Vinatieri should take the home-town discount!

[Fanfrom1960]

What's the timetable for all of this, anyway? In other words, when do all players have to be signed/when do we know if Adam remains a Patriot or not?

 

[drew4008]

If you had a job for 10 years, were at the top of your profession, were paid well, and then another company offered you way more, wouldn't you go for it? Especially if it might set you up for life.

Can't blame Adam... he's making a financial decision based on his being generally regarded as the #1 kicker in the league.

I'll miss him too, and I think he strung the Pats along, but it's business.

When you put it that way, it makes so much sense. But I still can't accept it.

 

[CTPatsFan]

Sure the players have every right to follow the money if they so desire. But that doesn't preclude those of us who become pi$$ed off at that player from putting them on our sh!t lists.

The player is going to look out for his best interests and weigh his options. My allegiance lays with the New England Patriots. If a player is cut, that is one thing. But, if they leave for the money, then don't let the door hit them on the @ss on their way out as far as I'm concerned. Even though that is their option, don't expect all of us to be excited for them for getting their payday. Along the same vein, if Kraft did something to "hurt" the team we'd be p!ssed off at him too.

That said, I hope all of these guys come back. Even though that probably isn't realistic.

 

[fgssand]

The problem is when reality (business side, profession, livelihood) runs smack dab into the fans (fanatics) hobby or fantasy. We get emotionally wrapped up in following the players and really get behind them - then when they move on, we get that empty feeling as if a girlfriend had just dumped us. AV leaving is going to bring a huge backlash against him - he is set here as a legend, an icon a HOF'er that is following another legend - Gino Cappelletti. How many of us were moved when AV broke Ginos record last year - right now I wish he hadn't. No, common sense says he has every right to go for the money, but the fanatic in us says burn his jerseys and boo the SOB.

This thread clearly show the many conflicts between the business side and the fan perspective.. That is why a CBA is a good thing, a salary cap is a good thing as it brings a sense of order, a set of rules that everyone agrees on and abides by. Without it, anarchy in the game will reign supreme and we are seeing the very start of it. If they do not settle this, the game will forever change - buckle up.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Why should Adam not follow in Bob Kraft's footsteps?? Bob Kraft looks to maximize his revenue at each and every turn. Bob Kraft continues to charge for tickets to Patriots games even though he and his children and his children's children are financially set for their lives. Why is it that only players are criticized for their quality of life decisions?? Why do owners get a free pass??

I'd say that Kraft does NOT get a free pass from fans. He's been criticized for catering to the revenue of red seat fans to the detrement of longtime football fans, knocked for league high ticket prices, blasted for really outrageous parking prices and $10 beer prices. In his defense, he has to charge above market to cover his personal loan costs et. al. to build the stadium complex, but he's hardly been unscathed for gouging the fan base.

Criticism for being perceived as greedy is not villification.

 

[shmessy]

I'd say that Kraft does NOT get a free pass from fans. He's been criticized for catering to the revenue of red seat fans to the detrement of longtime football fans, knocked for league high ticket prices, blasted for really outrageous parking prices and $10 beer prices. In his defense, he has to charge above market to cover his personal loan costs et. al. to build the stadium complex, but he's hardly been unscathed for gouging the fan base.

Criticism for being perceived as greedy is not villification.

Plus when was the last time Adam Vinatieri ever left $1 billion on the table because of his loyalty to Massachusetts?

That being said, I'm not in the camp that says Vinatieri "owes" it to NE to take a home town discount. I just think it is in his best self-interest, long-term, to do so. If he goes for big money elsewhere, I will respect the decison and continue to honor the man. A great person who had a great career here. I feel the same way about Damien Woody, David Patten, etc. Good for them. The Pats however, don't owe someone for yesterday's exploits either. It's a two-way street.

 

[PromisedLand]

This whole thread took a wrong turn somewhere. It's not about villifying players who leave for more money elsewhere, it's about what the smart move by the Patriots would be. Some of us believe Adam would not be worth 20% more than his current $3M. Nobody should be villifying Adam should he choose to leave for more money, and nobody should be villifying the team for choosing not to pay him more than they feel he is worth.

Business is business.

