No Samuel at Hill's wake or funeral

[BelichickFan]

The patriots can't do anything either, except release him.

Sure they can, they can trade him to a team that will pay him what he wants if he can find one. Then he can just sign the one year contract and be traded. Yes, we have to wait for a team that would trade for him . . . but one will.

 

[mgteich]

The team CANNOT trade him to a team without his agreement. That is NOT an option of the patriots. It is an option that they can work out together, and probably will.

Detroit can offer a 2008 first tomorrow. Samuel can simply say "no"

Sure they can, they can trade him to a team that will pay him what he wants if he can find one. Then he can just sign the one year contract and be traded. Yes, we have to wait for a team that would trade for him . . . but one will.

 

[PATRIOT64]

The patriots can't do anything either, except release him. There is a deadlock until Week Ten, at which point Samuel and the team will again have choices. The is what it is. Almost everyone has the right to free agency after four years and after fulfilling the terms of their contracts. If he wants to leave, sitting out is his best shot. Risking injury is not.

What do you mean the Patriots can't do anything?

They can shop his services around the other teams in the league and pretty much negotiate whatever they wish in exchange to release him to another team and gain draft picks or a player of need that the other team can send to us or simply get tired of his ass and just release him which is NOT going to happen.

The bottom line mgteich is that the Patriots literally have Asante by his balls,he can only get them to release the grasp if he agrees to what they want or he sits out the season with them holding his balls until they let go of them in 2008 if they so desire to do all this season.

Sounds painful to have them grasp them hard and hold on..bet it does to Samuel too.

 

[BelichickFan]

The team CANNOT trade him to a team without his agreement.

No sh!t. Fine, you're right they can't trade him solely on their terms. But you know as well as I do there's a team out there RIGHT NOW that will pay him what he wants. Several to many. If the Patriots released him, he'd get a long term deal he'd be happy with.

If you take that as fact then the sole issue is the Patriots agreeing to trade him to that team. Whether we could agree with a team is debatable but that's the Patriots' choice - how low they'd go in compensation.

 

[DaBruinz]

What do you mean the Patriots can't do anything?

They can shop his services around the other teams in the league and pretty much negotiate whatever they wish in exchange to release him to another team and gain draft picks or a player of need that the other team can send to us or simply get tired of his ass and just release him which is NOT going to happen.

The bottom line mgteich is that the Patriots literally have Asante by his balls,he can only get them to release the grasp if he agrees to what they want or he sits out the season with them holding his balls until they let go of them in 2008 if they so desire to do all this season.

Sounds painful to have them grasp them hard and hold on..bet it does to Samuel too.

Neither you nor MG are 100% correct.

The Pats have more leverage than Asante does. Asante's options are now limited to slightly less than half the league if he wants to sign with another team. If Asante wants to play, he has several options. 1,2,&3 involve signing with the Pats either to the tender, a 1 year deal or a new contract. The 4th option is to pony up with one of these offers he's supposedly gotten from another team and hope that team and the Pats can work out a deal for compensation. The 5th option and the one that hurts BOTH parties if for him to sit out until some point in the future.

As mentioned by numerous people, Asante stands to lose 485K per game he sits out. That hurts him in his pocket book and it hurts the Pats. If he waits until week 10, he loses 4.85 million, but takes home just under 2.94 million. Though, if he gets hurt, he kills any chances for his big pay day next year. And, the likelyhood of him getting hurt is significantly greater because he wasn't in TC and wasn't with the team staying in game shape.

It hurts the team because they don't have one of their better players and he's a distraction the entire time because the media will make him a distraction.

Now, the Patriots can't exactly shop Asante's services because Asante is the one who has to agree to a contract with whichever team he goes to. And Asante can block a trade to a lousy team like Oakland. However, at the same time, the Patriots don't have to accept a trade offer from another team that they feel doesn't meets their value of Samuel. And that value can be measured, almost directly, by the contract that the other team wants to sign Samuel to.

Until such time that Samuel either gets a team to pony up a contract and the compensation that the Patriots agree to or until the Pats are willing to sign Samuel to a contract to the liking of both parties, there will be a stalemate.

That being said, there aren't a lot of teams (15 including the Patriots) that can afford Samuel without doing some Salary Cap adjustments. And, as the time gets closer to camp, it will be harder for teams to sign Samuel and it will be harder for the Pats to get adequate value for him.

 

[PATRIOT64]

Neither you nor MG are 100% correct.

The Pats have more leverage than Asante does. Asante's options are now limited to slightly less than half the league if he wants to sign with another team. If Asante wants to play, he has several options. 1,2,&3 involve signing with the Pats either to the tender, a 1 year deal or a new contract. The 4th option is to pony up with one of these offers he's supposedly gotten from another team and hope that team and the Pats can work out a deal for compensation. The 5th option and the one that hurts BOTH parties if for him to sit out until some point in the future.

