Budgeting is players’ big concern during lockout

[fordfixer]

Budgeting is players’ big concern during lockout

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=A ... nflplayers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AiiExCCjeinR8FWYsKjQ8ZZDubYF?slug=ap-nflplayers)

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. (AP)—“Show me the money”—the famous line from the movie “Jerry Maguire”—has taken on a whole new meaning in the NFL’s labor impasse.

For the players, it’s morphed into “Show me how much I need for bills my team used to pay.”

Since the owners implemented a lockout last Saturday, players are responsible for signing up for and funding their own health benefits, or COBRA policies. The average monthly fee for a family policy is $2,400, the players’ association says.


According to the NFL, the average player salary rose about 35 percent—from $1.4 million in 2005, the last year of the old deal, to $1.9 million in 2009. The league didn’t have comparable figures for 2010 because there was no salary cap in place.

Players are paid each of the 17 weeks of the regular season and get limited stipends during training camp and the preseason. So no paychecks would be arriving this time of year. But with no collective bargaining agreement, any roster or signing bonuses due players are not being paid. They also must pay for their own workouts and for insurance against injury during those sessions because team facilities are off-limits.

“The biggest concern right now is that we have some young players who don’t have insurance and who have to pay COBRA and who may not have the ability to pay COBRA over a long term,” NFLPA president Kevin Mawae(notes) said Thursday at the organization’s annual meetings. “Is it a ton of players? No. But is it concern enough for us? Absolutely.

“As far as preparing for the lockout, players don’t get paid between this time of year and August, anyway. So they should already be in that mode, because that’s what the offseason has always been for them. As far as what happens when the regular season kicks in and there’s a lockout then? Then guys are going to start missing checks. But our players have known for the last two years that they’ve been asked to start saving money, cut down on the lifestyle and be ready for the worst-case scenario. And we believe that the majority of our players are.”

Still, plenty of money questions from vets and younger players alike are being fielded by members of the NFLPA’s board of directors—called player reps before the union dissolved last week.

“Just last week I was at a clinic in Hawaii and a veteran was asking me not only how health care works, but how does the money play into it,” Steelers tackle Max Starks(notes) said. “We have to go through all scenarios with how this can play out, and we do.

“We’ve told guys a year out that this (lockout) could happen and to be smart and to cover your expenses. A lot of them might understand, but their families don’t. Their wives or parents or fiancees don’t. They have people asking to loan them money, people who may be counting on them, and they haven’t said no. They need to have the ability to say no.”

If owners are counting on players to break rank because money is tight, the first sign of that likely would come in late summer.

The minimum salary was $320,000 for rookies in 2010; $395,000 for one year of experience; up to $630,000 for four to six years; $755,000 for seven to nine seasons; and $855,000 for 10 and above. The average career is about 3.5 years.

“We’re going to keep united long term,” said Jets fullback Tony Richardson(notes), a 16-year veteran and longtime member of the NFLPA executive committee. “Our leadership has been giving information and our guys have to know to prepare to get their bills paid.

“If one of our guys needs help, I’ll reach out and help him and make sure we hear his needs. The guys who bury themselves in a corner and say, `I’ve got to come out (and break ranks),’ those are the guys we’ve got to reach.”

Richardson wasn’t around for the 1987 strike when dozens of players, including stars like Joe Montana and Lawrence Taylor, crossed picket lines after the owners staged games with non-union replacement players. But he understands the pressures his peers will face if they haven’t socked away enough money.

“We’re not at a place at all yet where guys say they financially are in bad situations,” he said. “We have a lockout fund. We planned for this years ago.”

[Chadman]

We planned for this years ago.


Hmmm....

[Oviedo]

It's insulting to think with the money these guys make they are starting to have financial issues. No sympathy.

[feltdizz]

It's insulting to think with the money these guys make they are starting to have financial issues. No sympathy.

insulting? Really? lol...

you are really taking this to heart.

[feltdizz]

We planned for this years ago.


