Some thoughts on Ricky's CFL negotiation
The Dolphins, the Toronto Argonauts and the representative for Ricky Williams continue their negotiations to eventually allow the running back to play in the CFL while he serves his NFL mandated minimum one-year suspension.
At this stage all the parties are waiting on some contract language to be reviewed and approved by the NFL. This will get done.
So here are some overall thoughts on the subject:
The only reason Williams is hoping to play in the CFL is he needs the money. Don't buy all that stuff about staying in shape and staying motivated during the suspension. Don't even entertain the notion Williams is excited about playing in Toronto because it's a new-age city and he's a new-age kinda guy. That is all bunk.
This is strictly about money and that is a sad statement on Williams. He needs the money to pay child support, with three kids on the payroll already and reportedly another on the way. But Williams doesn't have the money to keep up the payments of about $60,000 a year which leads me to wonder what ever happened to the over $8 million he made in his first NFL season alone? Is it all gone?
OK, what happened to the nearly $5 million he made in base salary alone in 2000-2003? And what about the proceeds from the sale of his multiple South Florida properties following their sale in 2004-2005? Wasn't the real estate market like really good for a person flipping a property then?
So how does an individual -- even one with three children -- blow approximately $14 million? That is absolutely amazing to me.
Next observation: If you are a Dolphins fan you should be quite happy this saga has dragged as long as it has because it means your home team is crossing every i and dotting every T (trying to be funny there) to protect its interests. In that regard, the Dolphins have THE best individual in the business in team president Bryan Wiedmeier.
You don't hear too much about Wiedmeier because he prefers to operate behind the scenes but he was among the league pioneers to introduce conduct and other protective clauses in contracts to insulate his club from strange happenstance -- such as a player going AWOL a week before training camp. Wiedmeier was insisting on such clauses as far back as the Sam Madison contract in the late 1990s. Such clauses are the norm in the NFL now.
One such clause is the reason Williams still owes the Fins $8.6 million and utimately made the decision to unretire in 2005.
So be very secure that the Dolphins are not going to get pushed aside in this affair.
Final thought: The last reason this process is headed in this direction has to do with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga. Williams, I'm told, was hoping the Dolphins might remove the need for him to go make money in Canada by somehow guaranteeing a nice payday for the 2007 season.
Williams is scheduled to earn approximately $585,000 in 2007 if his suspension is lifted. He obviously isn't getting any money this season. He was hoping the Dolphins would mitigate the need to make money this year by bumping up his salary in 2007.
If they promised to redo his contract and give him, just a guess here, say $2 million in 2007, he could wait out this season's money drought knowing the big shower of bucks is coming in 2007.
The problem, however, is that Huizenga (who is not a huge fan of Ricky, by the way) apparently wouldn't approve the raise. The owner doesn't like bad publicity for his team and Ricky has brought plenty of that the last two years. Anyway, Huizenga could not bring himself to rewarding Williams with a raise -- especially after Williams just tested positive again.
After all, what kind of message would rewarding a drug suspension with a raise send?
So with no guarantee that he could make up the money lost this year in a big 2007 raise, Williams has been forced to try to make some money in the CFL this year.
Oh, by the way, his agent Leigh Steinberg, is also one of the best at his trade. And Steinberg has many CFL connections dating back to his days of representing Warren Moon. So watch Steinberg milk the Argos of every last Canadian penny for Williams.
Yep, as they used to say in the 'hood, it's all about the Benjamins.
At this stage all the parties are waiting on some contract language to be reviewed and approved by the NFL. This will get done.
So here are some overall thoughts on the subject:
The only reason Williams is hoping to play in the CFL is he needs the money. Don't buy all that stuff about staying in shape and staying motivated during the suspension. Don't even entertain the notion Williams is excited about playing in Toronto because it's a new-age city and he's a new-age kinda guy. That is all bunk.
This is strictly about money and that is a sad statement on Williams. He needs the money to pay child support, with three kids on the payroll already and reportedly another on the way. But Williams doesn't have the money to keep up the payments of about $60,000 a year which leads me to wonder what ever happened to the over $8 million he made in his first NFL season alone? Is it all gone?
OK, what happened to the nearly $5 million he made in base salary alone in 2000-2003? And what about the proceeds from the sale of his multiple South Florida properties following their sale in 2004-2005? Wasn't the real estate market like really good for a person flipping a property then?
So how does an individual -- even one with three children -- blow approximately $14 million? That is absolutely amazing to me.
Next observation: If you are a Dolphins fan you should be quite happy this saga has dragged as long as it has because it means your home team is crossing every i and dotting every T (trying to be funny there) to protect its interests. In that regard, the Dolphins have THE best individual in the business in team president Bryan Wiedmeier.
You don't hear too much about Wiedmeier because he prefers to operate behind the scenes but he was among the league pioneers to introduce conduct and other protective clauses in contracts to insulate his club from strange happenstance -- such as a player going AWOL a week before training camp. Wiedmeier was insisting on such clauses as far back as the Sam Madison contract in the late 1990s. Such clauses are the norm in the NFL now.
One such clause is the reason Williams still owes the Fins $8.6 million and utimately made the decision to unretire in 2005.
So be very secure that the Dolphins are not going to get pushed aside in this affair.
Final thought: The last reason this process is headed in this direction has to do with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga. Williams, I'm told, was hoping the Dolphins might remove the need for him to go make money in Canada by somehow guaranteeing a nice payday for the 2007 season.
