In this segment, we will pick out an athlete, coach, owner, commentator, or really anyone involved in the sports world who was the least professional that week. For our first Amateur of the Week post, I've had the pleasure to choose from one of the many screw-ups who graced the headlines. While players like K-Rod and Chris Bosh made valiant efforts to win the title, this week's biggest amateur is New York Jets holdout Darrelle Revis.
All summer, I've gone back and forth over who I should place the blame on for this ugly holdout. For a while I was pretty upset at GM Mike Tannenbaum for not paying arguably the Jets' most valuable player, but in the light of what happened this week, I'm now on the Jets side. First off, this isn't the first time Revis has played hard ball with the Jets. He held out before the 2007 season demanding that the Jets give him the maximum amount of years (6) on his rookie contract. So hold out no. 1 was about long term commitment, and most likely a few million dollars. Flash forward to 2010 where Revis has created an unneeded distraction (and much excitement at the HBO headquarters) demanding that he gets a fat contract making him the highest paid corner in the league (more than Raiders' Nnamdi Asomugha's 15.1 mil a yr deal). After his All-Pro season, I understand why he would want to be paid like that, especially because he is set to earn "only" 1 mil this season. The problem is that while he has leverage because he is a crucial part of the Jets' no. 1 ranked defense, he is still under contract for 3 more years which means sitting out this season will only result in the same problem next year. Now to why he's this week's biggest amateur.
Early in the week, Jets owner Woody Johnson asked Revis if he could be present for the negotiations and then told the press he was "rebuffed" by his agents. Then the Revis camp issued a statement saying that was a "blatant lie," and they would meet anytime. Head Coach Rex Ryan then called that situation a "blatant joke," basically calling out both parties for playing the he said, she said game with the media. Ryan suggested that Johnson, Revis, and the entire organization meet up for an open negotiation to solve the problem (veteran offensive tackle Damian Woody agreed). While at first this sounds ridiculous, I think it's a pretty good idea since it creates the family atmosphere Rex talks so much about. Revis denied this request, and behind a closed door negotiation rejected the Jets' 10 years, 120 million dollar contract. That type of contract for a corner is unheard of, and Revis countered with 10 years, 160 million (plus guaranteed cash of course).
This should be the last straw for Revis supporters. I understand paying him 15+ mil a year for maybe 5 seasons, but once he's in his 30s there is no way he is playing to the same shutdown level that he is now (just look at Champ Bailey). The Jets' proposal most likely will give him that type of cash for the first half then have diminishing salaries for the rest. Completely reasonable. Plus, not only is the total salary not okay with Revis, but he's demanding more guaranteed money, and I've heard rumors that the Jets offered 30 mil. Revis needs to quit this egotistical Lebron James act, and get the deal signed so he can get back to doing what he does best: playing football. After watching Hard Knocks, I don't see how any player would want to get on Rex Ryan's bad side.
Darrelle, you're this week's biggest Amateur, it's time to start acting like a professional.
P.S. Since when did Al Davis set the market price for NFL players? He lost his mind in the 90s.
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