 

[oldrover]

Is Adam worth $3mil for one year? Maybe. Maybe not. It's not an easy call from a business standpoint. BB decided it wasn't. I can't fault him for that; the easy call would have been to franchise him.

 

[PATSNUTme]

I believe the high parking fees at the stadium are two fold. The state of MA is sharing the parking fees to pay for the access roads that were expnded around the stadium.

So the breakdown of the parking is $20 for KCorp and $15 for the State of MA. This is my recollection. Maybe someone has the facts to back this up, I don't.

 

[shmessy]

Is Adam worth $3mil for one year? Maybe. Maybe not. It's not an easy call from a business standpoint. BB decided it wasn't. I can't fault him for that; the easy call would have been to franchise him.

He's not even worth being franchised- so I don't think that's the easy call. He was 80% last year which puts him as an average kicker in 2005. His career average is 81.6%.

He has been the most clutch kicker of all-time, but some of the ones he missed in 2005 were uncharacteristically in clutch situations.

If I were the Pats, I would offer $1 million. If he takes that fine, if he can get more elsewhere, then there are no hard feelings. We will always love the guy for the great player and great person he has been.

For $1 million we can find a whole group of 80% placekickers, while putting that extra $2 million towards a stud Safety or ILB.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

He has been the most clutch kicker of all-time, but some of the ones he missed in 2005 were uncharacteristically in clutch situations.

There's a big difference between missing a FG in a crucial game and missing a crucial FG. Did some of Vinatieri's misses happen in crucial games? Yes. Were those FG, in and of themselves, crucial? No.

Then again, to paraphrase something either Brady or Belichick pointed out, Adam's performance in 2004 said as much about how good he was as about how often the Pats' offense stalled out in their opponents' territory.

 

[fgssand]

He's not even worth being franchised- so I don't think that's the easy call. He was 80% last year which puts him as an average kicker in 2005. His career average is 81.6%.

He has been the most clutch kicker of all-time, but some of the ones he missed in 2005 were uncharacteristically in clutch situations.

If I were the Pats, I would offer $1 million. If he takes that fine, if he can get more elsewhere, then there are no hard feelings. We will always love the guy for the great player and great person he has been.

For $1 million we can find a whole group of 80% placekickers, while putting that extra $2 million towards a stud Safety or ILB.

You would be the first to come out of your chair with rage, should they lose a game, or a season, by missing a last second field goal. Try and place a value on coming through in the clutch please.

 

[dhamz]

There's a big difference between missing a FG in a crucial game and missing a crucial FG. Did some of Vinatieri's misses happen in crucial games? Yes. Were those FG, in and of themselves, crucial? No.

I find it beyond belief that people continue to argue that miss is Denver was not a big (or in this choice of words "crucial") FG.

12 minutes left down 11 in a playoff game is a crucial FG.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I find it beyond belief that people continue to argue that miss is Denver was not a big (or in this choice of words "crucial") FG.

12 minutes left down 11 in a playoff game is a crucial FG.

My definition of crucial is one that, if by reversing the outcome of that kick, at that time, and nothing else, the outcome of the game is changed (win to tie or loss, tie to win or loss, loss to win or tie). Maybe I'm setting the bar too high, but that's my definition.

Yes, 4th quarter, down 11, is important, but it's not like you can pin the blame for the loss on Vinatieri alone.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Maybe we have beaten this Adam horse to death.

 

[fgssand]

Maybe we have beaten this Adam horse to death.

That SHOULD have been what we did to the Broncos instead of handing them the game.

 

[Brady#12]

That SHOULD have been what we did to the Broncos instead of handing them the game.

sadly you win some you lose some

 

[shmessy]

You would be the first to come out of your chair with rage, should they lose a game, or a season, by missing a last second field goal. Try and place a value on coming through in the clutch please.

I like AV as much as the next fan. I would love to keep him for $1 million. $3 million for an 80% kicker is too much. There are scores of 80% kickers out there who would love to sign cap-friendly, long-term contracts for $1 million per year.

If there were no salary caps, then fine, let Krafty back a brinks truck up to Adam's driveway, but with the cap, I just think we have more important priorities than that extra $2 million for sentimentality.