of the rule and how it applied to Brian's situation.   To assume otherwise is absolutely ridiculous.  I didn't speak with you or anyone else with respect to my knowledge of the rule nor lack thereof.  As stated above, Brian and I
were fully aware of the rule and the consequences.  Contrary to one of your report(s), we did not learn from you that Brian needed to report to camp by August 8th or forfeit an accrued season.  If you received your report from a Philadelphia news story, please note that I was not "quoted" anywhere in any article indicating that I was unaware of the rule.  In fact, I didn't have any substantive conversation with the Philadelphia media nor any other media outlet(s) until days after the story was originally reported.  When I
eventually spoke to a Philadelphia reporter about this issue, he later ran a much different version of my understanding of said article.  I understand your need for sensationalism and providing provocative stories to entertain your readers, of which I am one.  I would just ask, for future references that you seek the truth before printing such negative stories.
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Oh, well.  That's one less Christmas card we have to open.

For what it's worth, PFT wasn't the only one out there who was saying that Smith had no clue about the rule in the CBA.

Hey Fletch...how about getting a deal done instead of doing damage control, eh?

[greenbleeder]

The guy is brainless, but give the man his money. West playing for a million and change is a steal on one side and a complete joke on the other. I'm still surprised that the colts didn't make a run for him in the offseason.

[rjs246]

Yay! Everyone loves the sports media!

[PhillyPhreak54]

Dan Gross | Eagles boot Gary Papa


6ABC sports anchor Gary Papa was booted from the sidelines of the Eagles/Ravens game Saturday, say eyewitnesses, after he promised the Eagles he wouldn't ask Brian Westbrook about his contract situation and moments later, did just that.

Westbrook, who didn't want to discuss his contract, and agreed to be interviewed only when told he wouldn't have to, walked away furious after the Papa interview.

That's when the team, we're told, asked Papa to leave the sidelines for the rest of the game.

An Eagles spokesman yesterday declined to address the Westbrook/Papa incident but said while Papa hosts the in-house highlights package which fans see at the stadium, he is not a member of the TV broadcast for the game and will not be interviewing players on the sidelines for the rest of the pre-season.

Papa did not return our call.

Did you guys see the interview? Westbrook looked like he wanted to punch Papa in the face. Papa didn't just ask him once...he brought up the contract THREE times during the interview.

Why tell the guy you won't ask him about it and then do it not once, not twice but three times?

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Gary Papa saw it as his opportunity to be a real "hard-hitting" journalist.  Lame.

[PhillyGirl]

For what it's worth, PFT wasn't the only one out there who was saying that Smith had no clue about the rule in the CBA.

No, they weren't...but the media was getting their info FROM PFT, not from their own research or knowledge. CSN even quoted PFT.

[ice grillin you]

they werent the only but they were the first...and thats who gets remembered

[PhillyGirl]

they werent the only but they were the first...and thats who gets remembered

Again, they reported it first, CSN got it from PFT and the rest of the national media got it from CSN wire.

[ice grillin you]

sorry mommy 

[PhillyGirl]

sorry mommy 

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

MURP 4, MURPette 1, troll 0

[ice grillin you]

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[TempleOwl]

Dan Gross | Eagles boot Gary Papa


6ABC sports anchor Gary Papa was booted from the sidelines of the Eagles/Ravens game Saturday, say eyewitnesses, after he promised the Eagles he wouldn't ask Brian Westbrook about his contract situation and moments later, did just that.

Westbrook, who didn't want to discuss his contract, and agreed to be interviewed only when told he wouldn't have to, walked away furious after the Papa interview.

That's when the team, we're told, asked Papa to leave the sidelines for the rest of the game.

An Eagles spokesman yesterday declined to address the Westbrook/Papa incident but said while Papa hosts the in-house highlights package which fans see at the stadium, he is not a member of the TV broadcast for the game and will not be interviewing players on the sidelines for the rest of the pre-season.

Papa did not return our call.

Did you guys see the interview? Westbrook looked like he wanted to punch Papa in the face. Papa didn't just ask him once...he brought up the contract THREE times during the interview.

Why tell the guy you won't ask him about it and then do it not once, not twice but three times?

Westbrook was pissed for sure, but what got me was the way Papa asked the question the first time.  he had a smirk on his face and looked like a little kid who was about to reach into the cookie jar without his mother's permission.  I knew at that moment he had been told not to broach that subject.  Westbrook confirmed that by his facial expression.  Channel 6 has dropped the ball repeatedly this year in covering the preseason.  I'd be surprised if they keep the contract.

[jeffreyjpa]

RE: Papa, it was obvious he ambushed Westbrook...or, the Producer in his ear spurred him to ambush Westbrook, but that's unlikely because that Producer is probably an ETN regular who is familiar with their guarded/proprietary format.

Papa took advantage of what was supposed to be a one-on-one fluff piece in order to break a story, which was unfair to Westbrook, who is trying to keep his negotations in-house.

Looks like we'll see more of Spads running in a bungee coard the next two weeks.

[PhillyPhreak54]

For what it's worth, PFT wasn't the only one out there who was saying that Smith had no clue about the rule in the CBA.

No, they weren't...but the media was getting their info FROM PFT, not from their own research or knowledge. CSN even quoted PFT.

Clayton & Pasquarelli were reporting it too. I think Clayton even talked about it before the CSN/Daily News/Inky people got a hold of it. He talked about it on his segment on ESPNews.