As mentioned by numerous people, Asante stands to lose 485K per game he sits out. That hurts him in his pocket book and it hurts the Pats. If he waits until week 10, he loses 4.85 million, but takes home just under 2.94 million. Though, if he gets hurt, he kills any chances for his big pay day next year. And, the likelyhood of him getting hurt is significantly greater because he wasn't in TC and wasn't with the team staying in game shape.

It hurts the team because they don't have one of their better players and he's a distraction the entire time because the media will make him a distraction.

Now, the Patriots can't exactly shop Asante's services because Asante is the one who has to agree to a contract with whichever team he goes to. And Asante can block a trade to a lousy team like Oakland. However, at the same time, the Patriots don't have to accept a trade offer from another team that they feel doesn't meets their value of Samuel. And that value can be measured, almost directly, by the contract that the other team wants to sign Samuel to.

Until such time that Samuel either gets a team to pony up a contract and the compensation that the Patriots agree to or until the Pats are willing to sign Samuel to a contract to the liking of both parties, there will be a stalemate.

That being said, there aren't a lot of teams (15 including the Patriots) that can afford Samuel without doing some Salary Cap adjustments. And, as the time gets closer to camp, it will be harder for teams to sign Samuel and it will be harder for the Pats to get adequate value for him.

I see what you are saying but I disagree that Asante would turn down megabucks to a team that is lousy...Just like many past patriots players,they are going to go where the BEST MONEY comes from.

Seems like players really don't care where they go anymore and if they have virtually no shot at the ring,just as long as the lousy team pays them ******ed overpaid money ....Its almost as if the BIG bucks overpower the opportunity of a good chance of winning a championship anymore.

 

[DaBruinz]

I see what you are saying but I disagree that Asante would turn down megabucks to a team that is lousy...Just like many past patriots players,they are going to go where the BEST MONEY comes from.

Seems like players really don't care where they go anymore and if they have virtually no shot at the ring,just as long as the lousy team pays them ******ed overpaid money ....Its almost as if the BIG bucks overpower the opportunity of a good chance of winning a championship anymore.

You may be right. Samuel may only want his money. If that is the case, it makes the Pats life easier.

Personally, I hope they trade him to the Browns. They have a ton of money free and won't come close to using it on Thomas and Quinn. I wouldn't mind getting Andra Davis in return. Even if it was straight up.

 

[PATRIOT64]

You may be right. Samuel may only want his money. If that is the case, it makes the Pats life easier.

Personally, I hope they trade him to the Browns. They have a ton of money free and won't come close to using it on Thomas and Quinn. I wouldn't mind getting Andra Davis in return. Even if it was straight up.

I would love it to be Dallas in trade for Newman or Chicago for Briggs,even though we probably could not afford Lance since hes bellyaching about money too,even in a 3-4 Lance would do well here despite not being crazy about it.

 

[dhamz]

No one knows why Samuel didn't go. He could have had a personal committment that made it impossible. Unlike other Patriot players he was not in Foxboro for practice nor did he plan to be. No one has any idea if Samuel paid his respects to Hill's family. We likely never will. Unlike what is implied in this thread, going to the wake or funeral is not the only way to do it.

There are more than enough football issues to debate with Asante Samuel right now. I don't think we need to spend time making uninformed slams on his character.

 

[dolphinx]

first off very sorry to see a man die so young and samuel should hav e done his best to go ok secondly ,slam me all you want but i see the randy moss problem already starting to take effect on this team, again my best wishes to the hill family

 

[Pats726]

What do you mean the Patriots can't do anything?

They can shop his services around the other teams in the league and pretty much negotiate whatever they wish in exchange to release him to another team and gain draft picks or a player of need that the other team can send to us or simply get tired of his ass and just release him which is NOT going to happen.

The bottom line mgteich is that the Patriots literally have Asante by his balls,he can only get them to release the grasp if he agrees to what they want or he sits out the season with them holding his balls until they let go of them in 2008 if they so desire to do all this season.

Sounds painful to have them grasp them hard and hold on..bet it does to Samuel too.

I think that your analogy is a BIT way off..squeezing him by the balls = giving him over 7 million dollars??? PLEASE!!!! the greedy SOB is thumbing his nose at it...I think MANY would have that happen for that money... WAY off...

 

[italian pat patriot]

personally i did not liked the fact he didn't went to Marquise Hill funeral

and i did not expected it either

pity : also the rookies were there, without knowing Marquise, but not him...

a defense temmate

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Count me among those who was really turned off by the fact he didn't show. This wasn't a team event done for the benefit of any Patriot charities or causes. It wasn't about showing support for the Patriots,it was about showing support for the family of Marquise Hill.
I don't know the details of why Asante didn't choose to participate,but one thing's for sure-it shouldn't have been about Asante's contract stance ,it should have been about Marquise Hill.

 

[Michigan Dave]

Dave -
Please don't put words in my mouth. I said nothing about what they do in their free time. I was referring to how much time these guys spend at practice and such during the week, reviewing films and working in the weight rooms.

In 2000, a co-worker's son died (at 17 years old) in a car accident. I didn't know him all that well, but I still went to the wake to pay my respects to him and his mother. I wasn't great friends with here. She was just a co-worker, but, the day I left, she congratulated me and thanked me for being there during her time of need.

