Branch And Chayut File Grievance

[ayjackson]

when a team cuts a player, they are not violating the agreement... big difference

small difference....there are written rules and unwritten rules and they are all contemplated in CBA negotiations....every player, agent and GM in this league know what players can do to exact a fair result....but they can't put in writing that players can walk away from contracts just like teams can....

 

[Pats726]

Im sure we can all think of 100s of ways to criticize how Branch has handled this. However, is there anyone out there who has never handled an employment issue in a way that could be questioned?

It is the mans life and the mans job. I know that no one is allowed to question my decisions about employment, because they are not in my shoes. I dont know why we feel compelled or allowed to judge him.

Andy...I beg to differ with you about this... For one, we again are talking about apples and oranges..unless you are in sports, entertainment, a bigwig in business or is in some way in the public spotlight, what and how you take care of yur employment issues is just your business. And that is the way it should be. Others ARE I the spotlight and it is one reason we are talking about it...the big bucks that surround the NFL and all of sports. Part of that is certainly PR and being in the spotlight is part of what sports is all about. That being said, it certainly follows that what a player and agent do happens under and in a spotlight as well, whether it is good or bad. Do you think if Deion was playing football in the Arena League and pulled this stunt that anyone would care?? This is the other edge of the sword..wanting big money and in the spotlight and wishing every move should not be looked at by the fans?? Believe me..he and his agent have done zero for him in a PR sense..in fact, it has hurt him considerably. THAt is totally sad, buit that is DB's choice of agents and tactics. That is fine if you wish not to be critical...but other have a different view.

 

[PatsWorldChamps]

small difference....there are written rules and unwritten rules and they are all contemplated in CBA negotiations....every player, agent and GM in this league know what players can do to exact a fair result....but they can't put in writing that players can walk away from contracts just like teams can....

unwritten rules? nope. every rule is very defined.... players can sit 10 games if they still want to accrue a season... fines are very clear also, and i have no doubt the pats will enforce the fines, meaning branch will play (bearing ALL risk of injury) for free the final 6 games.... then, guaranteed that he gets franchised.

 

[Brady-To-Branch]

unwritten rules? nope. every rule is very defined.... players can sit 10 games if they still want to accrue a season... fines are very clear also, and i have no doubt the pats will enforce the fines, meaning branch will play (bearing ALL risk of injury) for free the final 6 games.... then, guaranteed that he gets franchised.

Agree 200%.

Meion is dead to me.

 

[RAWKY]

I read five pages and did not see this point hope it is not a repeat.

Does anyone think that maybe the rumor that said

"Branch was going to pull a TO"

that perhaps what was meant by a TO was this grievance stunt. For it is what TO did and it may be what Branch had in mind when it was said....

This will so sour the waters that he will never have to worry about playing for NE again.

Then sit until the Pat's trade him to some other team.

If this thought is true it speaks to an overall long range plan to wage a guerrilla war against the Pat's to exit NE.

A very sad thought indeed if true.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I have been saying for the longest time, hey, this is all contractual, let Branch see what his holdout gets him, let the Pats do what they have to do, yadda yadda yadda... but reading the in-depth Chayut Follies in this article has me squarely in the "dump the clown" camp -- whether Chayut can be fired and therefore make Branch "good as new" again is the only question.

WHAT A MORON!!! Chayut says the Pats "were going" to sign Branch to a 4-year offer in 2002?!?!?!?!? WELL THEY DIDNT!

Did he sign the five year offer or didn't he? Christ on a crutch!

I hope Pony's right and Chayut's the clown here. If not, I hope the Pats go after every damn penny of those fines.

It is what it is, as the saying goes -- and what this is, is hoping instead of planning.

450 carries for Corey/Laurence this year is okay by me LOL.

