Special master rules in favor of Sauerbrun/NFLPA

[evendelae]

This is perfect fodder for some David Letterman countdown.

You know your team isn't a contender for the Super Bowl if:

10. Your biggest outburst comes not from the addition of a meaningful piece to your own team, but the subtraction of... a punter, from another team.

9. You consider getting that punter "having the last laugh" on another team that you don't even face in the upcoming season.

8. Your coach is referred to as "Shanny," or any other feminine sounding name.

7. You think losing a Punter who wasn't even guaranteed a spot on the roster is making Bill Belichick, winner of three Super Bowls in this decade, "Eat it."

6. You're on an internet message board to gloat about the team losing the rights to a punter.

5. That internet message board isn't even your own team's.

4. You believe that this represents some great loss to the team, when statistics prove otherwise.

3. Your team hasn't won a Super Bowl since John Elway was in town, yet you think you're superior to the only Dynasty the NFL has seen in recent history.

2. Resigned to the fact that the Chargers are going to blow you off the field (again), and aware of the fact that the Patriots have improved their team to the point where you can only hope to "hang in there" should they meet, you zero in on the most minuscule events, and treat them as if Tom Brady retired to become a monk.

And the number one way to know that your team isn't going to contend for a Super Bowl in the upcoming season.

1. A situation involving a punter causes you to make Raider fans seem knowledgeable, and civil.

Good luck with your "punting competition" this year. It will be one of the only competitive portions of the season, unless losing the Wild Card counts for anything.

Norv Turner, Chad Jackson, and the Broncos 5-1 record against Bradichick all say otherwise. Has it occurred to you that I don't particularly care what Tom Brady does? As long as he's not capable of beating The Broncos, he can go **** John Madden for all I care.

Oh, and I may have been being a bit facetious...

Belichick and Shanahan play mind games with each other all the time. It's one of the better rivalries in the NFL. Shanahan just happened to win this time.

Also, someone called Belichick and Pioli "Biloi" in here. Don't critisize what we call our coach when your brain trust sounds like a product of Chef Boyardee.

 

[upstater1]

It's funny how all the sudden you guys have a "better fit for the team"

He's already on the team, moron. He was the starter.

the reason why sauerbrun didn't want to come back is because Belichick chewed him out over his punting a few times on the sidelines. Sauerbrun was pissed that BB prefers startegic punting.

 

[pats63]

It is still going to be a battle in TC for Miller and the young punters....I have a feeling that we will draft that punter from Baylor(Dan Sep??????)For Sauerbrun,who gives a rats *****

 

[zippo59]

How in the world does one become a special master? Is there a degree program for that at university?

It sounds like some Dungeons and Dragons character.

 

[14thDragon]

Eh...well there goes the 6th round pick I was hoping for.

Sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some. Too bad it was over a technicality, I hate those things.

 

[DaBruinz]

My problem with the specail master over-turning this is that each contract isn't official until the Commissioner's office receives and reviews each contract. One would think that, if there was a problem with the contract, it would have been found then.

Also, one would think that Sauerbrun, by signing the contract waived the need to sign a seperate "Right of Furst Refusal" form.

To me, the Special master messed up.

 

[DaBruinz]

Shanahan beats Beoli yet again. I'm surprised at this oversight from the front office.

It more of an oversight by the Commissioner's office since they are the ones requied to review every contract.

Personnally, I think that the Special master is wrong. I believe that Sauerbrun and his agent waived the need for a seperate form by signing the contract as it was written.

 

[DaBruinz]

Norv Turner, Chad Jackson, and the Broncos 5-1 record against Bradichick all say otherwise. Has it occurred to you that I don't particularly care what Tom Brady does? As long as he's not capable of beating The Broncos, he can go **** John Madden for all I care.

Oh, and I may have been being a bit facetious...

Belichick and Shanahan play mind games with each other all the time. It's one of the better rivalries in the NFL. Shanahan just happened to win this time.

Also, someone called Belichick and Pioli "Biloi" in here. Don't critisize what we call our coach when your brain trust sounds like a product of Chef Boyardee.

There is no "MIND GAME" here. Shanahan had NOTHING to do with the situation. The NFLPA is the one that filed the greivance. It would seem that you don't have your facts correct.

OH, and the nickname given to the combination of Belichick and Pioli is Belioli.

One last thing, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. All the guy did was do a parody of David Letterman based on your stupid initial post. If you are taking it to heart, then the porblem is with you.

 

[14thDragon]

Also, one would think that Sauerbrun, by signing the contract waived the need to sign a seperate "Right of Furst Refusal" form.

To me, the Special master messed up.

I'm not sure I get your logic here.

If the CBA says that a seperate form for a Right of First Refusal, then just including it in the contract would not constitute a waiver of the seprate form unless a wiaver of the seperate form is explicitly stated in the contract. You cannot implicitly wiave the rule by including the clause in the contract. Otherwise the rule would be invalid and unnessary.

Clearly te guys writing this contract up made a goof, it happens when you have to digest a whole new set of rules.

As for Shanahan having anything to do with this is also patenly stupid. Unless you are implying he told the agent that he could challegne the right of first rufusal then it is the agent who got the upper hand in this one.

 

[Pujo]

It more of an oversight by the Commissioner's office since they are the ones requied to review every contract.

Personnally, I think that the Special master is wrong. I believe that Sauerbrun and his agent waived the need for a seperate form by signing the contract as it was written.

If it's negotiated in the CBA, it's not a right he can waive.