Little things like that go a long way. And, to me, Samuel was being selfish by not going, if he, indeed, did not show up. Hill was a team mate for 3 years and, while they may not have been best friends, they were still on the same defensive unit. And that should have meant something.

I didn't put those words in your mouth, I said it was a common misunderstanding. A pro football team is not that different from the working relationships we have with our coworkers. Again, I personally would go. But then again, people choose to mourn in their own ways. I did not go to the memorial service when Bo Schembechler died, and I had a good relationship with him, and really admired him. It was a choice I made, and I had my reasons. If he used the funeral as some sort of a platform to make a contract statement, that was wrong. But if there was some other reason, I can understand.

 

[patchick]

Seems like players really don't care where they go anymore and if they have virtually no shot at the ring,just as long as the lousy team pays them ******ed overpaid money ....Its almost as if the BIG bucks overpower the opportunity of a good chance of winning a championship anymore.

I don't know about that...Randy Moss cared, Corey Dillon cared, plenty of guys who have experienced lots of losing care deeply about winning. The problem for a guy like Branch or Samuel may be that they've never seen that side. They've only been on a successful, cohesive NFL team and they have some nice jewelry to show for it. It's human nature to take things for granted. Send Asante to Damien Woody purgatory where he goes year after year without sniffing the playoffs and he may end up regretting the decision to squeeze out a slightly richer contract. Or he may not. But the really good ones usually do.

 

[wdkantro2]

I'm glad that money is more important to him than honoring a fallen teammate. There is a thin line between doing everything to get paid, and being a greedy, selfish, ungrateful POS, and he just crossed it.

 

[37Harrison]

First off, I think Asantes no-show at Hill's funeral reflects A LOT on his character, to me it shows that he has none.

Secondly, rookies (I think even the new additions to the team Stallworth, Adalius, Welker, Moss...) went to the funeral that have never played a down with Marquise, never mind going through all the camps, preseason, season, postseason and charitable events together. Who cares if they never hung out together off the field or if they were even little more than just an acquaintance. If BB can be ridiculed about his character when the whole "BB/Mangini" thing was going on last year, why can't Asante be ridiculed/vilified for not attending a teammates FUNERAL. THE MAN DIED PEOPLE! WHERE IS HIS HEART?!

Thirdly, the argument about him not being on the team anymore is weak at best. No, Graham and others probably didn't attend but how do you know that it wasn't because of obligations to their current teams? What is Asante doing thats SO important that he can't show? He doesn't have any obligations to any other team, if it was a family thing of his own then whatever but then why hasn't he said anything public about it?

Lastly, the whole argument about him sitting out to avoid injury... Umm, we do remember that this is football right? I personally believe that the great players are the ones that play all out without fear of injury. He should play his butt off and show the Pats and the rest of the league that he is legit and not one of the many players who have breakout seasons in their contract year only to fade away into obscurity. What does he think sitting on the sidelines until week 10 is going to do? I can tell you that its going to make him look horrible. All the other players in the league will have played about 13-14 games (including preseason) and had months of practice together. He will look ridiculous playing against those guys and will hurt him in trying to land the $$ contract that he is looking for.

Just my two cents

 

[dhamz]

I'm still unclear how anyone posting in this thread knows why Asante didn't attend. I'm also also unclear how anyone knows that he has not paid any repsects to Hill's family or that he has no plans to.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1004881

"BOLTON - Asante Samuel [stats] did not join his Patriots [team stats] teammates at Marquise Hill’s wake Friday in New Orleans, nor did he attend the funeral, according to several people who were at the services.
He also won’t be in Foxboro today for the team’s mandatory minicamp, his agent said last night.
“He’s not coming to camp until a contract resolution can be reached,” agent Alonzo Shavers said. “Nothing more can be said. His status has not changed. There has been no movement toward a deal.”

Now THAT is a bush league move! Your teammate fargin DIES and you no-show because you're in a contract dispute?!?!?

What a chit!

I hope that dread-locked piece of kaka never plays another down for this team!

If I were Belichick, I would let him hold out, then inactivate him for the final 6 games.

Next year, I'd franchise him again.

If he signed, I'd trade him immediately to some NFL hellhole like Detroit. If he held out AGAIN, I'd give him the "10 games & inactive treatment" AGAIN.

Let him lose two prime years of his career, and see how hw feels about "gettin' paid" then?!?!?

A s s -ante Samuel = ***wipe!

 

[PATSNUTme]

I'm still unclear how anyone posting in this thread knows why Asante didn't attend. I'm also also unclear how anyone knows that he has not paid any repsects to Hill's family or that he has no plans to.

Bingo! I think that before we all call this guy a bad person and a selfish jerk, we need to know the whole story not just the Herald's story. He wasn't with the team because he is not part of the team right now.

I'm not giving him a free pass on this. I'm just keeping my powder dry until I know the whole story. Right now I don't know it and neither do any of you.