PFnV

 

[SoonerPatriot]

I have been saying for the longest time, hey, this is all contractual, let Branch see what his holdout gets him, let the Pats do what they have to do, yadda yadda yadda... but reading the in-depth Chayut Follies in this article has me squarely in the "dump the clown" camp -- whether Chayut can be fired and therefore make Branch "good as new" again is the only question.

WHAT A MORON!!! Chayut says the Pats "were going" to sign Branch to a 4-year offer in 2002?!?!?!?!? WELL THEY DIDNT!

Did he sign the five year offer or didn't he? Christ on a crutch!

I hope Pony's right and Chayut's the clown here. If not, I hope the Pats go after every damn penny of those fines.

It is what it is, as the saying goes -- and what this is, is hoping instead of planning.

450 carries for Corey/Laurence this year is okay by me LOL.

PFnV

Your approach is the rational one. I felt the same way. Let it play out. Now I'm fed up. Either Chayut has used some weird Jedi mind control trick on Deion's mind and become some sort of svengali or Deion is really, really stupid and greedy. Maybe all three.

In retrospect, maybe we should have spent more time trying to re-sign Givens.

 

[ayjackson]

unwritten rules? nope. every rule is very defined.... players can sit 10 games if they still want to accrue a season... fines are very clear also, and i have no doubt the pats will enforce the fines, meaning branch will play (bearing ALL risk of injury) for free the final 6 games.... then, guaranteed that he gets franchised.

well you just said it! players can sit ten games! surely that includes training camp???

 

[Gon_Trevil]

I don't think so. At this point I think Branch is on the same page as his lunatic agent. If he's not, he would have fired him a long time ago.

Firing your agent is in a way admitting defeat. Some people are too thick-headed to see it any other way.

 

[PatsWorldChamps]

well you just said it! players can sit ten games! surely that includes training camp???

does not include camp... also, they lose the game checks, plus accrue fines... so, DB will have to play 6 games for free... then, the pats franchise him... the entire time, Risk of Injury is all on DB.

 

[PlattsFan]

I'm with you guys on this one. I've long said, "It's just business, the Patriots are trying to maximize what they get out of it, Deion's trying to maximize what he gets," but ... it's really gotten ridiculous, now. I'm all for treating it all like a business, but Deion and his agent need to realize what's what here. They signed the 5-year deal. They can't just call for a do-over on that. They can't just pretend that never happened. And they shouldn't file some stupid grievance.

To me, even though Deion has ultimate responsibility for what happens in his name, all of these tactics are the agent's doing. This just looks so much like an agent running a un-savvy client down a wicked dead-end. I highly doubt a grievance with the NFLPA was Deion's idea. But I can certainly see the agent pumping Deion full of ideas about tricky negotiating maneuvers that can sound good if you don't know the real deal, but end up getting you nowhere. "We'll just act like that 5-year deal never happened and make them negotiate from there, Deion!" "OK, sounds good, Jason." "We'll hold out and make them promise not to franchise you. You won't look greedy, and they'll definitely give in to that. It's more important having their #1 receiver than just that promise." "OK, sounds good, Jason." "Don't worry Deion, I'll get you a great contract. Remember, this is your only big-money deal. You need to think of your family." "That's right, Jason, I do."

I'm not absolving Deion of blame here; in the end, these decisions are his to make. But he's a small-town guy from the south who's a talented football player. That doesn't make him savvy or smart about business. Jason Chayut is an agent; he makes a career out of talking and selling. And this is his one client that made it big, and he looks like he's thinking he'll ride it to the big-time.

I admit I almost always have sympathy for the players in these situations. You've got seasoned negotiators from the teams, agents who make a career out of talking players into representing them, and the players who's only definite skill is athletic. You tell me who's outgunned in this situation. Most of them have absolutely no training or business experience, and a lot of them are from lower middle-class homes or lower. Sure, the majority do OK in this situation, and there are many who do very well and handle it with skill and dexterity. But there are some, and Deion seems to be one of them, that just botch it up completely.

