Panthers owner disses Manning, Brees

[Double Barrel]

Panthers owner disses Manning, Brees

Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson mocked quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees during a Feb. 5 negotiating session with the NFL Players Association, says three league sources, a sign of disrespect that the union hopes solidifies its members in the pending labor battle with the NFL.

“[Richardson] was extremely condescending to them, especially toward Peyton,” a source said. “[Richardson] was the only person on either side who was contentious. Everybody else was respectful. They might have said, ‘I disagree with your point,’ but at least they were respectful. [Richardson] was not.”

Apparently, Richardson was particularly sarcastic when Manning started to talk about players’ safety. At one point, Richardson evidently said, “What do you know about player safety?”

Richardson was unavailable for comment. A league source denied that there was any contentious discussion between the team owner and anyone from the union’s side.

“Mr. Richardson is a former player and made clear his respect and affection for the players during the meeting,” the source said.

While negotiations between the NFL and the NFLPA have historically been marked by contentious moments, Richardson’s outburst may be especially telling for the players.

“If he’s willing to talk to [Manning] and [Brees] that way, what do you think it says about what he and the other owners think about the rest of the players?” the source said, rhetorically. “Now, it really only matters if [Richardson] is representing the opinion of 23 or even eight other owners, but it has to make you wonder.”

Richardson, who is the only former NFL player to own a team, has been considered one of the staunchest proponents of hard-line tactics in the current negotiations. Last March, Richardson addressed the rest of the NFL owners at the league’s annual spring meeting with a fiery speech. Richardson said the owners had to “take back our league” during the negotiations with players.

“We signed a [expletive] deal last time and we’re going to stick together and take back our league and [expletive] do something about it,” Richardson said, as reported by Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports.

That has been interpreted as a clear indication that Richardson and some other owners want to break the NFLPA and get players to give greater concessions. The owners are currently holding firm on a request to have an additional $1 billion in expenses be removed from the pool of shared revenue.

Currently, the NFL grosses approximately $9 billion annually. Of that, $1 billion is given to the owners off the top for expenses. After that, the remaining $8 billion is split with 60 percent ($4.8 billion) going to the players and 40 percent (another $3.2 billion for a total of $4.2 billion) going to owners.

Under the owners’ proposal, the first $2 billion would go to them. The owners have tried to sell that idea by saying the money would go toward reinvestment in the game to help grow the overall amount of money that is shared.

The players are currently unwilling to accept the owners’ proposal and are facing the likelihood of having the owners lock out the players after the March 3 deadline. In response, the union would likely decertify, leaving it vulnerable.

In that regard, Richardson’s comments to Manning could backfire on the owners. In 1987, for instance, the NFL was able to split the union in large part by creating what was known as the Quarterback Club, a marketing arm that led several top quarterbacks to stop supporting the union. In the case of Manning, who is not a player representative or member of the NFLPA’s executive board, his opinion carries great weight throughout the NFL. Last August, Manning said he would be completely supportive of the union’s cause at the proper time, but has largely stayed in the background.

Having him fully behind the union could be important to maintaining unity.

Source

Details Emerging on Jerry Richardson's Comments to Peyton Manning

While it was known that Peyton Manning attending meetings between NFL owners and player representatives on Feb. 5, few details had come out regarding a supposed contentious moment between the three-time MVP and Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.

Until now.

Yahoo! Sports Michael Silver reveals some of the details, painting Richardson in a negative light as the two sides try to get together on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. In response to a question from Manning, Richardson reportedly:

Source

Dude sounds like a jackass. He profits from this HoF player but has to disrespect him because he's asking an honest question?

[BetaV1]

No offense to Manning and Brees, but let's see their books. In fact, let's see all the books for every single NFL player under contract. If the players want to see how the owners are spending their money, I think it's only fair that the owners get to see how the players are "investing" their money.

[Showtime100]

Yeah, I was reading that late last night and was not at all surprised it was Jerry Richardson doing the dissing. When I was in NC over the Holidays papers over there documented his stance very clearly.

Ex-player that seems to make his good points with players under normal circumstances but, IMO, really seethes at the money players are taking in today and (probably) the general lack of effort in return. He is the untimate hardliner on that side of the table.

[BigBull17]

The two sides are so far off its scary. Just unbelievable.

