Bears news

[Da Coach]

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x1768852618/Bears-sign-first-round-draft-pick

[Big Mike]

Good news on Williams...Bad news on Hester...an hold-out no-show for camp wanting more money!

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/1070830,hester072308.article

[BUBraves06]

Good for Williams, he said from day one that he would not hold out and he was true to his word. Hopefully he develops quickly and claims a starting job at the begining of camp.

[Stryker]

I think he will be starting early in the season. If not then hopefully St. Clair is good enough to start weekly. It's nice seeing him signed for 5 years though. He seems like a stand up player and hopefully should have a good career with the Bears.

It is too bad about Hester, but I'm really not that worried about it. He'll get his money soon. He's not a player the Bears are going to treat badly when it comes to money. Remember he is still on his rookie contract, and making I believe less than $500K a year in salary. However, he has been All-pro the past two years and broken not only team records, but many NFL records. In my book if he has another season like the last two he is going to Canton as a Hall of Famer.

[Big Mike]

Rumor is Hester wants starting WR money!

[BUBraves06]

Rumor is Hester wants starting WR money!

I wouldn't be surprised if that's true but I think he should prove that he's capable of at least being a starting wide reciever, nevermind being a No. 1, before he gets that kind of money.

[Big Mike]

Not good...now threating to sit out whole season......

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/1072177,CST-SPT-bear24.article

[Da Coach]

Hester has a contract with 2 more years on it! I just don't get why these spoiled athletes think it's OK to violate their side of the contract, but could the team get away with forcing him to perform and not paying him as their side of the contract requires?

Hester is making good money from his rookie contract, and no doubt he wants more. But because of his talent and the way the Bears have used him, he is raking in a lot of money from endosements, jersey sales, etc. There is no way he will hold out and risk losing that money. And he would have to hold out for 2 years before he would be free of his contract with the Bears. That won't happen. I think his hold out will hurt Hester more than the Bears. I expect the Bears to throw a little more money at him to make him happy, and this will get settled soon.

[Da Coach]

Here is an article from the Chicago Tribune with some quotes from Devin Hester. I a a Bears fan, and I love Devin hester, but this is just more evidence of how spoled and selfish these overpaid athletes are.--

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-080723-devin-hester-holdout-chicago-bears,0,3335522.story

Recall that Hester signed his contract 2 years ago and it has 2 more years on it.
Quote from Devin Hester--
"I'm not coming," he said by phone. "I have to make a statement. I showed by going to [organized team activities] that I was a team player. But then, I just felt they weren't taking it seriously that I wanted to get a new deal.
"I can't go out and play this year making $445,000. Come on, man."

Poor guy, I am sure we can all feel sorry for him. It reminds me of what Patrick Ewing told reporters when he was a player representative during the NBA player lockout--
"Sure NBA Players make a lot of money, but we spend a lot too."

http://itsjustmoney.blogs.com/its_just_money/2006/04/sure_nba_player.html

[Stryker]

I don't think you guys really understand Hester's situation. Yes, he did sign a rookie contract, but if you aren't a first round pick you don't have a lot of power in your negotiations for the rookie contract, and pretty much have to sign if you want to play in the NFL. Hester does have 2 more years left, but the kid is incredible. He has been All-pro both years he has been in the league, and has not only set team records but NFL records as well. No, I don't think he should be getting top 10 WR money, but $445k a year is not much over the league minimum. He should be rewarded for what he has done the past two years. Heck, the league minimum for a 6 or 7 year veteran is upwards of $800K a year. And that is not an all-pro player.

[Da Coach]

So do you believe that every player who has a good year while under contract should be given more money than they contract they agreed to calls for?

Should the teams be allowed to void the contracts of players who underproduce?

What good is a contract if one side can demand more or less depending on the player's performance?

BTW- I do agree that he should be rewarded for what he has done and what he is capable of doing in the future, but that is usually what happens with the next contract.

[Stryker]

No, not every player that has a good year, but Hester has redefined the position he plays in 2 years and will likely be in the Hall of Fame if he can repeat his success this year. I just think he deserves to get paid.

[Rusty 54]

So do you believe that every player who has a good year while under contract should be given more money than they contract they agreed to calls for?

Should the teams be allowed to void the contracts of players who underproduce?

What good is a contract if one side can demand more or less depending on the player's performance?

BTW- I do agree that he should be rewarded for what he has done and what he is capable of doing in the future, but that is usually what happens with the next contract.

Teams can cut players whenever the teams want to. If players get hurt, or simply underpreform. So its hard for me to feel any sympathy towards the teams, and the Bears front office has a reputation for being cheap.

[Da Coach]

But the teams still do not have the right to cut or refuse to pay a player if their contract doesn't allow it. They still comply with their side of the agreement, every time. Can anyone name an instance where any team ever just cut a player or refused to pay them when the contract required it? Yet that is what Hester is doing. He is violating the legally binding contract he signed.
I guess I just believe people should keep their word and honor their binding contracts.

Let me say that I do think the Bears have a bargain with Hester, but how many times do they pay players big money and get very little from them in return? Maybe the Bears can take advantage of this situation, and re-do Hester's contract and get more years on it and still make Hester happy.

Here's one writer that thinks hester's method could backfire--

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-080723-david-haugh-devin-hester-chicago-bears,0,808652.column

On Page 56 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article XVIII, it stipulates if a veteran player under contract such as Hester doesn't report 30 days before the regular season (Aug. 5) he could risk losing an accrued year toward free agency.
Then there is the experience he loses with every skipped practice.
"There will come a point that he will have lost so much time it will hurt him, that's a fact," Drake said. "That's with any guy in the league playing a position for a short period of time. Right now he's hurting because he wants to be here. But there will come a point to make some tough decisions."
That time comes Thursday morning. Hester needs to report to training camp and resume negotiations before calling him ridiculous is no longer a compliment.

[Da Coach]

Devin Hester ends his holdout and reports to the Bears training camp.--

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g1YbEyRc1ue9niezPvlG3ybHJ6PgD9257BJ00