Is Bianca Wilfork leading the negotiations???

robertweathers said:

I started the thread b/c I thought she was playing "front-woman" in negotiating with the Pats. Didn't know Kennard McGwire was VWs rep. I've since learned that shes an active spouse beyond helping Vince manage his weight. In addition she said that she is essentially Vince's business manager.

I do find it odd how she was "tweeting" regarding Janikowski's contract. My impression is that most pro-football spouses stay out of that part of the business -at least publicly.

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Well it's twitter, and she isn't reaching the entire fanbase, maybe 1% if that.

MoLewisrocks said:

No, but it's been pretty well established for some time now that Bianca has long held a position of tremendous influence and clout in the Wilfork household.

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Like most wives in America.

She basically runs Wilfork, Inc. even if it employs an agent. And that is actually a good thing since she's out more than 3% if he holds out...which to date in two contentious situations he has not...and he is even less likely to on the eve of a potential lockout season.

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I wouldn't say she basically runs him, I mean I'm sure she wasn't thrilled about him playing out his 6 year contract. I'd guess she's just more vocal than most but same dynamic as most marriages. Although I don't follow twitter so maybe you all pick up on something I'm ignorant of.

emoney_33 said:

Well it's twitter, and she isn't reaching the entire fanbase, maybe 1% if that.

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True. I haven't checked to see how many followers she has...Really don't care TBH.

emoney_33 said:

Like most wives in America.



I wouldn't say she basically runs him, I mean I'm sure she wasn't thrilled about him playing out his 6 year contract. I'd guess she's just more vocal than most but same dynamic as most marriages. Although I don't follow twitter so maybe you all pick up on something I'm ignorant of.

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It's not the twittering, which is really silly and NFL players and their significant others should know better...it's a longstanding pattern of up front involvement which they have both acknowledged over time. Even when Kraft refers to this player he always couches it in terms of their great respect and admiration for Vince AND Bianca... Have you forgotten her crowning moment when she handled his appeal to the league after he was fined for a hit on Cutler and she convinced them based on her own DVDing of the play that it was not indicative of a pattern of dirty play... I think after his parents death she basically filled that void as well and kept him on track for an NFL career he might have otherwise lost focus on and interest in with an eye towards keeping alive a lot longer than they were.

I'm sure his agent was pushing for a substantially bigger statement last spring when Vince held out of that first OTA. Vince's rhetoric even started to get a little more heated. Than a cooler head prevailed. One that likely knows how a prolonged holdout would effect Vince mentally and physically. I don't think that was Kennard McGuire's...

MoLewisrocks said:

It's not the twittering, which is really silly and NFL players and their significant others should know better...it's a longstanding pattern of up front involvement which they have both acknowledged over time. Even when Kraft refers to this player he always couches it in terms of their great respect and admiration for Vince AND Bianca... Have you forgotten her crowning moment when she handled his appeal to the league after he was fined for a hit on Cutler and she convinced them based on her own DVDing of the play that it was not indicative of a pattern of dirty play... I think after his parents death she basically filled that void as well and kept him on track for an NFL career he might have otherwise lost focus on and interest in with an eye towards keeping alive a lot longer than they were.

I'm sure his agent was pushing for a substantially bigger statement last spring when Vince held out of that first OTA. Vince's rhetoric even started to get a little more heated. Than a cooler head prevailed. One that likely knows how a prolonged holdout would effect Vince mentally and physically. I don't think that was Kennard McGuire's...

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Heh yeah I had forgotten about that Cutler thing

Good points, and it looks like she is good for him (and the Patriots) which will hopefully end up good for the fans

MoLewisrocks said:

I'm sure his agent was pushing for a substantially bigger statement last spring when Vince held out of that first OTA. Vince's rhetoric even started to get a little more heated. Than a cooler head prevailed. One that likely knows how a prolonged holdout would effect Vince mentally and physically. I don't think that was Kennard McGuire's...

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Just looking at McGwire's client list, they aren't exactly "quiet" people.

I think you are spot-on here, Mo..Bianca may be the cooler head as you indicate.

robertweathers said:

True. I haven't checked to see how many followers she has...Really don't care TBH.

