From what I've read about his agent, I don't like him already.
Originally Posted by: zombieslayer
You don't like him because he's not representing and making millions for you. If he was, you'd love him. [boxing]
And yes, I understand the argument about money/security/etc. But I can guarantee you as a fan of the Packers since 1976 that the geezer players (35+) care more about the Rings than the $$$. I bet Marino (completely hypothetical situation) would have worked one year for free if he could have had just one SB ring.
Originally Posted by: zombieslayer
Well, with Marino, he already had the money issue locked up, so naturally he would turn his attention to having a ring. I would debate that in the long run, having plenty of money for the rest of your life and plenty to pass down to all your children and grandchildren would be more important than having a ring and little money. Moreover, Greg is already a champion. No one can every take that away from him. If he never played another snap in his life, he would still be a champion, as much as someone like Brett Favre, Warren Sapp, etc. are. Another Ring would nice, sure, but it's no guarantee no matter where he goes. What could be close to be a guarantee is the money.
The other teams Gregorious could go to that have solid chances for years of making SBs are limited - the Steelers, the Giants, and the Patriots.
Originally Posted by: zombieslayer
I think you're not factoring into how quickly the NFL can change in a couple of years. In two years, the Patriots and Steelers may no longer be serious contenders. Teams such as the Panthers, Seahawks, Bucs, Falcons, Lions, Redskins, Colts, etc. could all be serious contenders in two years. Just because a team is a contender today doesn't necessarily mean much 2-3 years from now.
Plus, he's not taking into account his future AFTER football. HUGE difference between being a multiple SB winning former player and having no Rings. Deion Sanders for instance has 2 Rings - one with the Niners and one with the Cows. What happened if Sanders stayed with Atlanta his entire career? He may or may not have had such a lucrative career after football.
Originally Posted by: zombieslayer
I'm not sure that I'm understanding this part. I would think getting as much money as possible is taking ones future into account much more so than chasing a ring that may never come. Players are always one play from a career ending injury. That's why I think it's most important to secure as much money as reasonably possible while the opportunity is there. What if Greg took the biggest offer AND eventually won another ring? That sounds like the ideal goal to me . . . for him anyway.
Overall, I could see a player taking a few million less to stay with a certain team, or a small percentage of their overall salary. Anything more than that would be asking too much, imo. Of course there could always be exceptions such as a player truly loving an area, not wanting to move his kids, living around family, etc. I'm still not sure those things would be worth more than few million dollars of total contract value.
EDIT: I suppose to me, what I leave behind to future generations is much more important than ANOTHER Super Bowl ring. For example, making sure that my children and grandchildren have the support in place to maximize every opportunity they may have in life, vs. not going to college due to high interest rates on student loans, or not being able to enter a specific college program they want to due expenses. After winning one ring, I would be thinking more in those terms rather than only about a 2nd Super Bowl ring. I understand one could still do those things on any decent NFL salary, but if two contracts are on the table and one is worth much more than the other, I'm not sure how you turn the big one down. As with anything, there are obviously exceptions, such as going to the worst team in the league, a place with volatile ownership, etc, but Jennings would likely have more options than that. I can't disagree that as a Packer fan, I certainly hope he takes a reasonable deal though.