[HoustonFrog]

Originally Posted by BetaV1

No offense to Manning and Brees, but let's see their books. In fact, let's see all the books for every single NFL player under contract. If the players want to see how the owners are spending their money, I think it's only fair that the owners get to see how the players are "investing" their money.

We do get to see their books. You can look up almost every players contract, etc out there. The owners are the ones saying they are losing cash but won't show people where. I usually get fed up with millionaire athletes but football..where their lives are literally shortened...I'm with them. I think their "alleged" safety concerns while at the same time wanting to make the season longer makes the commish and the owners look like idiots.

[Showtime100]

Originally Posted by HoustonFrog

We do get to see their books. You can look up almost every players contracts, etc out there. The owners are the ones saying they are losing cash but won't show people where. I'm usually can get fed up with millionaire athletes but football..where their lives are literally shortened...I'm with them. I think this safety b.s. while at the same time wanting to make the season longer makes the commish and the owners look like idiots.

That's a good post right there. I don't care who you are......

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by HoustonFrog

We do get to see their books. You can look up almost every players contracts, etc out there. The owners are the ones saying they are losing cash but won't show people where. I'm usually can get fed up with millionaire athletes but football..where their lives are literally shortened...I'm with them. I think this safety b.s. while at the same time wanting to make the season longer makes the commish and the owners look like idiots.

My thoughts exactly. My take is that with taxpayer financed stadiums, I think citizens should demand that owners open up their books, too.

I don't feel sorry for any of these freakin' owners. I run a small business, and it's a brutal economic climate just to stay in business. So spare me the crapola about "risk" when NFL franchises are one of the safest investments these billionaires could ever make.

When I see Earl Campbell unable to walk, and that crusty old coot Bud Adams is still on his feet at 150 years old, it is clear as day that the players are truly the ones living with the risks of the sport for the rest of their lives. Players are what the NFL is all about. It amazes me that many fans seem to forget this aspect as they fawn over these billionaire owners.

[gary]

Don't know what to say because I was not in the room but I am all for player safety. Sometimes I do ask the question, Don't the players choose to go the NFL route? But, if the players do not play then there would not be any football at all so case and point.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by HoustonFrog

We do get to see their books. You can look up almost every players contracts, etc out there.

The league even more than us knows all the details of the contracts. They are all filed with and approved by the league in order to police the cap.

The owners are the ones saying they are losing cash but won't show people where. I'm usually can get fed up with millionaire athletes but football..where their lives are literally shortened...I'm with them. I think this safety b.s. while at the same time wanting to make the season longer makes the commish and the owners look like idiots.

I have a hard time getting worked up over this fight for either side. It is squabbling over how to divide a giant pie and there is no objectively correct break point. One big advance to me seems to be putting everything in the pot. Everything the owners make is based off the players so everything should go in the pot. That hasn't been the system before so I see why the owners want some concession on percentage but it appears both sides are on board for that. The big team v. little team thing doesn't even involve the players but some parity needs to be maintained although contrary to the prior issue it should not be one big pot. Buffalo simply does not contribute as much as Dallas does. Plus making that totally equal would make all the teams equally valuable and the big dogs aren't going to take a hatchet of that magnitude on their asset values when they paid more to get the big dogs. I lean towards an 18 game schedule with a few caveats - increased rosters, two bye weeks and a revised IR system.

I'll start a different thread on safety measures to not derail this one further.

[playa465]

I wonder if the Panther's owner is a lil salty b/c when he played the value of his contract during his day was comparable to people working normal jobs or maybe slightly more...whereas today player's salaries dwarf the avg American's earnings. I think the real reason the owners want more money is due to some of the more profitable owners being tired of sharing revenue with the troubled markets...all in all greed is mofo


Looks like Cak posted about the 2nd half of my statement before I did

[IDEXAN]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

When I see Earl Campbell unable to walk, and that crusty old coot Bud Adams is still on his feet at 150 years old, it is clear as day that the players are truly the ones living with the risks of the sport for the rest of their lives. Players are what the NFL is all about. It amazes me that many fans seem to forget this aspect as they fawn over these billionaire owners.

Say what you want to about a goofey old man like Adams, but between his billion-dollar NFL football team and his billion-dollar Oil & Gas compnay he's created thousands and thousands of jobs for men and women trying to make it in this world. He may not be a particualrly likable character to you and a lot of people are still pizzed about his Oilers leaving Houston, but this country needs as many of his kind of entrepreneurs as it can get.