Hmmm....

well.... ovie has no sympathy for guys who don't plan for stuff like this so it should be applauded. :D

[birtikidis]

We planned for this years ago.


Hmmm....
If I were part of the NFLPA union, I would have started planning for it the second the owners opted out of the old CBA. Should they have just skipped through a field of poseys saying fla la la afterwards?

[flippy]

What about the billionaire owners? Are they prepared for no paychecks? I'm concerned about these guys too.

[Eich]

Budgeting is players’ big concern during lockout

I think budgeting is a big concern ALL the time for these players. You almost have to save these guys from themselves. How does a guy like Mark Brunell go bankrupt? As a backup with the Saints, he still made more money in a year in the NFL than most people make in 15-20 years.

Brunell is a seasoned NFL guy who appears to be intelligent and he still can't make ends meet. So, imagine the typical athlete that comes out of college and starts making a MINIMUM of $300k/year in the NFL and the spending spree begins.


“The biggest concern right now is that we have some young players who don’t have insurance and who have to pay COBRA and who may not have the ability to pay COBRA over a long term,” NFLPA president Kevin Mawae(notes) said Thursday at the organization’s annual meetings. “Is it a ton of players? No. But is it concern enough for us? Absolutely.

If paying COBRA is something any player is having trouble handling, they are in more trouble than their healthcare plan. If they can't budget their money properly, then maybe they should all take pay CUTS and have the league pay for and manage things like healthcare for them.

[hawaiiansteel]

Player court 'victory' could wind up being anything but

By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
March 17, 2011


Let's say you believe that a federal court next month overturns the current NFL lockout and rules in favor of players seeking to end it. Then what? Well, then everyone can return to work, free agency resumes and players declare victory -- one they no doubt believe they can turn into an advantage if and when they return to the negotiating table.

But be careful what you wish for, guys. I'd argue that even if the NFL loses in court, it may still earn a significant victory, and here's why: If a lockout is struck down, the league almost certainly returns to rules governing the 2010 season -- and tell me how popular that was with its constituents.

It wasn't. Players didn't like the system then, and I can't imagine they'll like it again. One reason: A lot of guys who could become unrestricted free agents and score huge paydays would again have to wait six years instead of the usual four for that opportunity, and they can complain all they want. It won't matter because they'll have no choice, and, trust me, that won't go over easily.

So some players will be furious with what they consider a Pyrrhic victory, and you tell me who gains leverage then.

Essentially, this could be one of those scenarios where players win the war and lose the peace because even though there will be antitrust exposure and players will appeal the league's action -- whatever it might be -- it could take eons to resolve through the legal system, and I know who’s willing and more prepared to wait longer ... and it's not the players.

By reinstating 2010 rules, owners would operate without a cap ceiling, without a cap floor, without some player benefits and with six years -- not four -- of free agency. Now, let me get this straight: That's a victory for players? I don't think so.

Players would be paid, and eventually, a new collective bargaining agreement would be reached, but the pressure won't be on owners to cut a new deal; it will be on the players. They will want anything that frees them from last season's guidelines.

If you don't believe it, consider the cases of Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill in San Diego: They were so teed off last season when they went from unrestricted to restricted free agents, they stayed at home and refused to show up for work. McNeill sat out until mid-October. Jackson didn't return to the field until late November. Both wanted long-term contracts, but only one got it.

That would be McNeill, who signed a five-year, $48 million deal after returning to the team. And Jackson? He didn't do so well. He lost a lot of money, was tagged as the team's franchise player last month and now is one of 10 players filing an antitrust lawsuit against the league.

Jackson was supposed to cash in big after breakouts years in 2008 and 2009, but the payday never arrived. Instead of gaining a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract, he reluctantly returned to sign a one-year tender -- which is not the picture of a happy camper.

Now, multiply Vincent Jackson by 151 (the number of fourth- and fifth-year restricted free agents with tenders), and you're looking at the next class of unhappy free agents waiting to be disappointed if 2010 happens all over again. Among them: WR Santonio Holmes, CB Antonio Cromartie, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB Joseph Addai, S Eric Weddle, OT Willie Colon and LB Stewart Bradley.

