"Texans players say they had illegal contract drills at 2008 mini-camp"

[gtexan02]

Originally Posted by Malloy

Thats mafia logic.

I appreciate that players stick their heads out to protect themselves and future players from ending up in the same situation. Thats supporting your family, not hiding abuse based on a skewed sense of loyalty.

IF the Texans were violating the rules that all other NFL teams abided by and IF that was leading to significant increases in injuries and IF these injuries were keeping players from getting a fair shot at a career in the NFL than I totally agree.

We don't need to be doing things that are unnecessarily dangerous to get ahead, because we just end up falling further behind.


BUT from the video, the link, the story, etc, it sounds like this is something EVERY team does, it sounds like this guy knew he didnt have a future in football, and it sounds like he's just trying to mooch as much $$ as possible. The claim was already filed and rejected by the NFLPA, and now he's just going for sensationalism. AND he's using deceit to achieve his goals.

Stevenson's current grievance is a "non-injury" complaint that relates to the minicamp drill. A previous injury grievance was denied by the NFL Management Council. In that rejection, the NFLMC cited numerous procedural problems with Stevenson's complaint.

I don't like that at all.

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

IF the Texans were violating the rules that all other NFL teams abided by and IF that was leading to significant increases in injuries and IF these injuries were keeping players from getting a fair shot at a career in the NFL than I totally agree.

We don't need to be doing things that are unnecessarily dangerous to get ahead, because we just end up falling further behind.


BUT from the video, the link, the story, etc, it sounds like this is something EVERY team does, it sounds like this guy knew he didnt have a future in football, and it sounds like he's just trying to mooch as much $$ as possible. The claim was already filed and rejected by the NFLPA, and now he's just going for sensationalism. AND he's using deceit to achieve his goals.

I don't like that at all

I agree, and I think it speaks volume's that the NFL has already rejected his claim.

[ubecool454]

The player that leaked this is probably one of the ones that got cut!

[JWarren14]

Originally Posted by Malloy

Thats just complete rubbish on so many levels.

Yes they are trying to get compensation because they're careers are ruined, and they damn well should.

That whole 'mans game' talk, do you realize how dumb it sounds? If you lose your job, would you be all manly about it and say 'sure, it's a mans world, I should suck it up'?

Football is a man's game correct, or did it lose its physicality, I think it was Polomalu who spoke out about it.

It ruined his NFL career not his career, he should be able to find a good job somewhere if he got his 4-year-degree.

There is no guarantee you will make the team if you make it mini-camp, it's your last chance to show what you got. If I was up for a promotion and I gave it everything I could than that's all I could do. Life isn't fair sometimes, but you know you suck it up take what you have and move on to the next challenge that's what life is about. I lost my soccer career doing things that are just insane during training camp, sprinting with a 45 pound plate in the 100 degree heat when its obvious that the sweat is going to make someone drop the plate and cause serious injury, but hey it is what it is I made the best of my year transferred to a better academic college received my degree and got a good job. Would I have loved to better my game and make it at the next level, hell yeah I would, but it wasn't in the cards. It's part of any sport, you can get injured at any time.

So yes if I lost my job giving 100% while being asked to do something above and beyond what I was supposed to, then yes I would suck it up and move on because somebody else would love to have a person with that type of attitude.

Thanks for your opinion though, I have got mine you've got yours, that's also part of life.

Besides it's not like it hasn't happened before

2) How much contact is allowed?? – The CBA says, “No contact allowed anytime.”

But we all know coaches and teams will push the envelope. Almost all practices are no pads, but there is always jostling as teams try to figure out who is close to mid-season form. The amount of contact can have repercussion as seen last spring as three clubs with taskmaster coaches were penalized for OTA violations (Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions). The Detroit Lions were especially singled out as their taskmaster head coach Rod Marinelli’s approach was not well received by “coddled” players.

The Lions lost two days of OTA’s after a lineman filed a grievance with the NFLPA alleging that the team held contact drills at a mini-camp. No matter what level of contact, coaches like old-school former Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs think players need to buck up. Gibbs said after a spring 2005 investigation into his OTA’s, "There's not competitive stuff (at OTA’s)”

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by ubecool454

The player that leaked this is probably one of the ones that got cut!

Nope, Stevenson is the source and he's still a Texan. Black is a Jag, and Okobi is not on a roster (but he didn't talk to ESPN about this).

[Malloy]

Assessing the players motives are speculative at best, I wont even go there.

This might be normal procedure within NFL teams, but just because everyone is doing it does not make it less wrong or illegal.

I have not watched the video and honestly I am not sure I will. I am strictly discussing this from a principal standpoint. If our team has broken NFL rules they better own up to it and act accordingly REGARDLESS of what happens to other teams doing the same.

I won't trashtalk ESPN for bringing attention to this either, thats journalism, nor will I discredit the players for bringing what they believe to be unfair procedures to the attention of the media.

[gtexan02]

Heres what bothers me:

There are TONS of instances where players (lots of lineman) file complaints about violation of contact rules, and the team loses OTA workouts. It happened last year with 3 teams.

Why didn't this guy just file a grievance? Because he did and it was rejected.

This is all I need to know

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by Malloy

Assessing the players motives are speculative at best, I wont even go there.

This might be normal procedure within NFL teams, but just because everyone is doing it does not make it less wrong or illegal.

I have not watched the video and honestly I am not sure I will. I am strictly discussing this from a principal standpoint. If our team has broken NFL rules they better own up to it and act accordingly REGARDLESS of what happens to other teams doing the same.