To me, it's not a moment of anger, but of sadness. I feel bad for the guy. This really is an extremely important moment for him, the moment that can literally change the course of his entire family history. And he's screwing it up so royally. The fact that his screw-up may cost the team I root for a couple touchdowns is an annoyance, but ... it's just football. The Patriots can win without him.

But Deion ... he brought this on himself, in the end. But it doesn't mean I have to revel in his failure.

 

[ayjackson]

also, they lose the game checks, plus accrue fines... so, DB will have to play 6 games for free... then, the pats franchise him... the entire time, Risk of Injury is all on DB.

i agree with all of that....i'm not commenting on whether DB has properly considered the consequences....i'm just saying he isn't dishonourable for renegging on an unfair contract when NFL teams do it daily....any other sport with guaranteed contracts - i'm all over a player for holding out....but this is the N-F-L, which as we all know, stands for Not For Long, when it comes to underperforming players (and ref's, right Mr. Glanville).

 

[PatsFanDan]

Is it me or is Chayut dangerously close at this point to getting lumped in with the Poston brothers and Tom Condon as a guy the Pats will probably no longer deal with. I'm not sure who else he represents around the NFL but I could see the Pats avoiding drafting or signing players he represents in the future.

Deion really must have his head up his arse keeping this guy employed as his agent. As a Pats fan and Deion fan, this has become really painfull to watch.

 

[brady2brown]

is there anyone out there who has never handled an employment issue in a way that could be questioned?

I badly mishandled an employment issue a long time ago, but I fail to see why this makes what Branch is doing right. To me, it just means that both me and Branch separately screwed up royally.

I ended up leaving a job that paid me a little over $15,000 a year, so forgive me if it takes me a while to work up sympathy for Deion.

 

[Ring 6]

I badly mishandled an employment issue a long time ago, but I fail to see why this makes what Branch is doing right. To me, it just means that both me and Branch separately screwed up royally.

I ended up leaving a job that paid me a little over $15,000 a year, so forgive me if it takes me a while to work up sympathy for Deion.

I'm not saying it makes it right, Im saying these are not black and white decisions, and trying to judge whether he is smart or stupid because of it, or to feel a license to critique his actions is wrong.

To say it another way, it is common to make poor decision regarding your career, and Deion Branch shouldnt be held to a standard that he is exempt from making a bad one.

 

[Pats726]

i agree with all of that....i'm not commenting on whether DB has properly considered the consequences....i'm just saying he isn't dishonourable for renegging on an unfair contract when NFL teams do it daily....any other sport with guaranteed contracts - i'm all over a player for holding out....but this is the N-F-L, which as we all know, stands for Not For Long, when it comes to underperforming players (and ref's, right Mr. Glanville).

If you don't like the way the NFL does it..then become a baseball fan...and all teh overpaid bums that have guranteed contracts and do nothing..If anything the NFL is runn correctly..or closer to where it should be. I loved baseball and basketball as sports until the imates started running the asylum..HATE both now.. THE CBA allows teams to do that..not the same with a player..THAT is the difference..if you don't like that..then change the CBA and see how far one gets..Ther eis a good balance in the NFL..makes it a better league.

 

[DaBruinz]

I truly have no hard feeling towars Branch.
Every person in every line of work does what they need to do the earn the best pay for the work they do.
Almost all of us have realized that we can leave our joband go to another one in order to earn more money, have better work conditions, or whatever out priorities are. (Or we are at a job that is the perfect fit)
Deion Branch believes that working for the New England Patriots right now is a bad job because they are not compensating fairly in his mind.
Any of us, faced with this, would approach the employer, as Branch did. When rebuffed, what do we do? Just accept it? Of course not, because we feel we are being treated unfairly. We go get another job, shake hands, thanks for the opportunity, good luck, I did what is best for me. Would ANYONE stay in a job that is bad for them, because the employer would be better with them staying, but wont pay what someone else will? I seriously doubt it.
Deion Branch cannot quit and go to work for another company.
He has limited alternatives, and is pursuing them.
Whether we like it or not, Branch feels working for the Patriots is a bad job unless they treat him (pay him) more fairly in his mind.
What would we expect him to do? Accept it without exploring all of the alternatives?

