It is difficult, if not impossible, to see whatever Michael Crabtree is up to as anything other than idiotic. But I am like Samuel L. Jackson's God-fearing character Jules in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. "I'm tryin'. I'm tryin' real hard." And this is the sliver of light I see:Crabtree is trying to be to the NFL what Curt Flood was to Major League Baseball. He is daring to be a revolutionary who leads a shackled group to freedom.
The only problem is neither Crabtree nor his handlers have couched his fight in such egalitarian terms. They seem merely to be out for self.
Maybe Curt Flood was out for himself, too, when he first thumbed his nose at the way pro baseball did business with its laborers in 1969. When Flood's employer of a dozen seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals, traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in the fall of 1969, he refused to go. He thumbed his nose at baseball's so-called "reserve clause" that bound a player in perpetuity to the club owning his contract.
In a letter to Bowie Kuhn, the baseball commissioner at the time, Flood wrote: "After 12 years in the major leagues, I do not feel that I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system which produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen and is inconsistent with the laws of the United States and of the several states."
Kuhn dismissed Flood's challenge. Flood responded by filing a lawsuit against Kuhn and Major League Baseball. It wound up in the Supreme Court, where baseball won. Flood's career ended in a feeble comeback attempt with my hometown Washington Senators in 1971.
But Flood's challenge was a tipping point for free agency in baseball, which started in earnest after another challenge to the system in 1975.
The system Crabtree is fighting is no less restrictive and arbitrary. It is the so-called "slotting" system the NFL employs to remunerate draft choices. It just happens to make a lot more sense on the face of it than baseball's old reserve clause -- at least until you realize it requires nothing less than collusion.The collusion comes in because the teams basically agree to pay their newly minted pros based on where they are selected in the draft rather than for what is their potential worth, unless, of course, you believe that where a player is drafted is equal to his value. As a result, the first player drafted is rewarded with the fattest compensation package; the second player is rewarded with the second biggest deal, and so on.
Crabtree was picked 10th in April's draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He is a receiver and was thought by most to be the best receiver coming out of college.
However, another receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey, was selected before Crabtree with the 7th pick by Oakland. Heyward-Bey signed a five-year contract for $23.5 million. San Francisco then offered Crabtree the same length contract for $3.5 million less.
Crabtree has refused the offer. He has demanded not only Heyward-Bey money but, reportedly, a lot more -- maybe twice as much more. His handlers, like a relative of his I've known for years, David Wells, have suggested he's willing to sit out the entire season and re-enter the draft next year rather than sign with San Francisco for what he thinks is less than his worth. My attempts to contact Crabtree's agent Eugene Parker haven't yielded as much as a courtesy response.
I've been part of the choir singing that Crabtree is nuts. After all, a dollar today is worth more than it is tomorrow. He'll never recoup the offer on the table today, unless some team next year pays him more than what he thinks he's worth this year. That's highly unlikely. It would also be a sign that some other team has told him as much already, which would be tampering, a charge San Francisco just leveled against the New York Jets. The Jets have denied it and the league is about to look into it.
Crabtree isn't crazy if, however, it is the system he is waging war against and not the Niners. Given the beating his reputation is taking, he and his handlers would be wise at this point to adopt such a stance, too.
After all, slotting isn't fair. It's just neat and easy. That's why just about every pro sports league uses it. The NBA effectively implements a rookie pay scale that removes any bargaining from the process. (But at least a would-be pro basketball player now has Europe as an option.) In the NFL, Team A pays Draft Pick No. 1 X-amount of dollars and every other team falls in line behind. Nothing else matters -- not the need of the team or the accomplishments of the drafted player. The players who will put their health on the line playing the violent game we love that makes the owners billionaires have little more bargaining power than Curt Flood did. It's take it, or leave it. Crabtree so far is leaving it. It is a move of incalculable risk.
If Crabtree maintains his protest, he won't likely be the next draft's hot new thing. It'll be someone else and he'll lose draft position and more earning power. And if he fares as well as Mike Williams, another highly regarded college receiver who missed a year between college and the NFL, he'll be out of the league before he can qualify for his pension. The league moves that fast and skills, perceived or real, can diminish that quickly.
But if Crabtree prevails and gets what he wants, which is to be compensated for what has been extrapolated from his college career rather than what rung he landed on in the draft, the reward will be immeasurable for draft picks that come after him. The NFL's human auction, whether Crabtree realizes it, will be busted.
Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Take the money with intended clauses.
i'm sorry...but this is one of the dumbest articles i've ever read. I'm sure there have been some exceptions for the slotting system in professional sports...but for the most part, if you fall to #12 int he draft, there's probably a reason you didn't get picked at #2. you're deemed by the people that had choices 1-11 to be LESS VALUABLE. why on earth should someone picked at #12 make as much money as someone who's a 5,6,7. There's no way in hell a #XX pick should get paid as much as a X pick.
Take the money with intended clauses.
I think there's a fundamental flaw in comparing Flood with Crabtree: Flood was a professional and a major leaguer when he took on MLB. He had put in his time of service and didn't like the fact that, as a VETERAN, he had no say or power in where he could play. Why exactly should a rookie who has not played a down in the NFL have such bargaining power?
Michael Crabtree is basing this fight against the Niners (and by extension the NFL) on ego. He has yet to play a down in the NFL. He has yet to run a route against the best players in the league. We 've seen what type of player he was in college, but we don't know what type of player he will be in the NFL. In effect, what he is saying is "Guys like Mel Kjiper and Todd McShay said I was the best WR in the draft. The Raiders messed up by taking someone before me. So pay me what I'm worth". Well, what exactly is he worth? What is he basing his value on? Off his college numbers? They mean NOTHING in the NFL. He wants to get paid a truckload of guaranteed money with no guarantee that he is as good as advertised. And let's face it, even if he signs for the guaranteed $16 million that he's slotted for, at the MOST the Niners are going to be paying him that amount for a half year's worth of football for 2009, if that.
Of course, you can counter with "well, how is that different from the #1 pick, or the #2 pick? They're getting paid guaranteed money too with no guarantee that they're as good as advertised", but that's the whole point of the slotting system. Look at the flipside; MLB is out of control with teams overpaying for draft picks that are not worth anywhere near the guaranteed money they get from a signing bonus. Sure, Bud Selig requests that teams follow the slotting system that he came up with, but all the teams thumb their noses at it. For better or for worse, the slotting system makes it equitable; why should a guy who was drafted lower get more money than a guy who was drafted higher?
If you can come up with a better system than the slotting system, that is equitable to ALL draft picks, then let's hear it.
You are absolutely correct in pointing out Flood was an accomplished veteran when he took MLB on ... From what I heard about Crabtree he insulted the Raiders when they had him over for a pre-draft meeting ... so why would the Raiders draft him at #7? You can't insult the team looking for quality receivers and then demand the money for that position in the draft. Had he acted like a quality person who knows ... the Raiders may have drafted him but he instead dissed the Raiders and got drafted later because of his ego and inflated self image. He has done nothing to make this battle about anything other than what HE thinks he is worth based on playing in a lesser skilled league ... he hasn't done one thing to make this about anything other than he wants to get the most for any incoming wide receiver based on what HE thinks he's worth even though he dissed the team that drafted at that position and paid that level money. Paying these guys millions and millions of guaranteed money is and always has been insane ... and reporters like Kevin Blackstone who want to make this about something noble or him bucking a discriminatory lack of employment or fair amount of money is simply a Freeking JOKE! Sorry Kevin ... this is an absurd article with no real value. This isn't about Crabtree getting screwed ... he is a egomaniac who hasn't played one down in the NFL ... if he wants big money then get clauses that pay you more for your performance ... not guaranteed money based on a old and over college career that ended with Crabtree breaking his foot. He is a egomaniac and a greedy one at that and their is no noble cause here ... there are millions of people struggling in a rotten economy where the poor and middle class are bailing out wealthy incompetents On Wall Street, Big Banking and Corporate America ... and guess what Crabtree ... The NFL is Corporate America ... it is about the money ... but you are a rookie who hasn't shown anyone anything but an arrogant ego filled attitude who in no way deserves a 5 year $5 million a year salary. If you are a realist Crabtree ... You will realize that you have done nothing to date but show your bad side to your management, fellow players and potential fans. You will never make up the money you are losing and if I were the 9ers I would pro-rate this years salary to a much lower wage this year because much like what the Raiders learned with Jamarcus Russell ... although not as technical of a position ... Crabtree's contribution will be minimalized by missing all of Spring training and probably over 25% of the season ... So to me the 9ers should take another $750K off their offer and stand pat. If Crabtree doesn't sign he is only screwing himself!
