Haven't read all 13 pages PJ but come on. It's expressing pretty much the truth at the elite end. Coming to the Pats is not the way to get absolute top dollar. They spend to the cap but in large part they continue to prefer a large "middle class" and they prefer to enforce a bargain if they get a bargain (i.e., when the contract is up, you can renegotiate, not before.) I mean, I remember that as being the "rule," the "general outlines," though we can all dredge up the exceptions.
They take care of you when you produce (see Seymour's last contract), but not because your name sells well on a jersey (Richie, we hardly knew ya...) So how different is that from what Moss said? His focus is at the elite level, not the spend-to-the-cap level. If you want a raise and your company tells you they pay their bike messengers real well, do you say "well, at least they spend a good percent of revenue on salaries in general?"
Of course we should all remember: this is the pre-'10 negotiation-via-media period. And poor Randy signed his deal in the pre-'08 offseason, so if there's cashing in to do (though that appears doubtful,) he doesn't get to play. This is what he thinks about '11... my reaction is, so?
I love seeing him play. I love the idea that all of '10 constitute an audition, whether for the Pats or for someone else. With all the chatter about who's "happy" where, and with this author speculating about Favre even being there in '11 when we don't know whether he'll grace the turf in '10... that's actually what I like about the Pats' model. No sentiment: we pay, you play. We stop paying, you stop playing, but not a moment before. And don't ever get comfortable, because you're going to have to have this conversation again, no matter how much the fans love you.
Like I always say, I live in Washington, where the exact reverse philosophy pertains: come to DC, get the big check up front, and dog it thereafter. Trust me, "The Patriots Don't Pay" is okay by me, from the fan perspective. You'll never hear Clinton Portis saying "The Redskins don't pay." The Redskins also watch a lot of January games on TV.
PFnV
