When You’re Just Being a Jerk
Aug 1, 2008 Eagles Rumors
I’m generally not the guy shouting “these guys make way too much money!” when talking about professional athletes’ salaries. Our world is one in which you’re encouraged to take as big a piece of the pie as you can get (before someone else gets it first). And what, would you rather see the NFL owners pocket more money?
But the Lito Sheppard contract case is driving me crazy. The guy reportedly wants a new contract before the start of the season. He even hired the King of all Assholes to represent him in this endeavor.
And he’s doing all of this despite the fact he hasn’t been a good cornerback in two years. On top of that, he signed a deal which gave him an $8.75 million signing bonus only a few years ago. That isn’t anything to sneeze at, even in today’s market.
I understand when a player is dramatically underpaid and he wants a raise. When a guy truly outperforms his contract I have no problem with him asking for more money.
But Lito hasn’t done that. He’s done the opposite. He’s been injured or not playing very well for two straight years. He hasn’t been an asset to the team. He lacks any real leverage, and I hope the Eagles tell Rosenhaus to shove off.
Update: After giving a little more thought to this… has there ever been any athlete demanding a raise who deserved it less? Seriously, what do you think Rosenhaus is saying in these conversations? The more I think about it, the more I realize this has to be about Lito and Rosenhaus wanting out of town.
Tags: Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia Eagles
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