I agree. Curt Flood was a proven commodity in professional baseball so the comparison makes no sense. I think all Crabtree is doing with this holdout is alienating himself from potential fans and reducing credibility with G.M.'s. Its becoming more and more obvious his love for money is greater than the love of playing the game. Yet another sad example of some of todays players coming out of the college game.
I think San Fran should end all decussions with him. If he signed today it would take half the season for him to get game ready. Crabtree will only drop in next years draft. Paying him at this time will hurt the team. The only way a player will get over on the team is by signing shorter contracts. If they come out and play at pro bowl level they could hold the team up for more money. But their will be the risk of getting hurt or just not playing well. All players should stick to the slotting system. I bet San Diego wish they had that Ryan Leaf money back.
Allow up to 3 teams to draft a single player. That would end the slotting and the colluding by the owners. With 3 teams bidding on a draft pick there would be no doubt as to his market value. 2 teams might collude, but 3 teams would break ranks if they want that player. The slotting system assumes that at every point in time, every team has the same exact needs, and we all know that is not the case. For example, if the Lions get next years 1st round pick, they won't draft Tebow because they already have Stafford. But that doesn't make Tebow any less valuable to other teams just because he was slotted lower in the draft. Allow 3 teams to draft a single player. Problem solved. Besides, isn't that what free agency is in the end? Let the MARKET dictate a players value, not a SLOT.
he will lose..as he should...
What a shame. He is an extraordinary receiver who is getting bad advice and will lose in the end. What a waste of talent. SCHMUCK
I beg the San Francisco organization to keep that greedy bastard sitting .Iam a 49ER FAN and has been honored to be one for the last 27 years and I will never root for this puke no matter what he does.Please Don't let some 20 year old punk dictate to us what hes going to do, expecting our class organization to cave into his greedy demands ..Let The crack head baby sit!!!!
Dam Bobby you sound like you OWN the team "dont let some 20 yr old punk tell US what to do yada yada"... I remember not to long ago a quarterback named Manning dicated what team he would or would not go to. None of you clowns have a clue what Crabtree is worth or not worth. As usual this board is ooooooozing with jealous people. What this guy is doing is know different than what anybody else would if they felt that they were being under paid. Give the dude a break. Put yourself in his shoes.
Let This greedy bastard sit .This crack head baby is just a typical greedy selfish punk .I beg the San Francisco organization not to sign him .I have been a 49 er fan for 27 years and will never root for this Punk .I hope we keep our class and do not cave in .I support the organization ,Please let him sit ......
I agree with the one dude who wrote Crabtree isn't a vet whose looking out for himself and others after years of putting in the time and work.
Crabtree's a punk and all he's done since his college playing days ended is prove everyone that called him a punk or primadonna correct.
The kid's already given everyone a look into his future.
Don't sign him and let him take his act to Canada.
I'd sympathize with him except that NFL rookies are insanely overpaid compared to all other NFL players. The kid has never caught a ball in the pros and wants to get paid more than Randy Moss.
Slotting? This concept has been around and is still being used in other areas of the work force. Teachers and civil servants are good examples. The salary guide in these professions slots salaries not based on performance but rather years of service. In these professions, there is no getting around the salary guide save for changing careers. He ought consider that. Teachers start between $40 and 50 thousand in NJ.
This guy is a cancer get rid off him...Im glad my raiders passed up on him.....
Thats why your raiders suck!! all you guys know how to do is take castouts and others leftovers.remember Gannon,Plunkett? then you draft crap like Russell? Al davis is a living skeleton!!!
Kevin you must be a moron, this may be the worst article I ever attempted to read. Not only did you compare a rookie who has been guaranteed 18 million dollars with free agency rights to curt flood making zero money without a chance to a free market. I believe you must have missed the nfl curt flood case, it was when Reggie White sued for free agency and created what we have now as the slotting/extortion system to begin with. I am insulted you even mentioned Curt Flood in the same sentence as Crabtree and I hope to see your next article is an apology to the Flood family for even comparing the two situations, I can now see why you write for this website and no one else.
If Kevin is such a poor writer why are you wasting your time reading it?
Good work Kevin.It's a thought provoking article.Maybe some one will sue the NFL one day on the illegality of the draft.