Comments on: Criticism of Keels for Smith deal is over the top

By: Kidekk

Kidekk — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:45:41 +0000

First, as to the length of your post:
“That’s what she said.”
Secondly, is this the longest post that you have ever written? The scroll wheel on my mouse stopped working trying to get to the end.

By: BonnieD

BonnieD — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:14:27 +0000

I’m not a fan of Mr. Keels, but this is a very good argument on his behalf, and it is definitely the best writing I’ve ever seen you do, Florio.

By: Smush Rodrigez

Smush Rodrigez — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:01:01 +0000

ZombieRevolution says:
September 25, 2009 2:18 PM
“First, it represents a grossly one-sided view of the situation.”
“…because I know how this kind of one-sided article…”
Man Florio: a great deal of what you push through PFT is grossly one-sided. See every post you have about Favre for example and so much more. It is terribly disingenuous to even think about writing the article the way you did.
Congrats, your tirade basically calls out someone who has your faults.
****
Agreed… I wonder if Favre, Bush, Warner, McNabb, and Romo would like the other side told…

By: ZombieRevolution

ZombieRevolution — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:20:23 +0000

“…he’s smart enough to realize that he was being played.”
Mr. Florio- Rodney Harrison and Terry Bradshaw on line one for you…

By: ZombieRevolution

ZombieRevolution — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:18:48 +0000

“First, it represents a grossly one-sided view of the situation.”
“…because I know how this kind of one-sided article…”
Man Florio: a great deal of what you push through PFT is grossly one-sided. See every post you have about Favre for example and so much more. It is terribly disingenuous to even think about writing the article the way you did.
Congrats, your tirade basically calls out someone who has your faults.

By: Taxlaw26

Taxlaw26 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:17:30 +0000

I agree with your assessment, I had similar thoughts when the Cole article was originally published.
I also agree with the reasoning behind responding. Cole’s critique of Keels’ performance was unbalanced. He should have at least alluded to his past performance.

By: Eli

Eli — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:53:30 +0000

Here, Mike Florio is calling out Jason Cole for his article and yet many here including myself (FOUR TIMES NOW OUTLOAD LIKE THIS) have called out Florio and his WRONGFUL interpretation of the rule that robbed Louis Murphy of a TD.
Florio himself WROTE the rule in the body of an article but later stated it falsely and completely different in a PFT segment to bolster his claim that the NFL got it right.
Hey Mike, how about you admitting and correcting your own faults before pointing fingers at others.
Pot, kettle, black.

By: cgarsmoker

cgarsmoker — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:33:41 +0000

You lawyers are thick as thieves…..
My wife called me an jackass in front of everyone at the Piggly Wiggly last month and since you are now all about telling both sides of the story in things that really do not involve you….. I was hoping you could put together a few rebuttal paragraphs so I could set the record straight.

By: capitala23

capitala23 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:29:28 +0000

I thought this was nice well rounded article that took a fair assessment of both sides.

By: DC_Bengals_Fan

DC_Bengals_Fan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:25:40 +0000

I’m a Bengals fan, and in general can’t stand sports agents, but even I felt sorry for Alvin Keels. He seemed very reasonable on Hard Knocks; his problem (as you rightly point out) is that he was sandwiched between a team that plays hardball and a client that’s literally eating his negotiating leverage.
That was one of your best articles in a long time (nice backhanded compliment, I realize). I did NOT know that the 2-year option had to be exercised after his second year; that changes a lot regarding the criticism (people saying that *all* NFL deals are signing bonuses with a series of team options). By structuring the deal that way, he either front-loads the deal or gains his client some freedom.
All in all, I thought Keels did a good, honest job and wish other agents showed his professionalism. I hope dealing with the Bengals doesn’t kill his career.
Incidentally, what do you think will happen next year with whomever the Bengals pick? If I’m an agent, I don’t want to do business with them.

By: Opie

Opie — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:23:39 +0000

“But whether anyone will believe it, I’m compelled to say it: I decided to go to bat for Keels on this one because I know how this kind of one-sided article can be used to unfairly hurt an agent’s business interests. Those tactics are wrong, so speaking out was simply the right thing to do.”
SNL has a skit that fits this perfectly:
“REALLY?!?” So, you went to bat for an agent because this article can unfairly hurt his business? Really?!? Those tactics are wrong? Really? Speaking out is the right thing to do? really?!?
You do that on a daily basis. Propagating rumors that are simply untrue with no basis on facts.
Saying that, you also do post rumors that are based on facts, but my only point is that it is a bit ironic that you are taking a writer to task for doing something that you do. I hope Cole and Channing Crowder aren’t friends…..
I do agree with your summary on the deals, though…….just saying.

By: kbaby604

kbaby604 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:20:20 +0000

All the Yahoo! sports guys suck… especially that dope-head Silver…
Wasn’t Cole the same guy who made up an article about Shanahan video-taping Charger practices?

By: chgolaw

chgolaw — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:17:48 +0000

As usual when it comes with the Bengals, Florio just makes things up. If the Bengals were so concerned with his pre-draft weight, they would do one of two things: put in weight clauses (which they did) or draft another guy (like Eugene Monroe). No way would they draft a guy merely to do nothing and not sign him. Does that makes sense to anyone other than Florio? Have they had first round picks who have failed? Sure (Chris Perry comes to mind), but so has everyone (how are Rashard Mendenhall , Vernon Gholston, Gaines Adams or Justin Harell working out so far?). Nobody….and I mean nobody…just drafts someone in the first round to make some innocuous statement to the rest of the NFL.