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417 (aka: nothing). Prepare to be overwhelmed by an absolute torrent of wit and insight:

bianca wilfork (mrs75) on Twitter

satz said:

She runs the show for Vince now.

He came to camp 2 yrs in a row in good shape and has improved his game .He says his 2 probowl years due to the new regime she has put him on.

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I've read all those stories about his new diet but looking at Vince this year, I'd bet he's at around 360. I can remember a Dr. Z. article from Sports Illustrated during his rookie year, when he quoted someone from the Patriots' organization as saying they couldn't wait to get him on an offseason program, because they thought he was overweight as a rookie. He looks bigger now than he did back then. It's one thing to rent a player like Ted Washington for a year, but it's another thing to guarantee $25-$30M to a guy with a weight issue. See: Woody, Damien.

patsinthesnow said:

I'm getting sick of "needing to care for our family". A BJGE contract could care for a family and you'd be very wealthy. Vince and Bianca just want to be supah rich.

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If I had talent in an occupation that commanded high pay, I'd go for the big money myself. But most of us don't have any talent in those fields. And supah rich is mor elike Kraft than any player. A million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to

PatsSteve1 said:

If I had talent in an occupation that commanded high pay, I'd go for the big money myself. But most of us don't have any talent in those fields. And supah rich is mor elike Kraft than any player. A million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to

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Same here, which is why I don't hold it against players who go for the money. If I had a career that could pay me $100M by the time that I retired, but I knew that I'd be retired by 35, I'd make every penny that I could, and anyone who says that they wouldn't is probably lying.

That said, it is pretty ridiculous when someone claims that they need tens of millions of dollars to feed their family. The Wilforks obviously eat a lot, but that's just absurd. Don't try to make yourself out to be a charity case when you're in the top .01% of earners in America.

BradyFTW! said:

That said, it is pretty ridiculous when someone claims that they need tens of millions of dollars to feed their family. The Wilforks obviously eat a lot, but that's just absurd.

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They must drop $500 a week on groceries easy. Wouldn't be surprised if Pea Pod makes daily deliveries.

Dinner time must be like the Klumps...Hercules!! Hercules!!

IMO neither bianca nor VW has a say for negotiations for 2010 .Only the pats do and they will franchise him whether VW and wife like it or not

SVN said:

IMO neither bianca nor VW has a say for negotiations for 2010 .Only the pats do and they will franchise him whether VW and wife like it or not

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SVN - VW and Bianca DO have a say. They can tell the Pats to GTH and just have him hold out..

The best thing for BOTH groups is to set a contract that is modestly above the Franchise number, but not outrageously so. Something in the 8.5 million range for 5 years. And set it up with incentives so that Wilfork could top the whatever range it is, but with a clause in it that he's got to keep his weight under 350... With weekly weigh ins.. With that amount of money, they should be able to HIRE a friggin cook for Vince to ensure that he get's his weight down, yet is more healthy..

DaBruinz said:

SVN - VW and Bianca DO have a say. They can tell the Pats to GTH and just have him hold out..

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Sure but it's a lose-lose. Wilfork loses about half a million a game that he never gets back that way.

BelichickFan said:

Sure but it's a lose-lose. Wilfork loses about half a million a game that he never gets back that way.

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This is true. But it doesn't change the fact that it's still their option to do..
I also didn't say it was a smart option.

In all honesty, it seems that Vince doesn't understand the concept behind the "Franchise" tag. And, by not understanding the concept, he thinks that having it placed on him means that he's only an average player. Until he understand that it doesn't mean that he's an average player, things won't go anywhere.

DaBruinz said:

This is true. But it doesn't change the fact that it's still their option to do..
I also didn't say it was a smart option.

.

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Playing the devils advocate he gets franchised in 2010 and makes 7 million if he gets injured or 2011 is a lock out he makes 0$ and then he is looking for a contract in 2012 as a 30 yr old DL . you think that is a smart ?. also the funny thing is in 2012 he can be franchised again for say 8-9 million where does he stand.

I'm closing this thread and moving it to the Practice Squad. I see nothing in the link that warrants calling out a players wife.

If Ian feels that this thread should be reopened and moved back, he will either do it or let the mods know.