They should be frustrated. They should be angry. And they should ask why they're in this position. In short, they should ask why NFLPA negotiators didn't hang around last Friday when the league made a substantial last-minute move that deserved discussion.

Afterward, players explained that they were tired of waiting for management to move on something that could have been proposed a week, three weeks or months earlier, and I understand. But I also understand that's how negotiations work. Often, it's not until the last minute that one side blinks, and in this case that side was the owners.

The NFLPA had a perfect window of opportunity to declare a victory ... extend talks ... exert leverage ... something, anything ... but instead walked out of the meeting and moved to decertify, an act that provoked owners to declare a lockout.

Exasperated players claim that's what owners wanted all along, and that's a topic for debate. But it's also business, folks, and it's not for the weak. NFL owners resorted to muscle, and I suggest they did it knowing they could lose next month when a U.S. federal court in Minnesota hears its case.

Of course, they'll never say that, nor should they. They could always win the decision, too, but when it comes to the courtroom the players are the home team that gets the calls.

But so what? Even if the players win a court decision, the most difficult battle remains. And it's one they could just as easily lose ... and lose big. And don't tell me owners don't know it.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/1482 ... ything-but (http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/14823626/player-court-victory-could-wind-up-being-anything-but)

[feltdizz]

What about the billionaire owners? Are they prepared for no paychecks? I'm concerned about these guys too.

:lol:

[hawaiiansteel]

Michael Strahan: Owners have leverage, some players are panicking

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 18, 2011


As a former member of the players’ union, Giants defensive end Michael Strahan doesn’t think NFL players are in good enough financial shape to withstand a long lockout. And he thinks some of those players are already worried with the lockout just a week old.

“You’re panicking if you’re a guy who is living paycheck to paycheck,” Strahan told Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “You have to remember, every guy [in the NFL] doesn’t make millions. Then you have to remember, some of those guys making millions still live paycheck to paycheck. If you’re an owner, you have leverage. That’s where players can get weak, when they start missing checks. That’s when it’s going to get scary for a lot of people. Trust me.”

It’s no surprise that the management side liked those comments so much that they were featured at NFLLabor.com. But I think all of us can like some of Strahan’s other comments.

“It’s a lot of money, but there’s a middle ground. Find it. Why wait until the last minute?” Strahan said. “They both have to give. At some point, nobody is going to benefit from this, and I’d hate to see this game — which is more popular than it’s ever been — turn off a lot of people.”

Strahan is right: Eventually, this dispute is going to get resolved and we’re going to have professional football. The question is whether they’ll find the middle ground and resolve the dispute in the spring, or if they’re going to wait several months and make this really ugly. If it’s the latter, they should recognize that not all the fans who are turned off will come back.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... panicking/ (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/18/michael-strahan-owners-have-leverage-some-players-are-panicking/)

[birtikidis]

We planned for this years ago.


Hmmm....
let me ask you chadman... if you knew your company was going to shutdown operationg for up to a year.. would you start planning?

[NorthCoast]

If this headline is supposed to garner sympathy from any common fan my guess is that it has fallen on deaf ears. The players are schooled in elementary financial matters when they enter the league. The problem is that many don't really see the end of the money train until it is much too late. But this is no different than what happens in any other get-rich-quick story. How many lottery winners end up broke after winning millions?

[hawaiiansteel]

don't listen to 'em, Pacman.

go ahead and Make It Rain, you'll never run out of $...

http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/397477/pacman-jones.jpg

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I've said all along that the NFL is set up for the players to buckle. Here is why.....

They mention the $1.9M average salary, but the average is meaningless. What you need to know is the median salary.

The median number would be the player who is right in the middle. So, if there are 53 players on a roster plus 8 PS players (who I believe are members of the union) that gives you 61 players x 32 teams = 1,952 members of the defunct PA. Now add a couple of hundred or so players who are on IR, were cut but still retain membership etc and the number balloons to well over 2K. Let us just say that the number is 1,999 - although I am sure it is higher. But for simplicity sake that number works.

