Night Train
08-13-2011, 05:46 AM
This has been going on for 50 years but let's not learn from it. Blaming Nix or Gailey is easier and requires no thought, a Billszone specialty.
Once Evans looked like he was being phased out of the playbook ( he was ) the bean counters (Overdorf/Littman ) saw Evans as a highly overpaid backup and instructed Nix to make the move. GM Dick Gallagher heard the same instructions in the 1960's, Chuck Knox, Bill Polian, John Butler...it's been like this FOREVER.
What Ralph & the bean counters fail to ever measure is how it plays in the locker room and how they are perceived around the NFL among perspective FA's (poorly).
Evans WAS being phased out but carrying his salary for his last 2 years of his contract was not going to be an issue. They should have approached him and told him they planned to use him less, letting him make the decision to be traded where he could start again, or stay.
Sounds like they didn't do that and that's what has the locker room very upset, since Evans was the walking defintion of class and leadership. It WAS handled POORLY.
Football IS a business and I've seen many good co-workers given 5 minutes to clean out their desks and hit the parking lot with a security escort. Don't think Football is any different, despite the so-called label of "Sport".
Hopefully, the next owner will have better business sense, instead of obsessing with every penny over the human aspect. But I guess making donations (tax breaks) and putting your name on buildings takes care of that issue, right Ralph ?
Once Evans looked like he was being phased out of the playbook ( he was ) the bean counters (Overdorf/Littman ) saw Evans as a highly overpaid backup and instructed Nix to make the move. GM Dick Gallagher heard the same instructions in the 1960's, Chuck Knox, Bill Polian, John Butler...it's been like this FOREVER.
What Ralph & the bean counters fail to ever measure is how it plays in the locker room and how they are perceived around the NFL among perspective FA's (poorly).
Evans WAS being phased out but carrying his salary for his last 2 years of his contract was not going to be an issue. They should have approached him and told him they planned to use him less, letting him make the decision to be traded where he could start again, or stay.
Sounds like they didn't do that and that's what has the locker room very upset, since Evans was the walking defintion of class and leadership. It WAS handled POORLY.
Football IS a business and I've seen many good co-workers given 5 minutes to clean out their desks and hit the parking lot with a security escort. Don't think Football is any different, despite the so-called label of "Sport".
Hopefully, the next owner will have better business sense, instead of obsessing with every penny over the human aspect. But I guess making donations (tax breaks) and putting your name on buildings takes care of that issue, right Ralph ?