 

[He Ban Me]

He's already on the team, moron. He was the starter.

the reason why sauerbrun didn't want to come back is because Belichick chewed him out over his punting a few times on the sidelines. Sauerbrun was pissed that BB prefers startegic punting.

The comment has nothing to do with who is on the team and who isn't. It has to do with the fact that now that Todd is gone, you guys liked the other guy better anyway.

EDIT:

Oh yeah....moron.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

It's not the league office's obligation to tell clubs if they've goofed under the CBA.

Nor is it a player's obligation to inform a team that they've put something unenforceable in their contracts.

If you went to buy a house and overheard the husband telling the wife, "let's try to remember to not include the refrigerator in the contract" would you have a legal obligation to call up the sellers if they included the refrigerator in the contract? Nope. You might feel a moral obligation to do so, but that's your call, and I don't think players and clubs feel any such obligations toward each other.

As for the this story, I kind of thing people are asking the wrong questions. Sure this is just about a punter. The question for me is whether the patriots tried this with anyone else more important and thus now have worthless ROFRs.

 

[drew4008]

Like someone said. It's a punter. Draft Sepulveda or whatever his name is day 2.

Might take our late 3rd, ala Colquitt a couple years back.

 

[Jimke]

I have a suspicion that Gene Upshaw has a very strong dislike for Bob Kraft

and the Patriots. He is on the lookout for ways to screw them. This was

the case in the Deon Branch situation last year. Earlier this year, the NFLPA

requested a copy of the Wes Welker contract. Gene will employ any

small technicality to interfer with the Pats' way of negotiating contracts.

With regard to the Sauerbrun situation, the NFL should be embarassed by

this outcome. It shows their incompetence in checking out contracts

before approving them.

 

[He Ban Me]

It's not the league office's obligation to tell clubs if they've goofed under the CBA.

Nor is it a player's obligation to inform a team that they've put something unenforceable in their contracts.

If you went to buy a house and overheard the husband telling the wife, "let's try to remember to not include the refrigerator in the contract" would you have a legal obligation to call up the sellers if they included the refrigerator in the contract? Nope. You might feel a moral obligation to do so, but that's your call, and I don't think players and clubs feel any such obligations toward each other.

As for the this story, I kind of thing people are asking the wrong questions. Sure this is just about a punter. The question for me is whether the patriots tried this with anyone else more important and thus now have worthless ROFRs.

refrigerators are personal property, if you are a buyer, why wouldn't you want to include the refrigerator? Even if you already have one. Point is, there is no "remembering NOT to include it", if you write it out and INCLUDE it, that'sone thing, but generally, it is omitted unless specified. Is William Perry back in the league? What do refrigerators have to do with punting?

 

[He Ban Me]

I have a suspicion that Gene Upshaw has a very strong dislike for Bob Kraft

and the Patriots. He is on the lookout for ways to screw them. This was

the case in the Deon Branch situation last year. Earlier this year, the NFLPA

requested a copy of the Wes Welker contract. Gene will employ any

small technicality to interfer with the Pats' way of negotiating contracts.

With regard to the Sauerbrun situation, the NFL should be embarassed by

this outcome. It shows their incompetence in checking out contracts

before approving them.

Wonder WHY he would have such a distaste for Kraft?

 

[14thDragon]

I have a suspicion that Gene Upshaw has a very strong dislike for Bob Kraft and the Patriots.

I seriously doubt this. He might be less then enthusiastic about our handling of rookie deals and got the CBA amended to make sure that picks were not signing 6 year contracts, but that was not all that uncommon anyway. So I doubt it was a vendetta against the Patriots.

From what I have obsevered Upshaw is only intrested in making free agency as readily available to all players as fast as possible and as often as possible. When it is time for any sort of greiveance or arbitratution, that is what he and the PA are going to argue for. All teams, not just the Patriots, are going to argue the other way. No personal animosity needed, just straight up conflict of intrests.

It is the competition committe that realy looks to screw the Patriots over, and that is specifically coaches and gms from other teams. The Players Association and Gene Upshaw is just trying to squeeze every nickle they can out of ownership as a collective.

 

[PatrioticDynasty]

Besides, does this team even need a punter?

I agree...with the weapons we have on this team the only thing being kicked will be extra points and kickoffs!

PD.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Re: NFLPA rules in favor of Sauerbrun

I'm upset about this only to the extent that it denies the Pats the opportunity to screw over the Donkeys.

OTOH, it also makes it just a little more likely that the Pats will draft Daniel Sepulveda, so I'll call it a wash.

[I like Miller, but I like the idea of a ST team that can work together for a decade or so even more. ]

Danny Sepulveda is obviously of interest to the Pats brass. Seeley went out to Texs to work him out; and he is coming to Foxboro for a visit. He could be a fixture punting for the Pats for 15 years, so I wouldn't rule it out.

Miller might have another year to train him too. But as much as Cower liked Josh Miller, he beleived in the maxim, "...better a year early than a year late...". That was going on four years ago. Meanwhile Tom Malone had the biggest leg of his very average rookie class, and had a year on the PS to learn and now a NFLE season as well.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

refrigerators are personal property, if you are a buyer, why wouldn't you want to include the refrigerator? Even if you already have one. Point is, there is no "remembering NOT to include it", if you write it out and INCLUDE it, that'sone thing, but generally, it is omitted unless specified. Is William Perry back in the league? What do refrigerators have to do with punting?

???

Reread my post. The sellers included it, even though you, the buyer, knew they didn't mean to.