The median player is player #1,000. Half of the voters make more money, the other half make less. Now, you must remember that a large percentage of a team's cap is taken up by the stud QB, LTs, and shutdown corners. I would guess that this fictional player #1,000 makes less than $1M a year. I would also believe that Mr. 1,000 did not sign a contract with a huge bonus as he was unlikely to have been a first rounder. This player - and most players below him on the list - are hungry guys probably playing a lot of special teams, and not very secure in their long term football future. Keep in mind that the average football career is about three years and Mr. 1,000 knows this. He is very mindful of the reality that he could very well be retired at 25 with career earnings of around $3M. Not bad for sure but not an amount of money that sets him up for life.

Now tell that same guy that we are about to ask him to forgo 1/3 of his potential earning power. You are also telling him that in order to retain his hold on his position that he will have to battle two years worth of draft picks, not just one crop of rooks.

How long before the working class of the union rise up against the fat cats who have control over the bulk of the salary cap? (I wanted to put this into some sort of trade union speak :lol: )

To sum up a very long winded argument - Football is the one sport in which more than 50% of the players cannot have the combination of patience and determination to agree to a long work stoppage.

[Chadman]

We planned for this years ago.


Hmmm....
let me ask you chadman... if you knew your company was going to shutdown operationg for up to a year.. would you start planning?


That's one view.

However, from the other side of the fence- does this not show the intentions of the players regarding the negotiations?

[Chadman]

It’s a lot of money, but there’s a middle ground. Find it. Why wait until the last minute?” Strahan said. “They both have to give.

And there's the truth of it.

For negotiation to happen, actual NEGOTIATION has to take place- not demands only.

Give, and take.

The owners are probably related to Satan himself- but they GAVE options. Maybe not the best, or most popular. But they still offered something.

The players thus far have demanded.

They need to give too, for this to work.

[hawaiiansteel]

NFL players begin to pay their own training expenses

By Amy Shipley, Monday, March 21


MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ryan Clark pulled a small plastic bag containing 13 oval-shaped pills, some white, some beige, some translucent orange, out of a duffel bag last weekend, shaking his head. That assortment of supplements, vitamins and medication — which he takes three times daily — costs him $300 to $400 a month.

Clark, a former Redskin, has no spleen or gall bladder, so he has a few special nutritional and medical needs beyond those he considers crucial to keeping his NFL body in mint condition. Yet he’s not the only player amazed at the current price tag on certain items in his personal health and fitness budget.

Cleveland Browns’ offensive tackle Tony Pashos considers twice- or thrice-weekly massages crucial to his training routine. But even the most basic rubdown runs him about $180.

“The majority of us, we are all massive,” said Pashos, whose 6-foot-6-inch, 325-pound frame occupied the better part of a conference room sofa during during the National Football League Players Association meetings here Friday. “My wife loves a 30-minute massage. Thirty minutes for me, you only cover my ankle and my foot. I need a two-hour massage.”

With the average NFL salary around $2 million, players acknowledge they have much greater financial resources to weather a work stoppage than the average out-of-work fan. But as the NFL lockout enters it second week, some players are beginning to realize how expensive it will be to maintain their chiseled — and in some cases enormous — physiques to the standard they achieved when they had the run of NFL training facilities and weight rooms, breakfast and lunch spreads, trainers, therapists, physicians, and NFL-funded health-care coverage.

In a significant blow for the NFLPA, an arbitrator ruled in February that the NFL did not have to provide health insurance coverage for active players once the most recent collective bargaining agreement expired in early March, even though the league had provided benefits to players during the 1982 and ’87 strikes.

“This is the way the NFL applies pressure from the inside out, from inside the family,” said Miki Yaras-Davis, who was the NFLPA’s senior director of benefits and still assists players even though the union dissolved on March 11. . For some it’s been “devastating,” she said. “We warned our players: This will happen.”