By: hotchick

hotchick — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:11:51 +0000

I would think the stupid slotting “system” should fall apart once a player starts missing camp or OTA’s.
Is a guy drafted 8 or 7 and in camp going to be worth more to a team then the guy drafted 6th who misses a chunk of camp?
Invsion this with a QB. Sanchez obviously has more value to the Jets today because he did not hold out. If he did he’d most certainly be learning with a clip board instead of taking the snaps in a win over the Pats.

By: who rey

who rey — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:10:04 +0000

Can’t help but ask the question. Was Smith’s foot already broken when he caved and took the not-so-great contract? Seems to me he’d lose a lot of leverage in negotiations with a broken foot and it would make sense. Somewhat ironic that he broke his foot 20 minutes into his first practice. Just a thought

By: footballrulz

footballrulz — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:06:09 +0000

This contract BS is getting out of hand. A QB gets 5.6 mil/yr, a RT gets 5.25 mil/yr & a wide receiver gets 4.6 mil/yr & have never played a down in the NFL. I think the Packers started all this BS when they paid that roid raged bust Mandarich over a mil (1st lineman ever to break the 10 figure mark I think). Where’s he now?
I suppose there’s no regard for position if your’e picked in the top 10–your’e deal has to be slotted. I realize how important linemen are but I would think a good WR would be worth more. IF there is a new CBA it’s has to address a payscale for Rookies. I cannot think of any other industry where you get paid top dollar before you have proven yourself. Either of these guys turn out to be a bust and all the guaranteed part of the contract is thrown out the window.
Somewhere it has to stop.

By: Bob Nelson

Bob Nelson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:02:19 +0000

When the whole situation is rotten, it is tough to call anyone a winner.
I might have believed to general slant of the aritcle until problem children Keels has represented in the past. Koren Robinson and his high speed DUI police chase with the vikings, DeAngelo Hall and his blow ups with management over minor issues, and disgruntled Larry Johnson.
Keels can be judged by his clientele.
With all that trouble one can understand the need for firing and re-hiring ploy.
Hopefully he can get some client’s with better attitudes or he will have the reputation as poisoning the minds of his clients.
Teams do not want problem players.

By: briano29

briano29 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:01:11 +0000

Nicely done Florio.
In Smith’s case, Keels was forced to make chicken salad with one hand, and to keep Smith from eating it with the other.
Brilliant . . .

By: JSpicoli

JSpicoli — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:58:55 +0000

29 paragraphs that say….Jason Cole has been and IS a major tool. It could have been summed up by that.
Dude is dead to me for 5+ years, a complete idiot.

By: TheVillain112

TheVillain112 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:54:11 +0000

Good stuff. I agree with every bit of it. If you add anything else later on, you might want to talk more about how stubborn Mike Brown is and how there is no way in hell he’ll would overpay like Al Davis.
You can do and say whatever you want like Chad Ochocinco did last offseason, but Mike Brown is one stubborn old fool, who might lose a lot of games but doesn’t lose often when it comes to money.

By: HawgNSonsTV

HawgNSonsTV — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:53:37 +0000

Yeah…no $hit…I was about to call the methadone clinic …because I was nodding out!

By: Seeryer

Seeryer — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:51:54 +0000

Taking Smith at 6 was only a reach in the minds of guys who don’t get paid by NFL teams. Andre Smith will end up being so much better than Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe and Michael Oher. Lets see what happens once he gets on the field before he gets labled a bust.

By: SoCalSean

SoCalSean — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:50:18 +0000

Title correction:
Criticsm of Florio is just about right

By: IanWhetstone

IanWhetstone — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:49:30 +0000

I thought exactly the same things about Cole’s article, especially when he compared Smith’s deal to that terrible Ricky Williams contract, a notion at which I immediately balked. Not only did Williams get basically a big signing bonus and little else but crappy incentives, but they locked him into that deal for EIGHT YEARS.
So, anyway, how about posting the full breakdown, to better enable us to decide for ourselves?

By: TSE

TSE — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:48:24 +0000

I think Keels did a good job. He dug in his heels and held out as long as he could. If he was a terrible agent, he would have caved earlier on an even lesser deal, but he fought hard and took a long time to get the best deal he could.
The Bengals probably did Smith a favor by taking him that high with all of the weight concerns and off the field negative feedback that Smith was getting. He is a big risk of being a bust later on, and they Bengals are taking a risky gamble. It’s not like Michael Crabtree who was a bonafide star and is a solid athlete, when you have a huge guy like this with weight concerns and other concerns, it’s a different type of bargaining situation than a guy like Crabtree or Sanchez. Granted, a lot of that goes out the window with the Bengals having made that pick at that spot, but that doesn’t change the fact that they have a great negotiating position to posture with and to hold firm on their rationale for why they won’t budge.
Keels pushed it as far as he could and got the most that the Bengals were willing to pay.

By: HawgNSonsTV

HawgNSonsTV — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:43:18 +0000

Florio…Just say it…Lawyers ARE ALL CUT-THROAT!!!……………. parasites!