Im sure we can all think of 100s of ways to criticize how Branch has handled this. However, is there anyone out there who has never handled an employment issue in a way that could be questioned?

It is the mans life and the mans job. I know that no one is allowed to question my decisions about employment, because they are not in my shoes. I dont know why we feel compelled or allowed to judge him.

There are a few problems with your post Andy.

1) Branch never approached the Patriots about a contract extension.
2) The Patriots approached him on 3 occasions. All 3 times, the Patriots were rebuffed without so much as a counter offer
3) We fans have the right to criticize these over-paid immature lying sacks of garbage when its our money that is going to pay their salaries. Just like We have the right to criticize the government at any level we chose.
4) Branch is under contract. By his contract, he's not allowed to explore the alternatives until his contract is up unless the team releases him from his contract or gives him permission to explore other options. So, yes, I WOULD expect him to STFU, be in camp, and actually be WILLING to negotiate since he has absolutely NO CLUE how high the Patriots would have gone had he actually negotiated.

 

[DaBruinz]

While I am firmly behind BB/SP on this one, I firmly believe a player has a right to use whatever means to seek out a better deal for himself when he feels he is grossly underpaid (and surely he must be making at the most 25% of his fair market value).

All this BS about Branch having no honour because he won't recognize his CONTRACT is complete bollox. Ask Beisel, Brown and Warfield what a contract is worth. How many times a year does each team in the NFL tear up a player contract and not pay another dime? Probably in the dozens. It's not about honour people. It's about using leverage to achieve a fair result. However, the Pats and Branch have differing ideas of what's fair.

Beisel's contract was worth a guaranteed 212.5K Warfield's was worth his 30K workout bonus.

People need to stop with the BS about players not having to honor contracts because their contracts can be negated at any time.

The FACT is that their contracts are negated because they aren't performing up to the standards that are expected for the price they are getting paid. And typically, when they are cut, teams can't ask for the signing bonus back.

That signing bonus is what allows the contracts to be NOT GUARANTEED. It is what was negotiated by the player's union.

BTW, as others have said and you seem oblivious too, Branch and his agent never attempted to negotiate.

Also, You seem to have missed Branch saying that he would HONOR HIS CONTRACT REGARDLESS IF HE HAD AN EXTENSION OR NOT. If that was the case, he'd have been in camp. He wasn't in camp and, therefore, wasn't honoring his contract.

 

[DaBruinz]

well you just said it! players can sit ten games! surely that includes training camp???

This is a false statement. What it says is that they have to report by week 10 of the season to be eligible to accrue a season. However, a player has to file the proper paperwork and everything.

That does not mean they aren't in violation of their contract because they are. See, as part of not reporting, the Patriots are allowed to fine Branch 14,000 a day for practices missed, games checks once the season starts, and money for other mandatory things that he's missed. As someone else has said, his fines are over 500K right now. They continue to increase until the season officially starts, which is Thursday. Then it will be game checks that Branch will be fined.

 

[arrellbee]

This is a false statement. What it says is that they have to report by week 10 of the season to be eligible to accrue a season. However, a player has to file the proper paperwork and everything.

That does not mean they aren't in violation of their contract because they are. See, as part of not reporting, the Patriots are allowed to fine Branch 14,000 a day for practices missed, games checks once the season starts, and money for other mandatory things that he's missed. As someone else has said, his fines are over 500K right now. They continue to increase until the season officially starts, which is Thursday. Then it will be game checks that Branch will be fined.

A matter of unimportant sematics - he won't be 'fined' game checks - he simply won't get paid and loses income. Whereas the preseason fines come out (after tax) of what he has previously earned or what he will earn.