Players, even those injured last year when the collective bargaining agreement was in effect, now must pay out of pocket for health insurance. Government-guaranteed continuation insurance for a player with a wife and children through COBRA runs $2,400 a month, according to Yaras-Davis. But that coverage won’t provide for many health and training options that before the lockout would have been absorbed at least partly by NFL teams. Injured players will have to file worker’s compensation claims, Yaras-Davis said.

Healthy players will have to pay for their massages, acupuncture services, chiropractic treatment, personal training, fitness classes and an assortment of vitamins and supplements.

Though such goods and services might be considered luxuries for the average fan, players say they qualify as daily training necessities for professional athletes. And much of it is not covered by standard health insurance.

“For the most part, you’re doing that out of pocket,” Pashos said. “As you start getting older, that stuff, it all helps. Everything. Yoga, massages, acupuncture, it all matters.”

And it doesn’t come cheaply.

Players say a full-body massage costs at least $130. Acupuncture, active release therapy or chiropractic sessions run about $120 each. Weekly workouts with a personal trainer can cost about $1,000 to $1,500, bringing monthly personal health and training costs to $6,000 or more.

That doesn’t include the $2,000 to $3,000 price of health insurance and life insurance, which also disappeared when the collective bargaining agreement expired.

“It’s not a painless process financially,” Clark said. “But it’s not something we want to harp on. We should be able to afford that.”

Some players will absorb the additional costs without sweating it, they said. But younger and fringe players who earned the league minimum of $320,000 in 2010 could struggle in coming months, players and officials said. Though players’ 2011 salaries — which will be paid in 17 checks throughout the fall season — have not yet been jeopardized, some already are feeling the loss of certain other income.

Players have not received signing or workout bonuses, and the stipends of $400 to $500 for attendance at regular offseason workouts with their teams have disappeared. Also gone: the $1,225 weekly checks veterans received during formal mini-camps, an NFL spokesman said.

“You do have guys who spent the whole season on the practice squad; they have multiple children, a wife,” Pashos said, referring to minimum-salary players. “They just can’t come up with the funds.”

Though the National Football League Players Association assembled an emergency fund for players who may struggle financially, David Thornton of the Tennessee Titans called that money a “last resort,” and said no one wants to dip into it this early.

“You have to balance it out,” Thornton said. “What can I do on my own without paying an expensive tab? That’s part of being a professional.

“But, of course, I can’t give myself a massage.”

Players say they might try to cut costs by working out at their former high schools or colleges, or soliciting training partners from amateur teams. They also may forgo or cut down on certain treatments, carry out some fitness exercises on their own, and dabble in new methods of training or therapy.

But they worry about slicing too much.

“At the end of the day,” Pashos said, “my health is where my wealth lies. They’re tied hand in hand.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nf ... s_homepage (http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl_players_begin_to_pay_their_own_training_expens es/2011/03/20/ABSnhg8_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage)

[Chadman]

You mean to say that the evil overlords that call themselves "Owners" actually pay for all the incidentals an NFL player might need? Like $200 massages, 3 times a day?


Bastards!

Give more!!!!!



:stirpot

[fordfixer]

I think we need to take up a collection for the players so they wont go broke. Here's my :2c
Any one else want to chip in?

[Shawn]

I don't think the players are helping themselves by revealing some of these trials and tribulations.

[hawaiiansteel]

you show those owners who's the boss Dez, you're not about to start saving any of your $... :HeadBanger


Retailers at Dallas mall say they’ll miss Dez Bryant

Posted by Mike Florio on March 23, 2011


With the lockout sucking the life out of the NFL, Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant has provided a welcome diversion.

He reportedly was banned from a Dallas-area mall after allegedly wearing his pants too low on Saturday. Though Bryant denies the allegations, it appears that the banishment indeed occurred. Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Bryant’s adviser, David Wells, and a lawyer went to the mall on Wednesday in an attempt to have the 90-day time out lifted.

“It’s not true,” Wells said. “I was there. I never saw a verbal warning. I went back up there Monday and talked to security and they said nothing was going to come of it.”