Williams is scheduled to earn approximately $585,000 in 2007 if his suspension is lifted. He obviously isn't getting any money this season. He was hoping the Dolphins would mitigate the need to make money this year by bumping up his salary in 2007.
If they promised to redo his contract and give him, just a guess here, say $2 million in 2007, he could wait out this season's money drought knowing the big shower of bucks is coming in 2007.
The problem, however, is that Huizenga (who is not a huge fan of Ricky, by the way) apparently wouldn't approve the raise. The owner doesn't like bad publicity for his team and Ricky has brought plenty of that the last two years. Anyway, Huizenga could not bring himself to rewarding Williams with a raise -- especially after Williams just tested positive again.
After all, what kind of message would rewarding a drug suspension with a raise send?
So with no guarantee that he could make up the money lost this year in a big 2007 raise, Williams has been forced to try to make some money in the CFL this year.
Oh, by the way, his agent Leigh Steinberg, is also one of the best at his trade. And Steinberg has many CFL connections dating back to his days of representing Warren Moon. So watch Steinberg milk the Argos of every last Canadian penny for Williams.
Yep, as they used to say in the 'hood, it's all about the Benjamins.
posted by Armando Salguero at 10:54 AM
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17 Comments:
I check your blog almost daily and appreciate your insight. Keep up the good work.
thanks for update Armando. One thing that immediately comes pops in my head is "this guy needs to go back to court and lower those child support payments". His salary is 1/10 of what it was? Can't he say his child support should be 1/10 of what it is to correlate? I'm no divorce lawyer, but i'm sure he's still got enough money to get a good one and get that taken care of. And also the man needs his tubes tied quick. Or to invest in some female condoms if he ain't into wearing the male ones himself, just pass the burden on to her at least.
CC,
You are correct. If the Dolphins use the sixth-rounder in the supplemental, then assuming some convoluted scenarios don't come into play, the pick becomes a 2008 pick.
Good points about Ricky, still love him though! Am from Edmonotn, where Warren Moon dominated in the 80's, Ricky will be great for the CFL, maybe, hey...I'm goin to an Edmonton Eskimos-Toronto Argonauts game if he's playing, and I can't stand our brand of football up here!
Armando still being an arrogant a@@ I see. Gee...if you lost your job, are you saying you wouldn't pursue employment elsewhere? Are you one of those magical people who doesn't need any income? Oh , as I'm sure you've heard, Ricky got railroaded regarding this suspension. Yet you, and others, are still playing the 'drug card'. How typical.
What I'm saying, you neanderthal, is that after making $14 million in the last seven years, it might have been wise to save some of that so as to not need to work.
Oh I'm a neanderthal because I challenged your arrogant attitude and statements? Satements you are now 'clarifying'[READ: Covering your arrogant a$$]. You were clearly taking a swipe at him when you made the satements regarding his return to work for money. You did not address the questions I posed to you I see. Again, typical.
Regarding the 14 Mil, it's not your, my or anyone else's business what became of it. Are you suddenly the regulator of Ricky's finances? Yes it might have been wise, but Ricky is quite well known not to care for material things much, so apart from paying support, housing costs, cost of living, traveling, taxes, ect. , maybe he gave a lot away. I heard he's a pretty charitable guy. At least that's what the South FLA papers were saying when Ricky was on their favorable side.
Oh I'm a neanderthal because I challenged your arrogant attitude and statements? Satements you are now 'clarifying'[READ: Covering your arrogant a$$]. You were clearly taking a swipe at him when you made the satements regarding his return to work for money. You did not address the questions I posed to you I see. Again, typical.
Regarding the 14 Mil, it's not your, my or anyone else's business what became of it. Are you suddenly the regulator of Ricky's finances? Yes it might have been wise, but Ricky is quite well known not to care for material things much, so apart from paying support, housing costs, cost of living, traveling, taxes, ect. , maybe he gave a lot away. I heard he's a pretty charitable guy. At least that's what the South FLA papers were saying when Ricky was on their favorable side.
Sorry about the double post.
I think that until we know what the drug result was we can't really say anything about the suspension. From the little that leaked out, it was an odd positive. As far as we know it the result could have come from a supplement that Ricky takes and did not know about. So to equal what Ricky did two years ago to what happened this time is absurd. The real problem is that because of his past problems he now has baggage that will carry to any future action that Ricky now does. Although it’s not fair, it’s a fact of life.
Ricky like all of us has things to pay for. I’m sure there are times in all of our lives that we look back and ask where did I spend this money I had. One thing I have finally learned in life is that for some reason no matter how much you make you end up somehow spending it.
I'm the first anonymous that was arguing with Armando. Those were good points 'other anonymous'.
I just wanted to post that the Sun Sentinel is reporting that the Dolphins have given Ricky permission to negotiate, so apparently he will be playing.
Well, the Argo's are saying the report is not true.
I do not see what the problems is with anything Armando said. I haven't made $14 million my entire life and I have money in the bank. If I had 14 million, I wouldn't have to work another frickin day in my life and I'm only 28.
Statement From Miami Dolphins Head Coach Nick Saban On Ricky Williams
May 28, 2006
"We expressed to Ricky our concerns about playing in Toronto in 2006. We are relying on assurances made by Ricky, his agent, the Toronto Argonauts, and the commissioner of the Canadian Football League that Ricky will return to the Dolphins in 2007.
"Based on these assurances and despite our concerns for Ricky playing in the CFL in 2006, we will leave it up to him to decide whether or not he will negotiate a contract to play for the Argonauts this year."
From the Dolphins web page.
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