I won't trashtalk ESPN for bringing attention to this either, thats journalism, nor will I discredit the players for bringing what they believe to be unfair procedures to the attention of the media.

My problem is that I feel Stevenson is only bringing this to the attention of the media becuase he didn't get the results he wnated by going through the offical channels established by the CBA.

[Wolf]

I never have been to any of the practices, my first thought is that you have a bunch of guys going through drills, And esp the ones that are fighting to make the team, get a little competitive or tries to make a first impression on the coaching staff (even without pads) and the competitive fire starts going between players and they start to do a little more... Coaches see this and even though it is no contact, don't condone it or doesn't encourage it..

could I be off here?

silly as this may sound , when I go out and practice softball now, even at 38, I say before practice, that I won't do this or do that, but once I am out in the outfield, I end up going full out, diving for balls if I have to. As a kid playing other sports, even messing around, I went full out.. Dad had taught me that "you practice how you play"

Now I know this is apples and oranges to an NFL player and what they do, I just wonder if some of the guys mindsets are about the same. Non contact drills and once you get someone going against you, one DE is going through the motions and wants to just "show a bit more and get past the OL", the offensive linemen shows a little more competitiveness "shows a little more" to keep the DE in check , so to speak

I may be misunderstanding the whole process that goes on in the non-contact drills, so someone ,please, set me straight if my thinking is wrong

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by Malloy

Assessing the players motives are speculative at best, I wont even go there.

This might be normal procedure within NFL teams, but just because everyone is doing it does not make it less wrong or illegal.

I have not watched the video and honestly I am not sure I will. I am strictly discussing this from a principal standpoint. If our team has broken NFL rules they better own up to it and act accordingly REGARDLESS of what happens to other teams doing the same.

I won't trashtalk ESPN for bringing attention to this either, thats journalism, nor will I discredit the players for bringing what they believe to be unfair procedures to the attention of the media.

You need to watch the video. I'vee seen drills at the Combine get way more physical then the drill shown in the video clip.

[Malloy]

Originally Posted by Hoth-Boy

My problem is that I feel Stevenson is only bringing this to the attention of the media becuase he didn't get the results he wnated by going through the offical channels established by the CBA.

True, but again we do not know his motives. It could be good old greed, then again it could be because he honestly feel that he and others were taken advantage of, and that he wants to see some sort of consequences to what he believes are improper and illegal procedures.

Im glad the cat is out of the bag honestly, if it holds water he'll get what he is entitled to, if not then our team is cleared. For someone who cherishes things being 'right' this is a win-win.

[Señor Stan]

"It was a live blocking drill. There were people getting pancaked. Everyone's going as hard as he can," Stevenson said.

"I felt like, for my career, my occupation, my dreams, for all this to be taken away from me, to be jeopardized not for just one season but for my entire football career for something that wasn't supposed to be done -- I was upset," Stevenson said


Stevenson suffered a labia tear that he feels might end his career.

Fixed it for him.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by Malloy

I agree, Im sure all teams do it. That does IMO not change the fact that the players injured are entitled to bring it to the NFLPA's attention and seek some sort of compensation.

Perhaps this will bury the accusations by some that this is a soft franchise

Originally Posted by Señor Stan

Fixed it for him.

Damn!

[Malloy]

Originally Posted by Hoth-Boy

You need to watch the video. I'vee seen drills at the Combine get way more physical then the drill shown in the video clip.

Im not sure what I would be looking for, I have zero experience with this so my evaluation of said training would be done based on absolutely nothing. I'll rather leave that to the people charged with the task of determining whether it is a breach of NFLPA rules or not

[infantrycak]

Stevenson suffered a labia tear that he feels might end his career.

He may very well find this ends his career even if the injury doesn't. He was marginal to begin with and other teams aren't going to appreciate this either.

Like Arlington said above--profootballtalk has been talking for a couple years about how pervasive this is and the NFL does nothing. Look at the quotes and pictures from around the league and you can tell the rule gets violated all the time.

[Yankee_In_TX]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

He may very well find this ends his career even if the injury doesn't. He was marginal to begin with and other teams aren't going to appreciate this either.

Like Arlington said above--profootballtalk has been talking for a couple years about how pervasive this is and the NFL does nothing. Look at the quotes and pictures from around the league and you can tell the rule gets violated all the time.

You mean future coaches and teammates may not approve of this behavior?

Stevenson took a video camera into the Texans' meeting room and filmed the team's video of the workout.

[Bulluck53]

Yikes... now what will this be known as? Illegal Contact-Gate...

Hey, we may be classless but at least we don't cheat

[WesmanTexanfan]

Originally Posted by Texans34Life

Crap, stupid BSPN all up in our biz.

thats about how i feel...

[GP]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

Meh, I don't think it's going to be a big deal. It sounds like sour grapes from 3 players no longer with the team. Even if it were to go against the Texans I wouldn't think the punishment would be too extreme.

My initial reaction, based on what I have read, is that this was VERY wrong to have happened.

Going all out in a drill where you went hard enough to tear a labrum? Pads might have absorbed a lot of that punishment.

This isn't good, at all, if it's true.

[GP]

Originally Posted by Bulluck53

Yikes... now what will this be known as? Illegal Contact-Gate...

Hey, we may be classless but at least we don't cheat

You DO cheat. LenWhale cuts in line at the meals all the time.