Fine. So why was Wells back there on Wednesday trying to get the ban lifted?

Hill reports that retailers at the mall have said both on and off the record that they’ll miss Bryant. He reportedly shops at the Foot Locker store three times per week, and he routinely signs autographs for customers at the store.

“We are sad to see him gone,” an unnamed parking attendant at the mall said. “He would tip of 40 or 50 bucks every time. He was good to us. He treated us well.”

For those of you looking to make things interesting, we suggest a friendly wager based on whether Bryant will return to the mall before he returns to work.

We’ve got a feeling the winner is “mall,” even with the 90-day ban.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ez-bryant/ (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/23/retailers-at-dallas-mall-say-theyll-miss-dez-bryant/)

[Chadman]

Healthy players will have to pay for their massages, acupuncture services, chiropractic treatment, personal training, fitness classes and an assortment of vitamins and supplements.

Though such goods and services might be considered luxuries for the average fan, players say they qualify as daily training necessities for professional athletes. And much of it is not covered by standard health insurance.

“For the most part, you’re doing that out of pocket,” Pashos said. “As you start getting older, that stuff, it all helps. Everything. Yoga, massages, acupuncture, it all matters.”

And it doesn’t come cheaply.

Players say a full-body massage costs at least $130. Acupuncture, active release therapy or chiropractic sessions run about $120 each. Weekly workouts with a personal trainer can cost about $1,000 to $1,500, bringing monthly personal health and training costs to $6,000 or more.

That doesn’t include the $2,000 to $3,000 price of health insurance and life insurance, which also disappeared when the collective bargaining agreement expired.

This bit, right here, while trying to express the hardships the players are now 'faced' with, actually paints the picture more for the fan on just how much it would cost the OWNERS to keep a team happy, healthy & on the field.

All these extra costs that are such a heavy burden on these players- that's the burden the owners carry every year.

Are these expenses above & beyond the players salary? Or are they deducted from the players salary?

Here's betting these players never, ever pay for these massages & pills etc.

Oh, such a hard life...

[feltdizz]

Healthy players will have to pay for their massages, acupuncture services, chiropractic treatment, personal training, fitness classes and an assortment of vitamins and supplements.

Though such goods and services might be considered luxuries for the average fan, players say they qualify as daily training necessities for professional athletes. And much of it is not covered by standard health insurance.

“For the most part, you’re doing that out of pocket,” Pashos said. “As you start getting older, that stuff, it all helps. Everything. Yoga, massages, acupuncture, it all matters.”

And it doesn’t come cheaply.

Players say a full-body massage costs at least $130. Acupuncture, active release therapy or chiropractic sessions run about $120 each. Weekly workouts with a personal trainer can cost about $1,000 to $1,500, bringing monthly personal health and training costs to $6,000 or more.

That doesn’t include the $2,000 to $3,000 price of health insurance and life insurance, which also disappeared when the collective bargaining agreement expired.

This bit, right here, while trying to express the hardships the players are now 'faced' with, actually paints the picture more for the fan on just how much it would cost the OWNERS to keep a team happy, healthy & on the field.

All these extra costs that are such a heavy burden on these players- that's the burden the owners carry every year.

Are these expenses above & beyond the players salary? Or are they deducted from the players salary?

Here's betting these players never, ever pay for these massages & pills etc.

Oh, such a hard life...

and this is exactly why the owners need another Billion, for all those massages and pills. :roll:

Owners don't carry those expenses.. they pass them on to the fan by raising parking prices, 8 dollar dirty water some call beer and the raised ticket prices for great teams like Carolina and Tampa Bay.

You have to be the dumbest owner on the planet to not factor in the health of your players when negotiating contracts.

Sure this is something the players aren't used to paying so it's an added expense but it's not an added expense to the owners. They know the deal just like the players do when it comes to injury, being cut, traded, etc...

I have NO sympathy for the owners...

[birtikidis]

We planned for this years ago.


Hmmm....
let me ask you chadman... if you knew your company was going to shutdown operationg for up to a year.. would you start planning?


That's one view.

