Legal tampering period is half-assed

[YardRat]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000148990/article/nfl-memo-to-teams-explains-tamperingwindow-rules

SUBJECT: Impermissible Activity During the Three-day Negotiating Period for Unrestricted Free Agents


Clubs were advised in PP-26-13 that during the three-day negotiating period for prospective Unrestricted Free Agents, they are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2012 Player Contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12, and that no contract can be executed with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12.


Clubs are further advised that prior to the beginning of the new League Year it is impermissible for a club to enter into an agreement of any kind, express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent or understandings of any kind concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to, or to be offered to, any prospective Unrestricted Free Agent for inclusion in a Player Contract after the start of the new League Year. Any announcement of an agreement or an agreement in principle by a club or another party, including, but not limited to, a certified agent, player, or media organization may subject the club to a tampering investigation.


Please contact the Player Personnel department if you have any questions


What a bunch of dumbasses. How in the hell do you negotiate without implying intent concerning terms of employment?

[Thief]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

LOL. Right on man. Doesn't make any logical sense whatsoever. And, players without agents get screwed.

[X-Era]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

I like it but more not for contract negotiation purposes.

I like the concept of having a period before FA to determine if players are interested in coming to your team. Tampering is happening and we all know it. I'd rather let the teams who more strictly follow the rules, like the Bills (most likely), get to participate in talking to players before FA too.

The mad dash at the start of FA is a bit ridiculous. Why not have a period where players and teams get a chance to feel out who is interested so they can mull over their options before it all starts. Then when FA hits part of the sort is done for both sides.

The contract piece is stupid, I agree.

I think they simply are saying you can roughly talk about how much a player is looking for and how much a team will pay but you cannot then have any back and forth with an agent. Maybe it works like this:

Gibson's agent: "Brandon is looking for 6 mill per"
Bills: "We'd pay 4 mill per for Brandon"

If that's the end of the money discussion there was no negotiating.

[YardRat]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

I like it but more not for contract negotiation purposes.

I like the concept of having a period before FA to determine if players are interested in coming to your team. Tampering is happening and we all know it. I'd rather let the teams who more strictly follow the rules, like the Bills (most likely), get to participate in talking to players before FA too.

The mad dash at the start of FA is a bit ridiculous. Why not have a period where players and teams get a chance to feel out who is interested so they can mull over their options before it all starts. Then when FA hits part of the sort is done for both sides.

I don't mind the general concept, but the set-up is half-assed.

Nix-"Hey Kruger, wanna play for the Bills?"
Kruger-"Sure, I'd consider it...how much money are we talking about?"
Nix-"Ummm...I'm not allowed to discuss that."

Not to mention the possibility that it opens up for Goodell's cabana boys in New England to stretch the rules and have deals in place while the league office looks the other way.

[SquishDaFish]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

Ed Reed is screwed he is his own agent. He cant talk to clubs until the 12th

[Skooby]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

Jesus says it the best here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1SfzV67Bqw

[X-Era]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

I don't mind the general concept, but the set-up is half-assed.

Nix-"Hey Kruger, wanna play for the Bills?"
Kruger-"Sure, I'd consider it...how much money are we talking about?"
Nix-"Ummm...I'm not allowed to discuss that."

Not to mention the possibility that it opens up for Goodell's cabana boys in New England to stretch the rules and have deals in place while the league office looks the other way.

If teams are willing to break the rules, they are willing to break the rules, no way around that.

But the Kruger conversation could in fact happen, I realize it's semantics but:

Nix-"Hey Kruger, wanna play for the Bills?"
Kruger-"Sure, I'd consider it...how much money are we talking about?"
Nix- "Were looking for a OLB in the 7 mill per price range"
Kruger- "Let's talk on the 12th"

What happened? There was no negotiating or even terms of a contract directed solely at Kruger. The Bills expressed interest and Kruger also expressed interest. If the Bills follow the tampering rules to the letter (that's an assumption I realize), none of that convo would have taken place before. Kruger then knows the Bills are looking at players in his price range and the Bills know he's interested in the Bills in that price range. Both sides now know there is interest and the Bills have now gauged real interest.

And the flip side is now also true. Kruger may want way more and then let them know he isn't interested in talking any more. This helps weed out who is in play and who isn't.

[YardRat]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

If teams are willing to break the rules, they are willing to break the rules, no way around that.

But the Kruger conversation could in fact happen, I realize it's semantics but:

Nix-"Hey Kruger, wanna play for the Bills?"
Kruger-"Sure, I'd consider it...how much money are we talking about?"
Nix- "We'd be willing to pay you 7 mill per"
Kruger- "Let's talk on the 12th"

What happened? There was no negotiating, the Bills expressed interest and Kruger also expressed interest. If the Bills follow the tampering rules to the letter (that's an assumption I realize), none of that convo would have taken place before.

IMO, that would violate...

it is impermissible for a club to enter into an agreement of any kind, express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent or understandings of any kind concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to

[X-Era]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

IMO, that would violate...

it is impermissible for a club to enter into an agreement of any kind, express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent or understandings of any kind concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to

I fixed it already. LOL.

As I said it's in the semantics.

If I go to a car lot with sticker prices on the windshields and spend my time over in the 18,000 dollar car area more than the 12,000 car area do I tell the dealer something? If I go to a dealer and tell them I'm looking for a car in the 18k range am I somehow entering into any contract negotiations?

Ultimately there is no agreement to do anything. It is simply a statement of interest.

Kruger's agent can put the sticker on the windshield saying were looking for 7 mill per.
The Bills can show interest in Kruger and let his agent know that they want to add a OLB at around 7 mill per. That wouldn't violate the rules IMO.

The legaleeze is the crux of the issue.

Terms or conditions of employment to me means length of the deal, incentives, bonuses, etc...
Assurances of intent to me means "we will sign you at _ per year" and "we'd be interested at _ per year".

[The Jokeman]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

Basically all the tampering rule allows agents and/or players to voice their feelings on who they want to meet with but they can't to go into details of a contract or actually work out a deal etc. The only thing I can compare it to is the Rose ceremony on the Bachelor.

[YardRat]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

Basically all the tampering rule allows agents and/or players is voice their feelings on who they want to meet with not the terms of the contract etc. Sort of like the Rose ceremony on the Bachelor.

So how long ago did you lose your man card?

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

Basically this part of the FA period is like two married people flirting at a bar while their spouses are in the john. A lot of non-committal talk with no concrete plans, and if either gets caught they will deny the whole thing.

[The Jokeman]

Re: Legal tampering period is half-assed

So how long ago did you lose your man card?

HA! I knew that was coming but actually I don't watch the show but my job (customer service for a major cable company) forces me to know about and/or learn about tv shows that others watch.