Devil Dish: Aug. 24
NFL players holding out for more money has become a staple of training camps. It seems that year after year there are more and more players who refuse to practice or play until they get a raise. Fans often see this as either the players being greedy or the owners being stingy. The flaw in both lines of thinking is that the problem does not rest with the owners or the players, but rather in the system itself. Contracts in the NFL are not true contracts. If a player underperforms, the team has the ability to cut the player and terminate the contract, but if the player outperforms his contract the team does not have to pay him extra money. Players feel the need to quickly secure as much money as possible because if their performances slip, their contracts could vanish. Hence the holdout. Holdouts are annoying and frustrating for NFL fans, especially when one of their favorite teams or players is involved.
