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Not really too much new going on in Who Dat Nation today. Everyone is still talking about the possibility of the Saints jumping up to a higher spot in the draft. Only time will tell.
I found this article yesterday but didn't mention anything about it. I really disagreed with it, but I let it go. This guy from Dallas, Jean-Jacques Taylor (I'll leave the name alone), obviously has a chip on his shoulder and was venting about how unfairly the NFL and team management treats its players...
The Saints all-time leading rusher, who accepted Reggie Bush and splitting his role without complaint, blew out his knee for the second time in three years last season while trying to help the Saints win a game.
His reward: The Saints restructured his contract.
The $1 million bonus he was supposed to receive has been converted to incentives. If he fully recovers, he'll get the money that his contract originally said he was supposed to receive. If there are complications, then he won't.
That's why a player should do whatever they must do to get paid. Hold out? Fine. Force a trade? That's OK, too.
There is no loyalty in the NFL. A contract means nothing in the NFL. It's a year-to-year deal. That's how management treats it, and that's how players should, too.
But I am glad I didn't mention it yesterday, because today the Times-Pic had a piece on Deuce and his contract. And what did it say? Deuce is pleased with arrangement. That was the damn title of the article. Sure Deuce already signed a contract for a specified amount, and in reality he should get whatever the original contract states. But Deuce is damaged goods now. The Saint's could have cut him, not paid him anything and left him in the open market, where he might have had a difficult time catching on with another team. It would be a big risk for a team to take an aging RB with two bum knees, and any team who does take him, ain't gonna pay him a lot. But they didn't. They want him, and he wants them. With this renegotiation, Deuce gets job security and the Saint's don't have to risk a lot of money finding out whether Deuce can still tote the rock anymore. If Deuce is good enough to play, than he will get the money he deserves. The man himself said he likes the deal...
"In my instance, I know New Orleans has treated me kindly, and I think it goes vice versa," he said. "So I think it was probably in my best interest as well as the teams' best interest that we just try to see if we can get something worked out."
So Mr. Jean-Jacques (I really want to make fun of it), before you go poking your nose in our business, maybe you should check your facts before you start applying your broad generalizations to our team and our running back.
Love ya Deuce. Go get those incentives!
The other big news today was Bobby Jindal announcing that the state will honor it's deals with the Saints and the Hornets. I hate to say I told you so but...
Here is the blurb from WWL...
The State of Louisiana will honor its deals with the Saints and Hornets by finding money to pay the nearly $6 million owed the two franchises this year and the estimated $20 million for next year, Governor Bobby Jindal said Wednesday.
In an interview with WWL-TV’s Eric Paulsen, Jindal said the state would have to honor its commitments."We’ve signed multi-year contracts and I know there will be some in the Legislature that are going to want to look at the contracts and say, ‘should we have done it?’" said Jindal. "We’ve made a commitment and we’re going to keep it and when it’s time to renegotiate, we can all make sure it’s a good deal for the State."
These situations come up often, but they are never anything to worry about. People make such a big deal about them, fearing the team will pack up and leave. But as I said, they always seem to work themselves out. The money winds up coming from somewhere. Where it comes from and whether it's fair is another story altogether, but if your a Saints fan and you don't care about state budgeting or funding, than you have nothing to worry about.
Final reminder to any season ticket holders out there. Ticket Invoices are due tomorrow Friday, April 18th.