However, from the other side of the fence- does this not show the intentions of the players regarding the negotiations?
It's not a view. The owners opted out. Had nothing to do with the players. It seems to me, that if they wanted to negotiate the deal the owners would have let the deal wind down then try to negotiate. They opted out how many years ago? IMO they should have been negotiating all that time. shouldn't have opted out and had been making progress all that time. that's just me though.

[hawaiiansteel]

sounds like OchoStinko is budgeting his $ really well...


Ochocinco eating “humble pie” during soccer tryout

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on March 24, 2011, 3:11 PM EDT

http://nbcprofootballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/c-ochocincosoccer.jpg?w=141

Chad Ochocinco has finished half of his four-day tryout with the MLS’ Sporting Kansas City, and the reviews of Ochocinco’s performance have been mixed at best.

Including Ocho’s self-examination.

“I wish you all can see the skill it takes to play FUTBOL,even with my speed these guys still make me look like s–t on the pitch #seriously,” Ochocino wrote on Twitter on Thursday. (Those dashes were ours, not his.)

Ochocinco was noticeably tired at the end of his first day and said he “ate the humble pie” during his tryout. The Kansas City Star said Ochocinco struggled to keep possession of the ball during 11-on-11 drills.

Still, the Bengals receiver seems to be having fun. He’s taking the entire team out to dinner Thursday night and says he’s living out a childhood dream. He also thinks his soccer tryout will benefit him on the football field.

“Superb day on the pitch, I’m gonna be in phenomenal shape once football rolls back around,my feet were awesome b4 they gone b like WTF now!!!” he wrote.

The only catch: The tryout ends in two days. It seems rather unlikely Ochocinco will be asked to stick around after that.

“The only thing I’m probably good at,” Ochocinco said, “is being fast as hell.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... er-tryout/ (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/24/ochocinco-eating-humble-pie-during-soccer-tryout/)

[hawaiiansteel]

Dez Bryant sued for $246,000 in jewelry

Posted by Mike Florio on March 28, 2011

http://nbcprofootballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/193115989.jpg?w=158

As Rosenthal pointed out this morning, Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant may shop wherever he wants to shop.

But it’s important that he pay for whatever he buys.

PFT has learned that Bryant has been sued by a jeweler who allegedly produced several custom items for Bryant in 2010. Per the complaint filed today in the District Court of Dallas, Texas, A+A Diamonds, Ltd. d/b/a Rafaello & Co. alleges that Bryant received $267,000 worth of jewelry — and that he has paid only $21,000.

This means that (abacus engaged) Bryant owes $246,000.

Bryant allegedly made multiple purchases, before and after the 2010 draft. On January 22, 2010, he bought $75,000 worth of jewelry. On February 8, 2010, he made a whopping $144,000 purchase, including a $60,000 custom charm. On February 16, 2010, he purchased $25,000 more in jewelry. On May 24, 2010, Bryant purchased a $23,000 diamond bracelet.

Attached to the complaint are a purchase order supposedly signed by Bryant, along with the various invoices.

Bryant signed a contract last year with $8.5 million in guaranteed money, so he can afford to pay his bills. It’s unclear why he hasn’t.

Bryant lost a $50,000 earring during a game against the Giants. A security guard found the item. The incident came a day after Bryant tweeted a picture of a diamond-encrusted necklace with his number, 88. “I had to show the world my 88 necklace,” Bryant said at the time.

Apparently, he has yet to feel a similar compulsion to show Rafaello & Company the money for it.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... n-jewelry/ (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/28/dez-bryant-sued-for-246000-in-jewelry/)

[feltdizz]

Congratulations Dez Bryant. You are now the designated face of the NFL for the owners and ESPN. You will have every incident on the 6 pm sportscenter. Don't tip enough money... Its news. Wear your hat backwards. Its news.

Don't pay your freakin jewelry tab. Its news.

See Dez, you are wasting your money and have no appreciation for it so the owners should keep it. They know how to spend wisely. You don't.

Welcome to the NFL Dez.